The best-known version of this ancient Christmas matins hymn may be that of Tomas Luis de Victoria, but American composer Morten Johannes Lauridsen’s lovely setting movingly conveys the spirit of the text:O great mystery,and wonderful sacrament,that animals should see the new-born Lord,lying . . . . Continue Reading »
Christmas is a Christian holiday, the Feast of the Nativity, in which the faithful celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. It is also a secular national holiday in the United States. More broadly, the ideal of Christmas speaks to all human . . . . Continue Reading »
Gallop has an interesting poll out that finds religious people who attend services regularly tend to live healthy lives. From the poll:Very religious Americans are more likely to practice healthy behaviors than those who are moderately religious or nonreligious. The most religious Americans . . . . Continue Reading »
From Flannery O’Connor’s “The Violent Bear It Away”: God told the world he was going to send it a king and the world waited. The world thought, a golden fleece will do for His bed. Silver and gold and peacock tails, a thousand suns in a peacock’s tail will do for his . . . . Continue Reading »
My wife’s mother died this week. Catherine Wilson Payne, born in Fleetwood, England, in March 1929, had lived a rich life and raised four children to healthy, productive adulthood—one of them my wife, Colette. Mamma Payne proudly doted on her eight grandchildren from her home in . . . . Continue Reading »
I didn’t get into it here, but the collapse of the Senate Omnibus Spending Bill was very good news for Obamacare opponents. The bill sought to thwart the coming plans to undermine Obamacare via defunding by providing at least a billion in appropriations to pay for the beast to get out of . . . . Continue Reading »
My headline is too provocative, but it is the best I can do considering the different nuances of this case. So please be patient.The political Left is making great hay out of a tragic story of the pending death in Florida of a young woman named Betsy Gallardo. Betsy is dying of cancer in . . . . Continue Reading »
This country needs more doctors. But now, NY medical schools are striving to ensure that fewer medical students transition into practicing physicians.Here’s the story: For many years medical students who couldn’t make—or afford—US medical schools have received their . . . . Continue Reading »
John Haldane, the author of Philosophy Lives in the January issue, offers his description of the Catholic vision of Mary on BBC Radio, in a very personal (but philosophically sound) reflection. You need to wait a couple of minutes for his segment to come on. It will up for four more days. . . . . Continue Reading »
This reminds me of a conversation I had with my nephews:Why some things were better before social . . . . Continue Reading »
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