The Transitus (time of passing from death to life) of Mary, Mother of Jesus, is among the most popular subjects of great artists. Many of these masterful religious pieces were painted between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, depicting magnificent images that resonate in our minds and hearts. They exalt Our Blessed Lady as a beautiful […]
In Kansas City there is a Catholic-based group of spiritual seekers that meets to discuss their mystical journeys and encourage one another in faith. Formed about five years ago by Mike Matteuzzi, they originally met at Guardian Angel Church. Those who assembled for discussions had one thing in common: their search for a deeper understanding […]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled with the discrepancy between the essence of Christianity and Christian churches. I have the same struggle. I love the Catholic Church and I have given most of my life promoting it; for me, it is the best means to helping people unite with God. But with its emphasis on rules, rubrics, hierarchy, […]
Saint Ignatius of Loyola introduced the world to spiritual exercises nearly five hundred years ago. Many people who adhere to his path of formation periodically engage in a review of life task to strengthen their awareness of self and God. Some even carve out an annual time near New Year’s Eve or their birthday to […]
In the early years of the Bush-43 presidency, the recently deceased news commentator, Charles Krauthammer, coined the phrase “Bush Derangement Syndrome”; he defined it as an acute onset of hysteria in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, leadership, and very existence of the president. If such a syndrome exists, it has certainly been […]
On a starry, starry night in 1970 Don McLean paid tribute to Vincent Van Gogh in song, honoring his magnificent painting of a similar title. He created the art piece after his ear-cutting meltdown, while given residence in a local insane asylum nearly a hundred years before McLean took notice. While in captivity, Vincent liked […]
Like many citizens of earth, some days I battle the impulse to lash out at President Trump. I usually hold it in check with a sarcastic remark or expression of bewilderment; my grief doesn’t even register on the scale of vitriolic criticism he receives daily from coast to coast and beyond our shores. Granted, there […]
