St. Catherine of Genoa and Baron Von Hugel: An Encounter in Eternity
There of pure Virgins none Is fairer seen, Save One, Than Mary Magdalene. Gaze without doubt or fear Ye to whom generous Love, by any name, is dear. Love makes the life to be A…
Tag: Biographies
Lives and Works of the Great Authors: Homer
Homer was born at Smyrna, or Chios, or Colophon, or possibly somewhere else. He lived either in the eighth century BC or in another century, may or may not have been literate, and might or…
Brother Lawrence and the Fourfold Cure: Reflections on a Carmelite Mystic
~ by Sean Earner “You can not conquer God, nor an angel, nor a philosopher.” — From The Ways of Brother Lawrence by Joseph de Beaufort The coming of Easter is not just the…
Who Was George Lucas Before Star Wars: A Journey Through His Early Films
There’s no question that George Lucas changed science fiction cinema when Star Wars premiered in 1977. Before, the sci-fi market consisted almost entirely of low-budget movies that weren’t treated as great or important mainstream entertainment…
Tolkien the Religious Man
Tolkien was always very outspoken about his religion, proudly stressing his belonging to the Roman-Catholic rite. The importance of faith in his life and its effects on his writing has been explored, more so than…
Joe Biden: A Life Lived in Faith
When Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as president on January 20, 2021, he was only the second Catholic to become president of the United States of America and the first since John F.…
In Dark I Lie: G. K. Chesterton, Chivalry and the “Babe Unborn”
The English Catholic author G. K. Chesterton was one of the great pro-life advocates of the twentieth century in more ways than one. Although he may appear something of an antique figure in 2020, his…
What Tiny Tim Really Taught Us: How Charles Dickens Accidentally Revived Christmas
It is the year 1843. A young Victoria is on the British throne, supported by her consort, Prince Albert. The prince has introduced the German Christmas custom of a decorated fir tree — to…
Remembering St. Bernard: Theologian of Love
One of my grandmother's favorite medieval Catholics was, as it happens, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He wasn’t the only Catholic she admired, but he was perhaps the only medieval or post-medieval canonized saint who meant a…
A Priest in Disguise: A Review of “The Scarlet and the Black”
The year is 1943, and German troops have entered Italy. The general and the colonel of this unit seeks an audience with the Pope to extract the Catholic Church’s neutrality in an attempt to keep…