The title of this article is a quote from a favorite book of mine by Fr. Thomas Dubay, entitled The Evidential Power of Beauty: Science and Theology Meet (Ignatius Press: 1999). In it he discusses the vast wonder of the created world. He, more than anyone I’ve read, sees the natural world as a [...]
While doing research for a book on leadership, I came across a number of stories about the Titanic disaster in 1912 that riveted me to my seat. I had never heard of the extraordinary heroism of some of the men who went down with the ship in order to save the lives of others. [...]
Have you ever found yourself so transfixed by the beauty of something that you become totally absorbed in it, or found yourself listening to a single piece of music over and over because it speaks so deeply to your heart and soul? That is what happens to me each time I listen to the [...]
I’m sure that the 19th century English hymn writer, Frances Havergal, never imagined her unassuming hymn, “Take My Life and Let It Be” (1874), would be brought out of its obscurity and made into an enchanting devotional piece nearly 150 years after she wrote it. The poetry is simple, and the traditional hymn tune [...]
His name was Verrocchio (sounds like Pinocchio). That’s the short answer to our title question. Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488) was a Florentine master of arts and the tutor to the young Leonardo da Vinci. The longer description of Verrocchio is quite engaging. He was a man who had an enormous influence on the world [...]
The famous Irish Poet John Keats (1795-1821) began his famous epic poem, Endymion, with the words of our title, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." That observation certainly applies to the peacock featured in the video below, which needs no elaboration. Thanks to Sahar Saeed who originally posted this video on LinkedIn. [...]
A few years ago I had the privilege of standing in the sacristy of a Ukrainian church watching a priest friend of mine prepare for Mass. The wonderful liturgies of the Church’s eastern rites (the Byzantine, Maronite, Ukrainian and others) express a richness and complexity of worship that contrasts with the simplicity of the [...]
If you were to ask a “bible only” preacher if he owns a hand-written copy of the bible in Greek dating back to the fourth century AD, he may be quite confused. A bible…uh…in Greek? Even sincere “bible only” believers may never have thought about where the bible actually came from. Your question may [...]
Roman Catholics venerate the extraordinary 4th century poet and writer known as Ephrem the Syrian together with the Syriac Orthodox Church. St. Ephrem is a canonized saint in both traditions and was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. Ephrem served as a deacon in his homeland of Nisbis [...]
Switzerland is like a hidden jewel in the middle of Europe, a mountainous land with a highly secretive banking system and a tradition of remaining neutral during wars. The Swiss culture has given the world exquisite chocolates, precision watches, cuckoo clocks, the Swiss Army knife, and even the modern marvel of Velcro! What an [...]