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A Short Meditation on the “Look” of Jesus By: Msgr. Charles PopeI have a large Icon of Christ in my room. What icons from the Eastern tradition do best is to capture “the Look.” No matter where I move in the room Christ is looking right at me. His look is intense, though not severe. In the Eastern spirituality Icons are windows into heaven. Hence this icon is no mere portrait that reminds one of Christ, it is an image which mediates his presence. When I look upon him, I experience that he knows me. It is a knowing...

I am sure that all of our readers are aware of the recent massacre in Libya of a group of Egyptian Copts, who were killed for their faith by Islamic terrorists. The Patriarch of Alexandria, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, has officially recognized them as martyrs, and ordered that their commemoration be inserted into the Synaxarium; their feast will be kept on February 15th, the same day as the Presentation of the Lord in the Alexandrian Rite. The title “New Martyr” was originally used in the East for those killed by heretical Christian rulers, but has subsequently been extended to...

The stunning icon here depicts the martyrs and was created by Egyptian American artist Tony Rezk. It appears on the website for the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles. From Vatican Radio:  The Coptic Orthodox Church has announced that the murder of the 21 Egyptian Christians killed by the so-called Islamic State in Libya will be commemorated in its Church calendar.Pope Tawadros II announced that the names of the martyrs will be inserted into the Coptic Synaxarium, the Oriental Church’s equivalent to the Roman Martyrology. This procedure is also equivalent to canonization in the Latin Church.According to terrasanta.net, the martyrdom of the...

The Stories of Our Lady of Czestochowa Sarah ReinhardI never wanted to be a mom. It was never in my goals or my plan for life.And yet here I am, watching my three-year-old “mow”as I type away in the comfort of a camp chair in the shade of the garage. Right now this kid is the focus of most of my photos and social media efforts. He’s immensely quotable, hilarious, and spontaneous. It’s something that I can’t help but share (lest it drive me crazier than I already am).But don’t get me wrong. Three is not my favorite age. And...

Theology in colors: Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross In the Middle Ages there was no audio and video recordings, photographs, Internet. Historians worked on the basis of tradition and written documents, the lives of the saints were written according to the "literary decorum." Visual imprinting of historical events occurred sometimes many years later, and sometimes centuries, and was conducted in accordance with the canon. Studying the works of art, you can learn a lot about the events themselves, and on the attitudes of people in different eras. Illuminated gospel [Urbin. gr. 2] page 21. AD 1122. Apostolic...

"During a re-watch of an episode of 'Rev.' – a fictional British show following the life of an Anglican priest at his church – I noticed a remark that quite literally made me jump out of my seat. In an anti-Catholic diatribe, the main character complained about our 'vain, tasteless, demanding God who loves gold.'" "There has been a shift towards iconoclasm in our shamelessly secular culture. I suppose that the movement never went away, even after the Second Council of Nicaea ruled against it, but many seem to have morphed into outright modern-day Savonarolas." ...

<p>The North Texas native, 81, died Friday at Medical City Dallas after spending Thanksgiving with family and friends.</p>

Superman: Dying For Our Sins? On a pop culture icon’s decreasing popularity Do you believe a man can fly? Once, they made us believe. In comic books, in cartoons, on film, on television, through radio they told the tales of, as Alan Moore put it, a perfect man who came from the sky and did only good. Like a modern myth he came from the frenzied imagination of not just two young men from New York, but from the cobbled together hopes and dreams and fears and sublimations of an entire generation of kids and adults, from every creator...

Professor Michael Eric Dyson Calls Jay-Z 'An Icon Of American Excellence'By: Vibe - Posted 12-7-2011 9:09 am Professor Eric Michael Dyson may be academia's biggest Jay-Z fan. His course at Georgetown University, “Sociology of Hip Hop: Jay-Z," has been both looked down upon and praised by his peers. He recently spoke to the Sun Times in Chicago on what Jay-Z represents to American culture. “It just happens to have an interesting object of engagement in Jay-Z — and what better way to meet people where they are?” Dyson said. “It’s like Jesus talking to the woman at the well. You...

Share this article Elaine’s, the Famous Eatery, Will Close After 47 Years Elaine’s, the Famous Eatery, Will Close After 47 Years 420x316-alg_elaine_kaufman4 05/17/11 12:27pm Roger Friedman 0 I am sad to report that Elaine’s will close next Thursday after 47 years. Diane Becker, the manager who inherited the restaurant from my dear friend, Elaine Kaufman, called to give me the news this afternoon. Facing a long summer, Diane felt that she couldn’t make it without Elaine sitting in the dining room, greeting guests and friends every night. The closing will be a blow to the regulars, to the past customers,...

Allow me to clarify a couple of things about this so-called China controversy which has been going on for over a year. First of all, we were never denied permission to play in China. This was all drummed up by a Chinese promoter who was trying to get me to come there after playing Japan and Korea. My guess is that the guy printed up tickets and made promises to certain groups without any agreements being made. We had no intention of playing China at that time, and when it didn't happen most likely the promoter had to save face...

This Weekend, 'A Window To Heaven' Appeared At St. George Greek Orthodox ChurchBAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- According to Tom Dorlis, the vice president of the parish council for St. George Greek Orthodox Church, back in 2007, around the time of the financial crisis, a portrait of the Virgin Mary, from Hawaii, started to cry an oily substance that smells like roses. Parishioners at the church, located at the intersection of Truxton Avenue and 'U' Street, said there's no doubt that the weeping icon is a gift from god, whether you're a believer or not. “What the myrrh-streaming icon is, is basically...

An 15th century Ethiopian icon of the infant Christ child sitting on his mother's knee was discovered after it was cleaned by a British charity.The central panel of the triptych had over the centuries become blackened with the sprinkling of perfume that the monks use as they worship. The hugely important and stunning painted wood panel is now visible in its original coloured glory, showing a pale-faced Jesus with black curly hair and rosy cheeks. His hand has three digits raised and two down as if blessing the person looking at him. He has a halo and is wearing a...

Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ The Chi Rho may well be one of the most recognized of Christian symbols, and it represents Christ himself. This simple symbol is made up of a superimposed "X" (chi) and a "P" (rho), the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek. Used from the earliest days of Christianity on lamps, liturgical objects, sarcophagi, and in catacomb painting, and still in wide use today, the Chi Rho is linked to the conversion of the Roman empire in the fourth century. In 312 AD, on the eve of his battle against...

Reported by Interfax of Russia in Moscow On November 25, an unusual sacred procession took place when the Virgin Mary Icon known as the "Sign" (see below) flew around the Earth 176 times. On September 30 the spaceship Soyuz TMA 16 which had a mission to bring the icon to the International Space Station was driven from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the representative of the Galaxy studying centre initiated the project told Interfax-Religion on Wednesday. The sacred procession was finished on October 11. The icon, after circling the earth for over a week,  was delivered back on the "Soyz TMA 14 spaceship. The icon of the Virgin Mary "The...

When the buider and I laid off the corners to excavate for my house we oriented the longest side toward the south southwest. By placing most of the windows on this sunniest side, we hoped to capture some of the free heat of every cloudless winter day. This orientation was to have an unexpected consequence each Advent; one that we could not have anticipated. As sun moves southward toward the winter solstice, our apparent sunrise actually becomes earlier; closer to the time listed in an almanac. In the summer the rising sun is blocked for several hours by a hill...

Frankly, I do not quite know where to start, in terms of focusing on the role of religion in the mainstream media coverage of the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy. For starters, his Catholic faith is a given. At the same time, so is his standing as a deeply troubled leader, husband, father, uncle and patriarch of the always controversial Kennedy clan. Thus, let me offer this chance for our readers to help us scan the coverage, looking for the best and the worst of the news coverage of the role that faith played or did not play in...

Why this mountain? My little puzzle is: I have a specific reason for posting these pictures now of the photogenic Mount Assiniboine in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Alberta (adjacent to Banff and Kootenay National Parks). Anybody astute enough to guess what the reason is? (Click all but the second for full-size.)