Whoever confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you hear “man” – this is what God has made; when you hear “sinner” – this is what man himself has … Continue reading Augustine on Repentance and the Beginning of Good Works
From a three part Commencement address at New College Franklin. Man as Thinker–Dr. Jonathan Rogers; Man as Maker–Brandon Spun; Man as Worshiper–Nathan Johnson. Man as Maker I want to talk focus on the sacramental character of the human person, and in particular of our bodies. In doing so, I hope to clarify the destiny of … Continue reading Man as Maker: New College Franklin Graduation, 2021
“My Chief Rabbit has told me to defend this run and until he says otherwise I shall stay here.” “His Chief Rabbit?” said Vervain, staring. It had never occurred to Woundwort or any of his officers that Thlayli was notthe Chief Rabbit of his warren. Yet what he said carried immediate conviction. Hewas speaking the … Continue reading The Chief Rabbit
The natural world can refresh our hearts and minds through an ecstatic (ek-static) experience, drawing us out of ourselves. The uplift which we experience in nature borders on gratitude because implicit in the experience is an intuition of unity, proportion, and clarity. In this respect, nature calls us into an awareness of a super-personal order … Continue reading Like a Revelation
If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that … Continue reading An Allegorical reading of Deuteronomy 25:5-6
“Man is not rational…just look at him!” I hope you grasp the equivocation. Man is a rational animal, but this need not mean he acts reasonably. Reason can be, in this manner, most unreasonable. Even when using the mind to make judgments (which is by definition an act of reason), one’s conclusions need not be … Continue reading The Folly of Reason: Training the Mind
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Jesus is our Eucharistic Lord. He is our thanksgiving. He is our offering to God. Christ’s whole life was an offering, a thanksgiving sacrifice poured out unto the Father and … Continue reading Becoming Thanksgiving
Occasionally, I hear my fathers voice in church. He is not there. He does not attend church. But I grew up going to synagogue with him and my mother, standing next to them as he sang. He has a lovely voice. In fact, he had musical training as a child and has been in quite … Continue reading In Song, I Hear My Father’s Voice
Copyright Image (© GO69; license: CC BY-SA 3.0) The liberal arts are often spoken of as a proper human end, that is, not just as a means (something we use instrumentally) but as something we may enjoy. Thinkers like Josef Pieper and Stratford Caldecott suggest that the liberal arts ought to be pursued for their … Continue reading Enjoying the Liberal Arts?
Photograph by Susan Waughtal An old man was upon his regular walk when he cleared the top of a gentle hill. There, at its summit, he passed a fence which surrounded a great field and manor. At a gate near the side of the road was a child whom the old man had often seen … Continue reading The Old Man and the Child
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