In the fourteenth century a transformation of mentality began to take place in Christian Europe; in the course of the fifteenth century it became ever more apparent. The thirst for earthly pleasures became a burning desire. Diversions became more and more frequent and sumptuous, increasingly engrossing men. The growing yearning for a … Read more
In the previous article, we observed the hat as a symbol of dignity; we will now analyze it as an expression of good manners and how its use decayed before it disappeared “Who’s that lady with the hat?” a friend asked during a Requiem Mass celebrated at the Paulaner Kirche, in downtown … Read more
In different epochs, the hat became a symbol of the dignity of the one wearing it; today, it still survives as a reminder of an ancient vision of courtesy While not a surprising sight, the hat certainly awakens the dormant attention of people in today’s standardized settings. Their gazes linger, even in … Read more
“War is Hell” General William Tecumseh Sherman once noted. Indeed there is nothing to celebrate about warfare; however unfortunately it has been present with mankind in his fallen nature since departing from the Garden of Eden. War was a common affair throughout the Old Testament. Saint Augustine understood the sometimes unfortunate necessity … Read more
When abortion activist Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, saw last year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C. she was utterly astounded: “I just thought, my gosh, they are so young,” she told Newsweek. “There are so many of them, and they are so young.” Abortion advocates like Keenan must be uneasy with … Read more
The famous painting by Velázquez, Las Meninas [The Maids of Honor], is rightly considered one of the great works of pictorial art. The scene portrays the childish and candid grace of the Infanta, the most dignified and respectful tenderness of the young noble ladies who serve her, and on the left, the … Read more
Why didst Thy executioners bind Thee, O Lord? What had Thy hands done, that they should be tied? Who can say, Lord, what glory these hands gave to God when they first received the kisses of Our Lady and Saint Joseph? Who can tell the tenderness with which Mary Most Holy first … Read more
On May 31, the Holy Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady, Universal Mediatrix of all Graces. In this age of afflictions and dangers, when all of mankind moans under the weight of misfortunes that increase at every moment, our needs grow and our prayers become more pressing. With this, it is … Read more
Left to Tell is the personal story of Immaculée Ilibagiza and her harrowing survival of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. While many other books have dealt with the subject, this volume stands out, because in addition to the riveting account of horror and survival, there are many valuable lessons that can be … Read more
During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Our Lady of Good Success appeared in Quito, Ecuador to a Spanish nun whose little-known but extraordinary life has a direct connection with our days. The Pope’s “infallibility will be declared a dogma of Faith by the same Pope chosen to proclaim the dogma of the … Read more