By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … Once upon a time people regarded public and school libraries as repositories of thousands of years of civilization, open to all, with John Milton shelved uneasily close to Geoffrey Chaucer and with Phyllis Wheatley a few aisles away from Margaret Mitchell. An old saying is that if a library doesn’t contain books with which you vehemently disagree, it’s not a good library.
By Cordelia Fitzgerald … our good Lord understands of this need of ours for that commiseration, in a way, perhaps, that our fellow men fail to. This God that made us and understands us both from a mechanic or inventor’s point of view and from our very experience, since He too was one of us.
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … When we were children we were proud of our new shoes / Our once-a-year shoes in situational poverty / Although we went barefootin’ most of the time / As long as the weather and parents allowed
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … Life is a pilgrimage from cell to cell: / The bedroom of one’s childhood, the college dorm / The noisy barracks, merry in spite of all / Eighty conscript soldiers bunked out in rows
By Ian Wilson (Rated G) Bernardine had always been pious, even as a youth. Born to a wealthy family of Tuscany in 1380, Bernardine was orphaned at the young age of six, and raised by his aunt. He was known to practice many spiritual disciplines at his tender age, and had a great heart for […]
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … A child and a puppy playing on the lawn / Tumbling through soft grass in the bliss of June / We joy in their celebration of life / Everything is new / Except that it isn’t
By T.K. Wilson (Rated G) Irene, Great-Martyr of Thessalonica, was born Princess Penelope to pagan parents. Afraid his daughter would be influenced by Christianity (as no doubt the stories of other high-born ladies who dedicated themselves to Jesus had reached him), he locked her up in a tower with thirteen other girls. Because God finds […]
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall …when outside at dusk with poetry and pipe / And a whisper of single-malt offered to the earth / Sometimes I seem to see visions proper to a Celt / And hear soft songs from the dawn of time
By Ruth Amsden … The story of the earthly sufferings and the Heavenly visions of St. Perpetua is told in three different voices in The Passion of St. Perpetua.
By Michael Colon … To see and activate God’s glory from the black void of our soul, we must believe and practice attributes that comprise the Christian faith. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can re-stitch our hearts and flick the switch in our souls where the light never dies. Here are some ways we can shine from now until eternity.
St. Louis Grignion de Montfort was known for his deep devotion and sensitivity towards Christ and the Church from even the days of his childhood. As he matured, he directed this passion towards the study of theology, which he undertook in Paris. It was here, at the seminary of Saint-Sulpice, that Montfort uncovered a particular interest in the Virgin Mary – which would prove to be one of the most defining facets of his life and ministry.
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … A little moppet scampers around the tee / Waving her plastic bat as a warrior’s sword / Or as a fairy-wand to magic the day / Her first-ever tee-ball lesson with Dad…
By Amanda Pizzolatto … Elizabeth filled her basket with whatever bread she could find. She just hoped she wouldn’t be seen by members of the court. While her husband shared her desire and passion for helping the poor, she knew his family complained constantly about her works of mercy.
By Lawrence “Mack in Texas” Hall … Lawn chairs are for lawn-sitting quite at our ease / Soft summer evenings with a book and a glass / With birds and squirrels chittering away / Merrily over their supper of chicken scratch
By Ruth Anne Amsden
… But I will argue that Malory drew upon a third source of inspiration for his Arthurian legend, and that is the book of the Acts of the Apostles, attributed to Luke, the beloved physician. By drawing upon Biblical writings for inspiration as well as legend, Malory created a work of Biblical fan fiction.
Pope Martin the First was born in Tuscany, in the late sixth or early seventh century AD. Known for his devotion and piety, he was made an official assistant to Pope Theodore the First. Though Martin was a good and faithful man, it was in this position that his troubles began.