The human body is objectified in the present day in a way that it was not during the time of Michelangelo. This is a subject that generates heated discussion and is a source of contention even among Catholics, so how do we approach this issue in our daily lives?
Let’s go on a short virtual tour of St. Raymond of Peñafort in the Diocese of Arlington, VA. This is a relatively new church (~2006) constructed in a traditional style. It is an ideal example of Catholic architecture for us to explore and draw reflections from.
As a freshman in college, I had the opportunity to take several trips with other art students to New York City. In one art gallery, I was surprised to find that the entire exhibition consisted of giant concrete blocks arranged in various ways. I walked around, confused. What’s the meaning behind “artwork” like this? What does it say about society that things like this are considered great art?
Based on the 1862 book by Victor Hugo, this popular musical runs the gamut of human experience: love and loss, forgiveness and bitterness, justice and mercy, grace and despair.
The purpose of sacred art is to lift your thoughts toward God. If you’re a visual person, art can be a helpful and enjoyable way to draw yourself into prayer.
Do we have to avoid all entertainment that isn’t 100% in tune with the Faith? Of course not. But it’s important to make prudent choices about what you put into your imagination, and to avoid things that present temptations for you.
In considering what constitutes good art from a Catholic perspective, a natural starting point is to look to God and His artwork, i.e., Creation. It’s the finest artwork, which never fails to captivate the human heart in search of Him.
If you asked people to relate their experiences of art to their Catholic faith, you’d probably stop most of them in their tracks. In the medieval period, art had a clearly religious tilt. This could be seen especially in the breathtaking cathedrals, with their statues, stained-glass windows, tapestries, and other ornate decorations.
We covered the topic of work this month (May 2021) on St. Joseph’s Shelf, partially because May 1st is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. So as we close out the month, it’s worth looking at a few truths about the value of work through the eyes of our website’s patron saint.
Why do we work? How can we pray through work? Why is it difficult? How do we draw close to God and others through our work? The Cardinal answers these questions in 22 short, substantial chapters.
We’ve already talked about the Catholic view of work and reasons why we perform work for God, others, and ourselves. But schoolwork presents different challenges and opportunities. Here are five deeper reasons why we work and study in school, beyond grades and college applications.
Almost everyone has to deal with work-related stress. The causes vary, but the negative impact it has on us and our work is universal. That said, Catholics are far from being stuck in a hopeless position. Here are tips for dealing with stress from a Faith-filled perspective.
Most of us lead busy lives where the greater part of our time is devoted to work. We struggle, perhaps, to be strong in purposefully blocking out time for prayer. There’s just so much to do.
In the workplace, you can get fired for not having a professional attitude towards your coworkers and your work. Beyond that, however, as Christians we have a responsibility to act with virtue, showing Christ’s love to others and becoming saints.
It’s hard to pin down the definition of a good worker. People have different talents and gifts, as well as different styles of working. Creative types can be disorganized (and if you try to organize them, they get stressed.) Orderly types can be thrown off their game when a crisis occurs.