Shake On It: A Harry Potter Story
“No.” “Harry, my boy…” “No, Headmaster.” The young man’s voice was firm. Albus Dumbledore sighed. “Harry, you need…” “Don’t you dare, don’t you dare tell me what I need,” Harry suddenly hissed, his voice soft…
Latest Blog
Song of Exiles: A Reflection on the New York City Draft Riots of 1863
Hear, O Africa, cradle of humanity’s first dreaming, the cry of your oppressed children rises high above the ocean’s crest. Hear the whip crack, splitting the skin baked brown in your fire-stoked…
Happiness and Resolution: Lent as a Reset Button
Have you had anyone wish you a “Happy Lent?” It seems odd, because Lent is not commonly viewed as a happy time. It is that liturgical season during which we Catholics fast, abstain…
Pity for a Creature Dark as Darkness: Bilbo’s Encounter with Gollum in “The Hobbit”
The meeting of Bilbo, the dreadfully and fearfully lost hobbit, and Gollum, a creature “as dark as darkness” (Hobbit 88), their riddle-game and what happens after Gollum loses are among the most iconic scenes of…
Kingdom Come: Five Spiritual Exercises for Lent
Lent is the Christian season of penitence, traditionally practiced through the triple disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. It marks the period when Christ spent 40 days in the desert to prepare for his earthly…
All Are His Children: A Harry Potter Story
Brother Brendan watched from the edge of the forest as the last of the brothers left. He wished them well, hoping that their journeys were as fruitful as his was when he travelled with Brother…
Whimsical Wonders and Stellar Surprises: Mixing and Mingling with a Constellation of Fantasy and Sci-Fi Celebrities
Editor’s Note: “The Traveling Troubadour” will once again be sharing some of the rare archival selections from the dusted-off volumes of his insightful and introspective memoirs. He will be reflecting on some of his out-of-the-ordinary…
Saint Robert Southwell
O clever Jesuit! sneaking about From house to house, and, too, from heart to heart Speaking the treason of faith, hope, and love And bearing true the Passion of Our Lord O pray for…
Portrait of an Invisible Girl
~ by Elizabeth Fust It’s like I’m part of the background. Their eyes just gloss over me. It’s like they can’t differentiate between me and the wallpaper. Is this what it is like to be…
Spinning Wheels: Ending the Cycle of Political Dehumanization
Caught in the spinning wheels of political change, I believe it is time for us all to take some inventory on our spiritual state. As a Catholic, I am often dismayed by some…