They were beautiful. Of course they were. Kari, the bride, was dazzling. A good friend and the Director of Community Life for our local parish, Kari could warm you with her winsome smile, her sincere attention and her razor sharp wit. She is one of those extraordinary individuals who can innovate, organize and execute whatever she sets her mind to and yet have an unbelievably good time while doing it. Mike, the groom, was dashing. Upon first meeting Mike, one cannot... Read more
“We must always tell what we see. Above all, and this is more difficult, we must always see what we see.” – Charles Peguy The other day I read about a meeting. And it disturbed me. From its inception, the meeting seemed enlightened enough. Charismatic, well-coiffed people with lofty titles sat across from one another in an orderly, but engaging fashion. Against the backdrop of cutlery clinking against fine dinnerware, smiles were flashed. Humor was exchanged. Fine wine was poured. It... Read more
The other day I was in Mass when I heard it. The priest happened to be proclaiming the Gospel of Mark when the words struck me like a thunderbolt, “[Christ] was amazed…” Now, before I elaborate on what amazed Christ, simply consider this: Christ was amazed. Think about that. The God of the Universe, the Creator of Everything, the Alpha & Omega was amazed. The God who did this, Healing the Man Born Blind by El Greco And this. Jesus Walks on Water... Read more
The Martyrdom of St. Peter by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Today I was out for a run when I heard it. And it stopped me in my tracks. “There is nothing that fails like success.” Uh, excuse me? Now, granted, I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, I have been listening (and re-listening) to this same guy saying similar odd things for years during my routine runs. But instead of dismissing this statement as pure foolishness, I had to stop.... Read more
His door was shut. As he wanted it to be. As he needed it to be. His hair was amiss. Why wouldn’t it be? Countless times his nervous hands unconsciously and obsessively thrust themselves through his shaggy mane as if to wring the notes from his fevered mind. And his billiard table? By serving as his composition table it was, quite simply, a mess – littered with perfect fragments of his unfolding masterpiece. . In Peter Shaffer’s brilliant story (and... Read more
St. Bartholomew (aka Nathanael) by El Greco “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ But Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do... Read more
I know. I know. I’m way behind. Ever since it was first released in 2011, my wife and I have wanted to see the movie Moneyball. But as often happens, work demands, kids and simply life has prevented us from seeing it time and time again. This weekend, however, we saw it. And it was phenomenal. Moneyball is a captivating sports drama with moments of thrilling inspiration and sheer poignancy. It is thoughtful, witty and intelligent. But the movie was also instructive. It reminded me about something... Read more
G.K. Chesterton He was a joyful man. Everybody felt so. Simply to look upon him was to experience the oft-forgotten word: Mirth. British journalist and author, G.K. Chesterton’s exuberance, wit and charm were as large as his three hundred pound frame. He wrote puckish poems and humorous essays. He drank with the gruff (yet hilarious) Hilaire Belloc and exchanged clever poetry with his wife, Frances. Chesterton was the epitome of mirth. But he was also deadly serious. He argued (without quarreling) with intellectual... Read more
The Fall & Expulsion of Adam & Eve by Michelangelo Buonarroti Genesis. Ah, Genesis. Long ago, I remember wrestling with the story of Genesis. I mean really wrestling. I tortured myself with questions. You know the type of questions I am talking about – the faith-shakers. How long were the days in God’s life? Was a day really a day? Where did dinosaurs fit into the mix of Creation? How about evolution? How old is the earth? Where did Cain... Read more
Five years ago, I became a Catholic. It was Easter Vigil. Beautiful music was sung, holy readings were pronounced and I found myself with four other candidates anxiously standing behind the altar. The moment had arrived. As Fr. Michael approached each of us, he leveled his warm and knowing gaze and swung the smoking thurible in our direction. The sweet smell of incense was potent and delicious. And as the onlooking congregation became obscured by the rising smoke, the beauty of what... Read more
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