If you were to ask a “bible only” Catholic-basher 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 share veneration of the extraordinary 4th century poet and writer known as Ephrem the Syrian 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 [...]
Sometimes…it isn’t worry that causes us to focus on the future, but the hope of something better or happier…. We may spend our whole lives waiting to live. Thus we risk not fully accepting the reality of our present lives. Yet, what guarantee is there that we won’t be disappointed when the long-awaited time [...]
Some years ago, I had an employee who was not pulling his weight, and his position was critical to the organization. As I kept warning him about his failure to perform his job, our working relationship became strained and began to decline. Things were getting bad and I had to do something, so I decided [...]
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 [...]
What is a “codex”, you ask? Good question. In simplest terms, it’s a book. There you have it. Hold on! While that is true, it doesn’t quite explain the full and wonderful reality of an ancient codex, particularly when we are talking about the famous Codex Sinaiticus, which has special significance for those of [...]
Do angels intervene in sacraments? We know from our earliest instructions in the faith that angels exist and are concerned about our welfare. Anyone who has learned the traditional Guardian Angel Prayer (“Angel of God”) knows that they are sent “to light, to guard, to rule and guide” us throughout life. (See the text [...]
One day in a big city, the managers of a supermarket looked at their profit-loss sheets and discovered that they were losing business to their local competitors. They knew they had to figure out some way to generate more interest in the store and increase sales. They settled on the idea of holding a [...]
The incomparable lyric soprano, Kathleen Battle, performs this version of Gabriel Fauré’s Pie Jesu from the Requiem, which he completed in 1890. First, a word about the French creator of this soul-stirring piece. Gabriel Fauré was one of the premier composers and directors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries though, surprisingly, he [...]
Comedian Mike Marino has made a career out of spoofing ethnic Italians (of which he is one) and the State of New Jersey – usually both at the same time. He’s a hilarious guy, and he’s found plenty of material for parody on both accounts. While I don’t advocate most of his stand-up routines [...]