Thanks to Tomás Luis de Victoria: Singer, Composer, Priest

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been sharing musical selections from contemporary culture that are Christocentric. This week I wanted to take that same theme, but apply it to a much earlier era. While attempting to do so, I stumbled upon the works of Tomás Luis de Victoria.

Now, if I was from Spain, I would probably have learned of de Victoria in grammer school. I'm not from Spain, but I’m a Catholic now, see, so Christ’s whole world is open to me. Call it Jesus’s Big Back Yard, and come along with me to learn about one of our neighbors.

For All The Saints: Isidore of Seville (Once Again)

Saint Isidore of Seville's life story lets us know that for centuries Christian witnesses have helped to restore the Church by synthesizing contemplation and action. As the Church celebrates his feast day, we can learn a few things about our own lives from his example. In particular, we can understand that a holy life is not one in which we remove ourselves from the world; rather it is a life where we embrace the people and circumstances Christ brings to us.

Salsa y Merengue Cristiano Católico (Music for Mondays)

—Feast of St. Nectarius 

Hola! The world is a mighty big place. I read recently that Catholics in the United States make up only 6% of the world wide population of Catholics. So for this edition of Music for Mondays (Música Lunes), we're going to venture out into the musical world of our Catholic brothers and sisters from Spain and Latin America.

With Gratitude to Yolande of Aragon

I'd never heard of Yolande of Aragon until I began delving into the life of Saint Joan of Arc. Now I know that without this medieval dynamo, the world might never have been blessed with the gifts of St. Joan.

Yolande's role in St. Joan's mission tells me a few things. First, none of us work Christ's plan for our lives in isolation. Second, women have played key roles in history and their importance in Church history is no exception. In fact, one could argue that the Catholic Church stands alone in the degree to which it honors women and their role in securing salvation.Third, perhaps behind every powerful woman there is another woman, cheering her on.

For All the Saints: Ignatius of Loyola

In Congregational Sunday School as a child, I used to sing, “Jesus loves me, yes I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Today, I have a dear friend who signs his e-mails, “If the Catholic Church teaches it, it must be true.” This moves the argument from Protestant to Catholic terms: I know what I know, not because the Bible tells me but because the Church does.

But there’s really only one thing that can convince me of the Truth, or of Jesus’s love. If I am going to be a free and reasoning human being, the only thing that tells is my experience. I want to experience Jesus as intimately as that little child in the picture.