Listening in the Silence – A Meditative and Musical Offering

Today's reading from Samuel, telling the origin story of our biblical hero, ends with the words of the prophet, 'speak, Lord, for thy servant...

Keeping the Christmas Caroling: In Dulce Iubilo, the Wexford, and A Rose in Winter.

With the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God yesterday - or, in the usus antiquior, the Circumcision - the Octave of Christmas closes, but...

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843, and it has been a much beloved classic ever since. Sure,...

Handel’s Miraculous Messiah

Handel's Messiah, first performed on April 13th, 1742 (in Dublin of all places) was Composed by a German, who had become a naturalised Brit,...

Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile

I just finished reading Joseph Pearce’s biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, subtitled ‘A Soul in Exile’, a remarkable book, packing a very full life into...

Book Review: As We Worship So We Become: Meditations, Prayers and Devotions to the...

Rev. Marco Testa, As We Worship So We Become: Meditations, Prayers and Devotions to the Most Holy Sacrament of The Altar: 2023. The Holy Sacrifice...

Music for Mary

On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, as we continue the pilgrimage through the Marian theme of Advent, here are a few musical pieces...

Vivaldi’s Magnificat

Monsignor Antonio Vivaldi was not only one of the greatest of Baroque composers, but also a Catholic priest, who directed a girls' orphanage, for...

Noah’s Ark as Spaceship

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?...

What Paganism Was Really Like

I serendipitously came across this article by Algis Valiunas - always worth reading - which describes what paganism was really like. Not the idealized...