When I turned the corner past a small Rothko, I broke into a smile: here, in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, I found a 1966 Ad Reinhardt painting, lingering around, unattended as usual. I had […]
Category: Art
Grace Illuminated by Shadow: Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew
I know that I am by no means the only one who is drawn by work of Caravaggio, by no means the only one seduced and transformed by its play of light and shadow, its […]
Christ Comes Uninvited
While being interviewed by Krista Tippett for the On Being podcast, actor and activist Martin Sheen shared his favorite passage from Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton… words that I’ve not been able to […]
M.I.A., Refugees, & the Church–“What’s up with that?”
After analyzing M.I.A’s latest song and music video, this blog entry raises questions about what it means to be church in the midst of the refugee crisis and argues that when refugees drown, we the Church drown too
Floodplain
Take a listen to Sara Groves’ newest album, Floodplain, which debuted this month, and you will hear lyrics weave a rich tapestry of spirituality and theology. I found that the album’s namesake, Floodplain, is a song […]
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today: The Heart of the Poor, Creation, and Mercy
Since Vatican II, devotion to the Sacred Heart has nearly disappeared. This blogpost gives a brief history of the devotion before pointing to possible benefits and changes entailed by a contemporary devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Finding Joy in Pope John XXIII
Looking for a last minute Christmas gift idea for an informed Catholic? If so, you might consider a fun—yet insightful—book about Saint John XXIII by Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, a skilled illustrator and artist. This […]
The Mural on Amesbury: Theological Aesthetics and Naming the Urban Poor
By Meg Stapleton Smith Lawrence, a city of 76,000 squeezed into about seven square miles, is an old mill city situated along the Merrimac River in Northeastern Massachusetts. Decrepit smokestacks and abandoned factories from the […]
A Nun, “No One,” and the Voice
It was a gift first thing in the morning. I noticed on my Facebook newsfeed a story about an Sr. Cristina Scuccia, an Italian member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family, and her stunning […]
Two New Songs for Christmas (Eve)!
Inspired by our own Amanda Osheim’s earlier post on “All I Want for Christmas is an Advent Playlist,” I’d like to offer two Christmas songs to add to your repertoire. I know, I know…who needs […]
