7 Quick Takes (1/10/14)

Last updated on: January 10, 2014 at 1:04 am By Leah Libresco

— 1 — The theme for this week is distortions or odd perspectives on space and time. First up is photographer Adam Magyar, who repurposes a photographic technique. As described by Matter: Digital photography, first developed in the 1970s, gave rise to two types of image-capturing devices: standard digital cameras and scanners. The former captures an entire subject in a single exposure. The latter, by contrast, captures an image in a sequence. The sensor moves over the subject—a printed document, for... Read more

Don’t Rely on the State to Legitimize your Faith

Last updated on: January 9, 2014 at 10:47 am By Leah Libresco

Germany’s state-run schools all include religious education. In most districts, students can pick from Catholic, Protestant, or the secular ‘Civics’ in order to get a grounding in ethics and philosophy. Recently, one of Germany’s states, responding to demographic change, has added ‘Islam’ to the mix. After another holiday season of fights over state-sponsored Christmas displays and perennial cases of school prayer, some American religious activists might envy Germany’s casual integration of religion into civic life, but, as I discuss this morning... Read more

The Lingering Sensations of Epiphany

Last updated on: January 8, 2014 at 12:05 pm By Leah Libresco

My first Christmas as a Catholic followed swiftly on the heels of my conversion, and I was already arranging flights for interviews for my California job before the season was over, so, this year, I’ve appreciated getting to experience more of the feasts that come thick and fast after December 25th. This past Monday was the Feast of the Epiphany which celebrates the revelation of God as Man and whose readings focus on the visitation by the Magi. Naturally, at... Read more

Merry Old Christmas Day + Reflections on Modern Christmases

Last updated on: January 7, 2014 at 9:40 am By Leah Libresco

Merry Christmas to any readers who may belong to Orthodox churches whose liturgy follows the Julian calendar! My friends and I in DC are taking advantage of the occasion by getting to celebrate a little with each other (since we’re all scattered back with our families on the Christmas day that our church follows). And, in the meantime, I figured I’d post the video from a Christmas radio appearance I did on In the Arena with Monsignor Harrington. We talked... Read more

Reading through 2014 with Pope Francis [Index Post]

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 1:31 pm By Leah Libresco

Throughout 2014, I’ll be reading and blogging through Pope Francis/Cardinal Bergoglio’s collections of meditations: Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus. Every Friday, I’ll be reading the next meditation in the series (spiritual reading is my Friday discipline) and then posting a reaction on Monday. Commenters are heartily invited to read along and contribute your thoughts. Part 1: Encountering Jesus Jesus in Dialogue — “An Inheritance of Joy” (1/6/14) Living in Constant Encounter — “Blessed be the Bridgebuilders” (1/13/14) Believing... Read more

An Inheritance of Joy [Pope Francis bookclub]

Last updated on: January 6, 2014 at 3:00 pm By Leah Libresco

In 2014, I’m reading and blogging through Pope Francis/Cardinal Bergoglio’s Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus. Every Monday, I’ll be writing about the next meditation in the book, so you’re welcome to peruse them all and/or read along. After the introductions, the prefaces, and the translator’s notes, the first two words I read by Pope Francis were “Apostolic joy.” His reflections on living the Christian faith begins with this sentence: Apostolic joy is nourished by the contemplation of Jesus... Read more

Missing the Cues for My Amens

Last updated on: January 5, 2014 at 4:22 pm By Leah Libresco

For Catholics, the Christmas season is still ongoing (up until January 12th, the Feast of Christ’s Baptism), so the days have been peppered with more feasts and solemnities than I’ve had time to write about. But one holiday I particularly enjoyed was the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, which falls on New Year’s Day. A group of Catholic friends and I went to the Dominican House of Studies on New Year’s Eve for an hour of Adoration (prayer... Read more

7 Quick Takes (1/3/14)

Last updated on: January 3, 2014 at 1:12 am By Leah Libresco

— 1 — First, just a reminder that today I’m reading the first meditation in Cardinal Bergoglio’s (Pope Francis’s) Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus for the year-long book-club I’ll be running here. It kicks off Monday, so get reading, if you’re interested! — 2 — And if you’re looking for something delightful to read, perhaps you’d like to check out the extraordinary Christmas present that my friend Nicola made for her husband, Will. His patron saint, St. William of... Read more

New Routines with a New Saint

Last updated on: January 2, 2014 at 12:24 pm By Leah Libresco

It turns out that my saint for the month of January (as determined by Jen Fulwiler’s Saint Generator) is Saint Genevieve. And, conveniently enough, her feast day is January 3rd, so I’ll make sure to attend Daily Mass this Friday in her honor. In her life, she was perhaps best known for leading the people of Paris in sustained prayer in order to ward off an attack by the Huns. This will be my first month back in my old... Read more

Join me for a Pope Francis bookclub in 2014

Last updated on: December 30, 2013 at 2:21 pm By Leah Libresco

I’ve gotten a lot out of the interviews, sermons, and off-hand comments of Pope Francis this year, so, in 2014, I’m going to be reading through Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus by the then Cardinal Bergoglio. The book contains forty eight meditations, which is nearly enough to span a year. So, starting on January 6th, I’ll be posting a response or reflection on the essays every Monday. I’ll make sure to include enough quotes and context that you... Read more