I was reading an old review from the Tablet today and it made me smile. It was discussing Cardinal Ratzinger before he was elected as Pope and made some interesting assertions that are rarely discussed any more, but were accepted at the time: "It is certainly strange that the 'enforcer' of Catholic orthodoxy should be a self-confessed anti-Thomist. His dislike of the views of … [Read more...]
Augustinian Spirituality, Advent, and the English Civil War(s)
One of the Great Anglican divines, Jeremy Taylor, lived through the chaotic period of the English Civil War(s) (1642-1651). During this time period the Church of England had its bishops removed, the Peerage dissolved, and the King beheaded. Presbyterians effectively took over the established Church and began to dismantle the rich liturgical Tradition of the Ecclessia … [Read more...]
Prometheus, Hanoverians, and the Christmas Tree
Since I've been writing so much on Advent lately, from defining Advent, to asking what the point of it was, to explaining Advent traditions, prayers, and spiritual disciplines, I thought I'd write more on the Christmas Tree. In the film Prometheus (2012) that came out recently, the futuristic space explorers still celebrate Christmas, and do so by erecting a Tree in the ship. … [Read more...]
Advent Prayers
I was trying to find some good prayers for different seasons of the Liturgical Calendar with allusions to moments in the Church's history, but I was out of luck. Thus, I wrote some myself. I think I'm allowed to do that... I've placed in square brackets the influences on each. 1. Everlasting Father, by the power of Thy Holy Spirit Thou madest Christ to dwell in the Blessed … [Read more...]
Advent and "The Lives of Others" (2006): A Cinematic View of Christ's Return.
Yesterday I mentioned East Germany in a post, and I think Christ's Second Advent is a little the falling of the Berlin wall. In the film "The Lives of Others" (2006) set during the fall of the Soviet-controlled government of East Germany, there is a beautiful moment when a group of secret police hear on the radio that the wall has come down. They are busy at work opening … [Read more...]