I have some Catholic reflections on the haunting use of the traditional Latin requiem chant Dies Irae in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, the musical by Stephen Sondheim, which was more recently turned into a movie by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp. (Warning: There will be spoilers ahead). I’ve heard various commenters remark about the use of the Dies Irae in the production due to its association with wrath, judgement, and death, which of course are present... Read more
I had an interesting discussion about Baptism and some of its implications from a Catholic perspective, so I thought I’d expand upon it as a general overview. Keep in mind, different denominations have sometimes radically different views, but this article covers most “high Church,” and therefore more historically long term, Christian concepts on the subject. So, contrary to some portrayals, Baptism, at its core, is not merely about a choice of faith, which is why even infants can be, and... Read more
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has played an integral role in Christian devotion since the early days of the Church, and continues to be a vital part of the daily devotions of Catholic, Orthodox, and even some denominations of Protestant Christians to this day. Once a year, during the seasons of Advent and Christmas, even those who typically do not engage in Marian devotion find reason to shed a spotlight on this Jewish maiden’s role in the... Read more
In the Catholic circles in which I move, there tends to be hard split between conservatives and progressives. I, the vast majority of the time, am somewhere in the middle, leaning center-right. What I have noticed is that, at least in US Catholic sub-culture, the fault-line is defined by ones opinions on EWTN Global Catholic Network. I personally grew up on EWTN, and to this day, I appreciate all the hard work it does to bring mostly solid Catholic content... Read more
I recently saw it written that the burden of the Church is too unappealing, too much for anyone to be expected to bear: too much blood, too much sin, too much self-abasement, too strict a line to tread, too hard a thing to swallow without choking. But we bear no heavier thing than all the suffering and sacrilege of the world, for every twisted form of man’s own dehumanization, in themselves or towards their brethren, for every lust that... Read more
There is more to Christmas than just Christ’s birth. It serves as the beginning of epic, and Advent is the prologue whereby we prepare for the first spellbinding chapter. There’s a thread running through Christmas that ties into so many other Christological elements, including Christ as Divine Lover, in concert with the poetry of St. John of the Cross, whose feast aptly coincides with the Advent season on December 14. But I feel this depth and dimension often gets... Read more
I’ve observed a certain phenomena among some writers in Progressive Christian circles, and an emphasis upon theodicy. Far me it from me to say that the problem of evil has not arisen in my own contemplations, nor indeed that its natural for it to arise at some point in everyone’s lives. That having been said, the repetition of the theme, particularly in this circle, seems to me to be so prominent because of a tendency within PC circles to focus... Read more
October is a month of many saints who have especially touched my spiritual journey and put me into contact, in a deeper way, with the Person of Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of the deepest feelings I associate with the presence of Christ is that of depth, a fathomless falling deeper into the mystery of Him, like some singing voices that we cannot stop listening to, for each note opens up something new about them. And these notes of Christ’s song... Read more
So much has been happening these days in the political arena, its terribly hard to keep track. Election years rarely are known for peace and tranquility. But is this round is especially kinky given that its all happening in the midst of a global pandemic with massive civil unrest and unresolved societal issues already rocking the nation. In the midst of this soup of chaos comes the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And as expected, the internet... Read more
The day of Ashura, which is the 10th day of the month of Muharram, is a noteworthy one on the Islamic calendar. It is remembered as the day that the prophet Nuh (Noah) left his ship after the flood waters abated. It is remembered as the day that the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), the Father of the three great Monotheistic religions, was born. It is the remembered as the day when the prophet Mussa (Moses) crossed the Red Sea, leading the... Read more
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