Making a House for the Lord
The First Reading for Friday, December 24th: 2 Samuel 7: 1-2 When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet,...
View ArticleTeaching Art like Art Schools
Before I changed my major in college, for one long and grueling year I took classes toward a Fine Arts degree. I learned from this experience is that there is a core set of skills that must be...
View ArticlePresidents’ Day: What the US Capitol and the Vatican Have in Common
Great men like George Washington and Pope Benedict XVI come and go, but the beautiful works of art that haunt their daily footsteps remain fixed and permanent. Hallowing important rooms with...
View ArticleLabyrinths: from Pagan to Christian to Nonsense
Gustave Moreau (1826-1898): Athenians being delivered to the Minotaur in the labyrinth Moving into my new house was a very exciting adventure, from unexpected repairs to a maze of large U-Haul packing...
View ArticleA Tale of Two Pities, Part I: A Christmas Present for Easter
Easter Present/Christmas Past Just to the right of the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, between the Holy door and the altar of Saint Sebastian, is Michelangelo’s Pietà–the Pietà. Whether you...
View ArticleA Tale of Two Pities, Part II: The Son and the Moon
Rondadini Pietà Not many people know that the Pietà in Rome is not the only pietà Michelangelo carved. Six days before he died at the age of 88, Michelangelo was still chipping away at his final...
View ArticleBook Review: ‘The War of Art’
Cover via Amazon A couple of years ago I read a challenging book by Steven Pressfield called The War of Art. Pressfield’s most famous work is probably The Legend of Bagger Vance, but he is also the...
View ArticleThe Sentimental Option: How Piety Can Betray Art
Have you ever heard of The Foundling? I’d be surprised if you had. It’s been out of print for some time, and it is not exactly one of the timeless treasures of Catholic literature. My own information...
View ArticleWhat Catholics Owe Bach–and What Bach Owes the Catholic Tradition
J. S. Bach is claimed by Protestants in general and Lutherans in particular as their man, certainly the most important creative artist given to humanity by the tradition of the Reformation, and one...
View ArticleActive + Contemplative on Central Avenue
Several years ago, I met an aspiring young musician and recent college graduate who had an ambitious vision for the renewal of Gregorian chant in the Catholic Church of Phoenix and beyond. The...
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