All-Star Week & Keeping One’s Distance

Just in case you missed it last fall: This week is All-Star Week at daily Mass! (Click the link for all the details.) …The Holy Father went to the Czech Republic this past weekend. He wanted to visit the relics of St. Wenceslaus, of course, and pray to the Infant of Prague. (We have a [...]

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Holy Name is Tops

Here is the pastor’s homily for September 27, 2009 at… HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH 920 Eleventh Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. Confessions: 2:30-3:30 Saturdays Masses: Sunday 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. (202) 397-2525 … Whoever is not against us is for us. –Mark 9:40 Let [...]

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Titans of the Underground, Naked Emporers

In 1956 a five-alarm fire consumed the Wanamaker’s Department Store in New York City. Firefighters doused the burning building with their hoses for days. They sprayed so much water that it flooded the subway station below. The earth underneath one of the railroad beds collapsed, and a train sank five feet into the hole. Thank [...]

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More Gallery Visitation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has housed a collection of Arms and Armor for a hundred years. In the 1920′s, art snobs complained that suits of armor do not belong in world-class museums filled with paintings by such geniuses as Pablo Picasso. Au contraire: Many suits of armor are exquisite works of [...]

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St. Matthew

In honor of St. Matthew’s feast day, we present El Greco’s portrait of him: This painting is in the El Greco Museum in Toledo, Spain. As you can see, El Greco’s figures are elongated. The museum guide in the Prado in Madrid told us that all the people in El Greco’s paintings are 13% taller [...]

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Discovering El Greco

In January, 1929, Louisine Havemeyer gave her late husband’s art collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Havemeyer had made a fortune as the president of the American Sugar Refining Company, also known as Domino Sugar. The Havemeyers had travelled extensively in Europe to acquire paintings by artists that the other [...]

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Making Some Noise in this Democracy

Yes, we won. But I rest my case about #17. (Zero t.d.’s)… Long-term readers will remember that, one year ago, Archbishop Wuerl insisted that we priests make certain points in our Sunday homily. He did it because prominent Catholic politicians had misrepresented the teaching of the Church. His Grace had to insist again today that [...]

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Ray, Jason, and St. Simon

I. Not sure how to watch the “Golf Channel.” But if I could, I would definitely tune in for Raymond’s golf lessons… II. Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. Let’s stop taking around things. Let’s stop living in a fantasy world. The problem has a name. He is tall. He is handsome. But he [...]

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The Church of the Apostles

If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, then you want to be in the Church Christ founded, the Church of the Apostles. The question is: How can I be sure that I am in the Church of the Apostles? The man who answered this question with the greatest skill died 388 years ago today. [...]

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Just in Case…

…you were starting to worry that everyone in the world is rude and arrogant: I. It is worthwhile listening to the whole speech. You will weep when he talks to his family. My favorite line: “Have you ever got on your knees and prayed really hard for something?” II. I had two dreams this week. [...]

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