No Ambition Except to Do Good: Mary, Mother of God and A New Year
January 1st begins the new calendar year and it also brings to an end the celebration of the Christmas Octave with the celebration of...
The Mighty Genius of Michelangelo, 1475-1564
The Italian sculptor and painter Michelangelo lived to be nearly ninety years old, fulfilling his own dictum: I am a poor man and of...
Leonardo da Vinci ~ Unfinished Artist (1452-1519)
Arguably the most popular painting in the Western World is The Last Supper, and virtually every educated person knows that it was painted by...
St John the Evangelist and His Life-Giving Message
Two days after the Solemnity of Christmas, Mother Church celebrates the beautiful memorial of St John the Evangelist. Pope Benedict XVI, seeing the paramount importance...
Christmas Urbi et Orbi
(Here is the Christmas address of Pope Saint John Paul II, from way back in 2002, and the needs for which he prayed eighteen...
Haec Dies by William Byrd and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
A festive, rousing motet for this Christmas Day - or twelve days - by William Byrd, composed in 1591, here performed by the incomparable...
Three Surprising Saints from the Old Testament for Advent
(December 24th, Christmas Eve, is the traditional commemoration of the 'ancestors of Christ', in particular Adam and Eve, whom we recall on this day,...
On the Origins of Christmas
There is no shortage of nonsensical ideas circulating throughout both the web on social media and in the mainstream media, much of which does...
O Mary, Conceived Without Sin
(Father Marco Testa was planning to submit this reflection back on December 8th, but due to technical difficulties, the article could only be sent...
Preparing for Christmas
BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Paul VI Hall
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Â
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
With this last Audience before the Christmas celebrations, we approach with trepidation and wonder...






















