by Paul Anel July 22, 2013
“There is an urgent need to see once again that faith is a light,” (#4) writes Pope Francis in the introduction of his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei. Short and harmless as it seems, this sentence encapsulates three powerful statements that form the core of the new encyclical. Firstly, that the nature of faith is such that it can be described, to a certain extent, as “a light.” Secondly, that this particular aspect of faith as light was lost, or at least that it is atrophied in the contemporary consciousness and experience of the Catholic Church. And third, that it is possible and “urgent” that we rediscover this dimension of light.
by Sue Song May 31, 2013
A surprise was waiting for me on my recent visit to the International Center for a Culture of Compassion (ICCC). I was always drawn to the beauty of Matisse’s Chapelle de Vence. I was curious to know what the presenting artist, Alain Kirili, had to say about this beautiful and inspiring chapel. Was it going be an expression of egotistical knowledge of art or something more genuine? Matisse had said he designed La Chapelle to “awaken the desire to be fulfilled in the Eucharist”. What would Alain say?
by Pia Chedid May 9, 2013
A couple of weeks ago I went to Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights to attend an evening of prayer for peace in Syria. Gregory Mansour, the Maronite bishop, had invited church members and representatives from the Jewish and Muslim faiths, as well as kids, families, some diplomats, and journalists. The church is full. In between psalms, representatives deliver speeches. They talk about the Syrian people, begging for peace for them. Their need, their thirst is ours. “Somehow I believe we all originate from Syria,” says the Muslim representative before leading us into the Lord’s prayer.
by Guillaume de Chateauvieux
Picture
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” ― Mother Teresa
by Paul Anel April 6, 2013
"The one thing that I have grown into, is working with things that have been used before. They have a symbolic value, you know, or meaning… They represent the people who are suffering. Because in their younger life, when [these materials] are ok, there is a lot of activity going on in them. But when they get old they are discarded, and that's the time when I intervene, looking for a way to uplift them." The man who speaks like this is El Anatsui. Born in Ghana in 1944, El Anatsui is a sculptor living in Nigeria, where he works with his many assistants on what could be defined an "art of resurrection."
March 15th, 2013
After the election of Pope Francis, ABC News visited the Heart's Home Center in Brooklyn to meet with Natalia Fassano, a lay consecrated woman from Argentina. Here is the video entitled "Missionaries in Brooklyn Hope Pope Brings Hope to Poor."
