It’s that expectant time of year that’s different, but also so familiar, as we repeatedly celebrate a ritual that’s ensconced in both home and worship spaces. Had people not been familiar with the symbolism of the Advent Candles, it would almost seem like a simple secular gesture. School children bring in candles and finesse it around a wreath to be placed in a favored place in the classroom. Parents herald the coming of Christmas via a similar ritual in their... Read more
In the midst of the culture wars of the past 4 to 5 years, many beautifully carved statues and memorials to great and supposedly prominent figures have been very unceremoniously destroyed or displaced. Granite, marble or stone personas, not by their own volition, have been relegated to the annals of time and memory. Some, the dastardly, fascist or clearly cruel personas, likely deserved this fate; but not others, as those of the well intentioned statesman, conscripted war soldiers... Read more
Bells… “tintinnabulations of the Bells, Bells…” sung out Edgar Allen Poe.. The concept of these ringing marvels have maintained a storied place throughout history. They seem well ensconced into the fabric of our minds, memories and hearts. We’ve all been “saved by the bell”during those school days when our assignment was not completed, or it was just too warm to be inside a classroom on a warm late spring afternoon. People in San Francisco would stop on and off the... Read more
God manifests in so Many ways… As a very young boy, my Italian -born mother told me something that has always baffled and intrigued me to this very day. As many other families, we had a cat. A beautiful animal marked by various colors, and my constant companion as I played away the days. I had had asked my mother why our cat purred so often throughout the day. Without skipping a beat, my mother informed me that my cat... Read more
The timeless line in which Shakespear’s Hamlet utters to Horatio that “there are more things in heaven and earth that are dreamt of in your philosophies”.. proves remarkably timeless and almost always true in our lives. Due to the notion of the Fall of Man, we can only experience God by circumstance, thru others, and in prayer. Otherwise he was an entity completely known, and immediately accessible, before man betrayed him in Paradise. This is not to say that God... Read more
Money is a funny thing. Man is engrossed by it, romanced by it – and often motivated by it, whether by need or greed. Scriptures have at least an estimated 2.000 verses referencing money or possessions in the Bible. It’s obviously a necessity in most every economic system on earth, but can be used in sinister ways. Money- it’s also an onerous thing. The statement that “love of money is root of all evilness” is profoundly on target in... Read more
“Cancel culture” has created an interesting scenario for the world’s sculptures and statues. those majestic, carvings, and marble or stone, which are, were or would be. Read more
Conventional Christian Theology promulgates the doctrine that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, leaves us with a renewable and everlasting gift in the form of the Eucharist, the actual body of Christ (God). A gift to be renewed and given to mankind…over and over during the ‘Liturgy’ of the Mass and it’s related rubrics ….Holy Communion or Lord’s Supper celebrations. The word ‘liturgy’ (Leitourgia) stems from the Greek, literally meaning a publicly witnessed action. It merits pause to consider the... Read more
© St Francis of Assisi, the popular Italian patron Saint of Animals, once referred to God’s marvelous creatures as “our beloved lesser brothers…” I thought it was a marvelous notion, and a tip of the hat to the fact although they may not in some ways possess the cognitive abilities of man- they are sentient beings deserving of our love. Frequently referenced in scripture, Christ himself rode a donkey into Jerusalem, doves of life and peace showed Noah the way, and someday the... Read more
Mercy comes in all sizes, and in that special year- such a grace reached “The Grinch” with heart rendering tenderness. The story of Dr Seuess’ ‘The Grinch’ has stolen peoples’ hearts for over 6 decades. The Grinch’s spirit, imbued deep within this green creature, as it is in all of God’s beings, needed others’ love to bring this spirit to its fullness. The ole’ Grinch was simply spiritually malnourished. He just needed some good medicine, mainly consisting of doses of... Read more
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