In art, St. Stephen is often depicted with three stones and a martyr’s palm. In Eastern Christian iconography, he is shown as a young, beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon’s alb and stole, and holding a miniature church building or a censer, a vessel for burning incense. The first martyr and the first deacon, Stephen’s story is told in Chapters 6 and 7 of the Acts of the Apostles. He was a deacon in the early church; and... Read more
On Dec. 24, 1968, our nation was in strife. The war in Vietnam had divided and demoralized the nation; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated; and the Zodiac Killer was on the loose. A nation in need of healing listened as the Apollo 8 astronauts, orbiting the moon, read the creation story from the Old Testament Book of Genesis during a Christmas Eve TV broadcast. Astronaut Frank Borman, aboard the Apollo spacecraft, closed with a greeting to Americans: “…And... Read more
You remember Sister Cristina–the Italian nun who made a splash on social media last year after winning first-place in Italy’s version of “The Voice”? The peppy nun has released her first single from her debut album, a cover of Madonna’s 1984 hit “Like a Virgin.” The Madonna video, filmed on gondolas in Venice, was downright raunchy. Sister Cristina has taken the controversial song and turned it into a heartfelt prayer. Instead of copying Madonna’s suggestive writhing and skimpy clothing, Sister Cristina wears... Read more
The Knights of Columbus are too Catholic. That’s the charge issued by ThinkProgress, the liberal political blog of the leftist Center for American Progress. A December 22 column applauds the Knights for their contributions to “purely altruistic” causes such as the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity, but scolds them for their support of Catholic principles. Columnist Josh Israel decried the Knights’ mission, explaining that: “…millions of their charitable dollars have funded a very socially conservative ideological agenda: opposing abortion, LGBT rights, euthanasia,... Read more
Bob Seidensticker, who writes at the Atheist Portal at Patheos, is a sparring partner and a friend. Our paths don’t cross on a daily basis; but when I write to counter some aspect of atheist thought, Bob is sure to pop in at my combox or on Facebook and tell me why I’m wrong. He is always polite, and he helps to clarify why I’m actually quite right. Somehow, Bob has never appreciated the logic of a worldview that presupposes the existence of... Read more
We’ve all gotten some terrible Christmas gifts– gifts that don’t reflect our personalities at all. A wonderful reflection this holiday season. Read more
Joseph Bottum is one of the nation’s most widely published and influential essayists–in fact, earlier this year I reviewed his recent book An Anxious Age (spoiler: I loved it). But did you know that he’s also a composer? Apparently, Jody has been writing Christmas carols for several years. In a recent column on “The Font” at Patheos, Bottum explained why he writes Christmas songs: “…We need what we lack, here in late modernity—a living connection with the past, a density of reference,... Read more
One afternoon in December 2012, Texas State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) picked up his first-grade son from school and asked him how his day went. “He told me,” Rep. Bohac said, “that his class had decorated their holiday tree with holiday ornaments. When I asked what a holiday tree was, he told me it was the same as a Christmas tree. After inquiring with school officials as to why the term ‘Holiday Tree’ was being used, it became apparent that the... Read more
Today in Vatican City, Pope Francis named a new camerlengo. For those (probably most of us) who aren’t sure what that means, the “camerlengo” or “chamberlain” is the cardinal who keeps things running smoothly in the Vatican City-State after the death or resignation of a pope. According to Wikipedia: Unlike the rest of Roman Curia, the Camerlengo retains his office during the sede vacante and functions as the executive director of the Vatican’s operations, answerable to the College of Cardinals. This is primarily to carry out... Read more
I do movie reviews fairly frequently; but I haven’t yet seen Ridley Scott’s new film “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” I was pleased, then, to receive this excellent review by Father Robert Barron, and am sharing it here in its entirety. Ridley Scott and Missing the Point of the Book of Exodus By Very Rev. Robert Barron Ridley Scott’s new film “Exodus: Gods and Kings” features Moses, the Pharaoh, hundreds of thousands of slaves making their way across the floor of the... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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