Seeing iconically means not only seeing but also allowing oneself to feel seen (Jean-Luc Marion, The Crossing of the Visible, 59). The goal…

The Mass is a place where time is sanctified through music. John Tavener’s Missa Wellensis and James MacMillan’s Missa Dunelmi are excellent examples of this dynamic. Tavener plays with low and high pitches, the latter reaching up in crescendo to the heavens and then disappearing into a sacred stillness, such…

With the renovation, the blue wall and ceiling accent the altar and crucifix and draw the eye upward to heaven. Kieckhefer writes that an…

“Eating Beauty” is a curious pairing of words. I found myself intrigued by the title of Sr. Ann W. Astell’s book: Eating Beauty: The Eucharist and the Spiritual Arts of the Middle Ages. Sr. Ann points out that “eating beauty” might have a negative connotation at first glance. The consumption…

I have always loved the movie “Prince of Egypt.” As Moses, Aaron, and Miriam lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, they all sing together “When you believe,” demonstrating their hope for salvation from slavery. The rite of baptism reminds God of the deliverance of Israel through the parting…

The liturgical theology of Romano Guardini focuses on the liturgy as the worship of God by the unified body of the Church in which every member receives his or her spiritual life. Guardini’s liturgical theology is aesthetic in that Guardini presents the liturgy as an experience of praising God through…

I remember thinking as a child that Ash Wednesday was an extremely unusual day. At mass, a thumb was pressed against my forehead, leaving ashes that felt heavy and dirty. I was told that I was dust. …

I consider the song “Farther Along” by Josh Garrels to be an exemplary piece of art. French philosopher Jacques Maritain’s Art and Scholasticism has helped me to more deeply appreciate “Farther Along” both as a production of art and as a truly beautiful piece of art. Maritain writes that the…