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Above: The Isenheim Altarpiece (1512-16) by Matthias Grünewald An excerpt from The School of Jesus Crucified. 1. Her sufferings in the Crucifixion of her Son. Never has any mother or pure creature suffered a more painful martyrdom than that endured by Mary in beholding her most beloved Son barbarously crucified under her very eyes. Full…
Above: 17th century Paris. Source. Four centuries ago, on April 17, 1625, history witnessed a landmark event: the founding of the Congregation of the Mission of Saint Vincent de Paul († 1660), commonly known as the Lazarists, named after their motherhouse, Saint-Lazare in Paris. This anniversary provides an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the enduring…
The rooster is, for many of us, a goofy figure: the strutting male of a bird species not known for its brains or courage. And for Christians, the rooster bears the dubious distinction of being the other half of the unfortunate duo involved in denying Christ three times the night of His betrayal. And yet,…
Every year as we approach Holy Week, a story appears in which it is alleged some misguided organization or other has just “cancelled Easter” by removing all official mention of it from their output. Concerned Christians and conservatives then move in to object, calling such measures yet another case of politically correct pandering to hair-trigger…
There is a kind of silence that unsettles—the awkward hush of a crowded room when the music stops. And then there is the silence I encountered at Clear Creek Abbey: a silence so full it seemed to hum with the voice of God. My four-day retreat there, nestled in the hills of eastern Oklahoma, was…
For many souls, the experience of faith today has been marked by the rediscovery of ancient traditions that were once discarded in the name of alleged progress. This so-called “progress” has, in many ways, led to the loss of the richness and depth of our faith. This is particularly evident in areas such as liturgy,…
Judas betrayed Jesus. We all do. When we look at the details surrounding Judas, we cringe. He is a close follower of Jesus, part of His inner circle, and he completely turned against Him. No doubt, his decision was ugly and it was done in the dark. He was hiding his desire to turn his…
Damaging wind gusts, hail, and rain swept into Washington, D.C., on April 3—the 29th day of Lent, the day Theodore McCarrick stopped breathing, the day he stood across from Jesus Christ. Since no bishop dared to speak on his behalf, Mother Nature eulogized. When the storm lifted and the sun shone, I thought of Fr….
This Holy Week, as we join spiritually in the cross of our Redeemer, let us keep the Blessed Virgin Mary as our model. We often hear our Lord’s words repeated: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” but not always in the context of Our Lord’s Passion. The fact is, our sins…
On the 5th of April in the year of Jesus Christ’s reign, 1419, St. Vincent Ferrer went to his eternal reward. His feast was ten days ago. It is remarkable how little this wonder-working saint is known in the Church, since he worked some of the greatest miracles that have been seen since the time…
