Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Noah (2014) Directed by Darren Aronofsky Written by Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel Has there ever been a successful adaptation of an episode from the Bible in a film? Probably not, and for a good reason. The artistic genius of the ancient Jews was primarily literary, not in painting, sculpture or architecture. Hence the scenes described in[…]
I serendipitously came across this article by Algis Valiunas – always worth reading – which describes what paganism was really like. Not the idealized res publica of the Renaissance and the Romantics. Rather, as Valiunas points out, commenting on the work of the historian Jacob Burkhardt (+1897), the Greek state was a totalitarian monster, often[…]
There are few – some may argue none – who can match Palestrina’s composition, and his ars perfecta, in full form here with his motet Sicut Cervus, based on Psalm 42, published posthumously in Venice in 1604: Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus. As the deer panteth after the[…]
(On this memorial of Blessed Duns Scotus, here is a poem on his near-contemporary, Saint Thomas, by high school senior, Brendan Brunet. If Mr. Brunet thinks that the works of the ‘Universal Doctor’ are very dense and impenetrable, what might he think of the work of Duns Scotus, called the ‘Doctor Subtilis’, as his works[…]
A friend just sent along this poignant ballad, and as I wrote in reply, in gist, that I enjoy pretty much anything with a finger-picked guitar and a fiddle. The melody and the lyrics speak to the heart, even if we might make them more theologically precise, that we should never despair – for supernatural[…]
The feast of Christ the King (in the usus antiquior) was put in place on this last Sunday of October to counteract so-called Reformation Sunday, for the Protestants held that the earthly potentate was head of the ‘church’, and the state in charge in religion. Catholics, of course, hold that the Church transcends all earthly[…]
The latest exorcist movie, Exorcist: The Believer (henceforward “The Believer”), hit theaters on Friday, October 6, 2023, close to the 50th anniversary of the classic film The Exorcist, which was directed by William Friedkin, written by William Blatty, and released on December 26, 1973. The Believer has a strong cast that includes actors from the[…]
On this memorial of the Holy Name of Mary, here is a magnificent rendition of the Ave Maria by Felix Mendelssohn, which may seem odd, as he was a ‘Reformed Christian’ from the age of seven, a denomination not known, to put it mildly, for their Marian devotion. But Mendelssohn had some soft spot for[…]
I wouldn’t have thought it could be done, but for our musical selection this Sunday – after a respite from these – here is Tariq Harb playing J.S. Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, transcribed from the original organ, for the guitar. As one commentator put it, most guitarists who attempt this leave[…]
The table set for everyday- my father, leaning in; two or three gathered. His usual shyness at supper- the rub of indignity against composure; his cane, his chair. His voice barely brushed the air- like a soft thing – glancing the cold edges of a brash world, where all his lived memories[…]
