What does gazing at an image or icon of Divine Mercy do for my mind, body, and soul? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The beauty of images moves me [us] to contemplation…” (1162) So what is contemplation? “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus, ‘I look at him and he… [Read More]
Catholic Liturgy 101: Introduction to Liturgical Catechesis
A handful of friends and colleagues have requested a very basic survey of concepts on Catholic worship and liturgical catechesis – that is, teaching on liturgy. I find the progression in the following outline very helpful when explaining what liturgy is and why it’s important in the big picture of the Catholic faith, as well… [Read More]
Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait – Nov 5
Vincent van Gogh is a definitive artist that is often only remembered for his brushstrokes and Starry Night. Like many other great artists, his story and personality is often over-simplified and forgotten. At one point in his life, van Gogh had tried a life as a preacher, but the Dutch Reformed Church didn’t find him suitable… [Read More]
Signs of the Times
As I was walking through Hobby Lobby last week to buy material to make a gift, I was struck by the number of cute little plaques with words on them – tons of displays for any occasion – teacher gifts, inspirational Bible verses, kitchen signs, man-cave signs – words for everyone.They also had the material to… [Read More]
12 Faces that Show the Struggles of Advent
We often take ourselves too seriously, especially when it comes to the pursuit of holiness. Too often do I come across misconceptions about the many limitations and boxes people confine their notions of what saintliness can or should look like. I often think it’s because of the misunderstanding of what it means to seek God…. [Read More]
Promoting Life in the Movies: Movie Review of October Baby
It is clearly November, which is National Adoption Month, and the movie October Baby came out on DVD recently. My husband and I finally had some time over the weekend to watch a movie. We have been so busy we hadn’t had time to squeeze in a movie in over two months. We decided to… [Read More]
A Creation Liturgy [CD Review]
This month, the Denver-based Christian-collective, Gungor released a new album entitled A Creation Liturgy. This past Spring, I wrote a review on an EP released by the band The Brilliance, also based in Denver, after a concert I attended here in Austin featuring both bands. I’ve wanted to write a review of their music for… [Read More]
Better Catholic Websites
For centuries, the Catholic Church supported the most talented, pioneering artists and designers to create churches, icons, altars and other religious art. Although spending all that money on art hasn’t gone without question. The Church has often been criticized for spending so much on fancy buildings and priceless paintings instead of using that money to feed… [Read More]
