A Treasure To Be Shared

Religion, Society, and Culture Media. Stephen Colbert leaves his late night throne. Having had his feet held to the fire he helped to create, and subject to a loss of market share (declining viewership) indicative of a lack of actual comedy, Colbert leaves late night entertainment after more than 20 years in the spotlight. Some claim, he among them, that he is the victim of political interference . No doubt, he provided some untimely and unseemly pokes that got him the wrong kind of attention, at least to his way of thinking. If ya can't take the heat... . Perhaps he will use the off-air time to work on becoming less cafeteria and more Catholic. Religion. As the SSPX vs Holy See battle continues, those of us on the sidelines can and should pray, and avoid pouring gasoline on an already heated exchange. The Society has many beautiful and truly excellent attributes - love for the sacred liturgy, a robust devotional life, and authentic disciplined spirituality. However, obedience to...

The care cloth is regularly seen at Saint John Henry Newman Church, in Victoria, BC, a community of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. Young couples entering into Holy Matrimony at the Church appreciate the significance of such beautiful rituals that help them acknowledge the profound mystery into which they are entering. In time, perhaps, as more guests witness its use, the care cloth might seen in matrimonial celebrations of the Novus Ordo Mass. Hint, hint.  The nuptial veil, also known as the care cloth or wedding canopy, is an ancient Christian wedding tradition where a cloth is held over the bride and groom during the Nuptial Blessing. Representing the “marriage yoke” that unites them, it’s a rectangular linen or silk sheet, smaller than the Jewish Chuppah, usually white with a red pattern or cord. According to St. Isidore of Seville, the white stands for the purity of Christian and marital love, while the red symbolizes the continuation of the family bloodline. Bene...

In our beautiful, masterfully crafted buildings where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated, shouldn’t the Mass itself be just as rich in detail? After all, these stunning structures were created to honor the victory of Jesus Christ’s resurrection over sin and death. Sacred music, especially the works of masters like Palestrina, Byrd, and Bach, complements the text of the Mass in ways that elevate and open hearts and minds to God's grace. Likewise, exquisite works of art—crafted from wood, glass, gold, and silver—serve to tell the story of redemption in Christ. Does a bland liturgy fit into buildings designed to mirror the most wondrous miracle given to man for his salvation, namely the Holy Eucharist? The liturgies of our Eastern Catholic brethren, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and Divine Worship of the Personal Ordinariates, are rich in fitting ornamentation that has been inspired by centuries of the action of the Holy Ghost working in the life of the Church. Do our ...

Was there a shift in how humans understand themselves, their place in the world, and their relationship to the divine or the transcendent? Axial Age is a term coined by the German philosopher Karl Jaspers. It refers to broad changes in religious and philosophical thought that occurred in a variety of locations from about the 8th to the 3rd century BC.  According to Jaspers, during this period, universalizing modes of thought appeared in Persia, India, China, the Levant, and the Greco-Roman world, in a striking parallel development, without any obvious admixture between these disparate cultures. - Wikipedia Ancient Greece: philosophers like Thales questioned the nature of reality, while Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle developed ethical and metaphysical systems. Ancient Israel: the development of monotheism, with Yahweh as a transcendent creator God, and a focus on ethical conduct and individual relationship with God. Ancient India: the rise of Hinduism with its emphasis on karma, reb...

It hasn't taken long for visual artists to run with the script provided by the Holy See. The following are a few of the first renderings found among the digital pages of the internet.

1957 Enid Mary Chadwick (26 October 1902 – 24 October 1987) was a English artist known for religious art and children's religious books. The daughter of an Anglican minister, Chadwick attended an Anglican convent school in Oxford run by the sisters of the Society of the Holy and Undivided Trinity . She lived in Walsingham for more than fifty years. Graham Howard photograph Photo Gallery: The High Altar Reredos https://www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk/photo-gallery/high-altar-reredos/ Chadwick trained at the Brighton School of Art (founded 1859) prior to going to Walsingham in 1934. Chadwick contributed extensively to the Anglican Shrine's artwork, including murals, statues, and other decorative elements. See also: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/19-july/features/features/enid-chadwick-brought-colour-to-the-shrine The Reverend Charles Smith, a later Administrator of the Shrine, who gave the address at the funeral for Chadwick (28 October 1987), described her style as “d...

Ritual actions in the Catholic Church are vital expressions of faith that facilitate a deeper encounter with God. They encompass a range of gestures, symbolic actions, and communal participation that together create a rich tapestry of worship of Almighty God. Through these actions, the Church not only commemorates the mysteries of faith but also actively participates in the ongoing work of salvation initiated by Christ. The integration of these actions into the life of the Church underscores their importance in nurturing the spiritual life of the faithful and fostering a sense of community within the Body of Christ. Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches | Congregation for the Eastern Churches | 1996 AD CHAPTER VI General Considerations on Divine Worship and the Sacraments - 40. The sacraments, actions of the Church 40 | The Church in which God reveals himself constitutes, in some way, the sacrament from which the individual...

Ever wonder what the curious pointed oval shape in religious art is called, the shape that is also used in various designs adopted by guilds and religious groups? That almond shape is called the mandorla, the Italian word for almond. The mandorla is a significant symbol in Christian art and theology, characterized by its almond shape, which is formed by the intersection of two circles. This shape has deep theological implications and is often used to represent the divine presence, particularly in relation to Christ and the Virgin Mary. Symbolic Meanings Divine Presence. The mandorla is frequently depicted as a radiant shape surrounding Christ in His glory, particularly in scenes of the Transfiguration or the Ascension. It symbolizes the divine light and glory that emanates from Christ, emphasizing His dual nature as both God and man. The use of the mandorla in art serves to highlight the sacredness of the figure it surrounds, marking a clear distinction between the divine and the eart...