Jesus brings the two great commandments together By Anthony Esolen * "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mk. 12:29-30; cf. Dt. 6:4). “Which commandment is the first [...]
"For we are the aroma of Christ to God" By Anthony Esolen * "Raising of Lazarus" by Duccio di Buoninsegna, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, USA I have long felt that the parable of the vineyard in Isaiah led up to an anticlimax, at least as it is rendered in English. The owner [...]
That cross involves strengthening his brethren – we, who, like him, are "partakers of Christ's sufferings, so that, when his glory is revealed, we may also be glad and rejoice with great joy" By Anthony Esolen* An icon depicting the scene in which Christ asks Peter three times, “Peter, do you love Me?” If [...]
We keep "hidden" what is most precious: Our life in Christ By Anthony Esolen* Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Rembrandt, c.1630 (Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest) In the 14th petition of the Litany of the Sacred Heart, “Heart of Jesus,” we say, “in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy [...]
What it means to be a member of the Body of Christ By Anthony Esolen* Christ, the Church and its members, in a 14th century fresco by Giusto de' Menabuoi, in the dome of the baptistery of the Cathedral of Padua, Italy I like very much the conversation that Milton’s Adam has with his [...]
"Two ways there are, one of life and one of death, and great is the difference between the two ways" — Opening of the Didachē tōn dodeka apostolōn (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), ca. first century, AD By Anthony Esolen* Mosaic of Christ in the apse of the Abbey Church of St. Maria Laach, Germany [...]
The Eyes of the heart and the darkness within By Anthony Esolen* Sermon on the Mount by Henrik Olrik, Altarpiece from St. Matthaeus Church in Copenhagen, Denmark Suppose you are attending a concert, and you are listening to an intricate work of musical genius, such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. You are expecting to hear [...]
Money is just one of the things we serve in place of God By Anthony Esolen Christ and the Rich Young Man, painted in 1889 by Heinrich Hofmann (1824-1911) “No one can serve two lords,” says Jesus. “He will hate the one and love the other, or cleave to the one and despise the [...]
Continuing his catechesis on the Ten Commandments, Pope Francis at his General Audience on Wednesday focused on the Seventh Word: You shall not steal. In his catechesis, Pope Francis notes that there is no culture that does not condemn theft and the misuse of our possessions. But, he says, it is worthwhile to reflect more deeply [...]
During his catechesis at the weekly General Audience Pope Francis told those present that Christians need to be constantly open to and challenged by the Word of God. Pope Francis invited the faithful to place themselves in silent openness to God’s saving message as it resounds in the ecclesial assembly and is a fundamental aspect of God’s [...]
