Monastery of the Holy Cross

In his important chapter, “Summoning the Brothers for Counsel,” Saint Benedict stresses that in deliberations on significant monastery business, all monks, even the youngest should be summoned.  Anticipating objections, he adds, “The reason why we have said all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often reveals what is better to the younger.” [...]

“One of the key concepts of Gaudium et Spes was the recognition that the Church, while maintaining its evangelical distinctiveness, must abandon its sectarian tendencies.  There is question of renouncing any claim to a monopoly, the affirmation of the unity and universality of truth and the recognition that dedication to truth is best evidenced by [...]

“And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah [2 Chr 20: 22)."
This passage marks the fallout of the interesting scene (found only here, and not in the books of Kings) from which the Roman liturgy takes [...]

This is the name of a very short book by Jacques and Raissa Maritain, and reading it provoked my brief flight into scholasticism yesterday.  The basic lesson of Liturgy and Contemplation is summed up at the very outset, where they write, “it would be as absurd to wish to sacrifice contemplation to liturgy as to wish [...]

The end of the book of Psalms is the prayer that consists of an elevation of the spirit toward God.  John Damascene says of this prayer that it “is an elevation of the intelligence to God.”
One encounters this in one Psalm: “Let my prayer arise before you like incense; the raising of my hands like [...]

David Bentley Hart is a theologian whose style is particularly congenial to my own tastes, and this book did not disappoint.  Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies was a book I could hardly put down.  Hart’s prose is not for everyone, but he seems to me to grow more readable with experience.
Hart [...]

This post comes a day late and is an expansion of my homily from Mass yesterday.
During the darkest days of the year, we celebrate four improbable lights of the early Church, the Virgin Martyrs St. Cecilia (Nov 22), St. Lucy (Dec 13), St. Agnes (jan 21) and St. Agatha (Feb 5).  In fact, January 21st [...]

Mark McGwire was something of a hero of mine back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when he played with the Oakland Athletics at a time when they had the most talented team in baseball.  McGwire was always a pure power hitter.  He put up some cartoonish numbers in the days before steroids.  Then [...]

“For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy.”
Hebrews 6: 4-6
While studying [...]

Most discussions on Catholics’ belief in the Real Presence focus on catechesis, whether we properly teach people the doctrine of transubstantion, etc.
I’ve recently wondered to what extent our appreciation for this Most Holy Sacrament is adversely affected by our generally skewed relationship with food and nourishment.  In most societies in most eras, food is central [...]