In the June 22, 2020 issue of Newsweek an on-line article by Aila Slisco reported some statements by political activist Mr. Shaun King. She states: “He [King] also remarked that stained glass […]
Do Pagans Go To Heaven or Hell?
The author of the interesting and challenging blog site on sacred art and its analysis called Catchlight sent me two questions yesterday. They related to my last post which was entitled Fatima Messages, Pagans […]
Luke: 16: 19-31 – Is Lazarus in Your House?
This passage from the Gospel of St. Luke is a parable about a destitute man named Lazarus and a rich man, who at times is called by the name Dives (the word dives […]
Fra Angelico and the Armadio degli Argenti – Part 3 of the “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition
Today’s post is Part 3 in my series that began on May 16, 2018 concerning the recently concluded exhibition of extraordinary egg tempera paintings by Fra Angelico. The exhibition was held at […]
Fra Angelico – The “Heaven on Earth” Exhibition – Part 1
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts is the only venue in America for the extraordinary “Fra Angelico: Heaven on Earth” exhibition. This amazing collection of reliquaries which express the life […]
The Gospel of John 1:35-42 – An Invitation to Follow Jesus
In our Gospel today we hear John the Baptist proclaim “Behold the Lamb of God.” We see in our mind’s eye, Andrew and another disciple, probably St. John, listening to the Baptist […]
Sin and the Sacred Artist
Our society is quite adept at pointing out the sins and foolishness of others. Cable TV, radio talk shows, and various web sites love to dwell on the ignorant and immoral actions […]
Mary and Joseph’s “Yes” – The Risk of an Open Heart
Our Gospel today (4th Sunday of Advent, Matthew 1: 18-24)) provides us with the story of a young couple, Mary and Joseph, who through their pondering of God’s request for understanding and trust […]
The Apocalypse and Christian Duty – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
It has been said that we are living between times – between Advents – in the times between Christ’s first coming – as an infant in the manger, and His second coming […]
St. Francis of Assisi, Faith, and Grace
The following is my homily for the 27th Week in Ordinary time delivered at St. Francis of Assisi Church Wakefield, Rhode Island USA, October 6, 2013. The memorial of St. Francis of […]
The Virtue of Christian Responsibility
This weekend’s Gospel (26th Week in Ordinary Time) about Lazarus, and a rich man by the name of Dives, is filled with very concrete images about the virtue of Christian responsibility. Jesus’ […]
The Gospel of St. Luke 12: 49-53 – The Sword of Christ
The following is a homily that will be delivered by Deacon Paul O. Iacono at St. Francis of Assisi Church, South Kingstown, Rhode Island on the weekend of August 17/18 2013. In […]
Pentecost 2013
As we celebrate the birth of the Church at Pentecost (confer the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2 ff), we should be filled with an urgent need to obtain and, most importantly, […]
Good Friday
“Come, let us worship Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who redeemed us with His Precious Blood.” “If we wish to understand the power of Christ’s blood, we should go back to […]
The Christmas Star of Bethlehem – Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Even though the vast majority of us are not astronomers, the famous star of Bethlehem still has a great ability to intrigue us especially as it relates to its actual astronomical occurrence. […]
The Magnificat of Mary – A Beautiful Analysis By The Venerable Bede
In this morning’s selection from the Office of Readings in the Roman Breviary, the Venerable Bede, an English monk presents a beautiful analysis of Mary’s joy-filled song – The Magnificat. Bede was born […]
December 21, 2012 – The Archangel Gabriel’s Greeting to Zechariah
A very clear narrative greets us in the Gospel by St. Luke. He tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous before God: walking in all the commandments […]
Gaudete Sunday In Light of the Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut
Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means, “Rejoice!” – and we visualize this by the rose-colored vestments and candle in the Advent wreath. Yet, it is so difficult to rejoice in light […]
Our Blessed Mother’s Poverty of Spirit
Our Gospel today (Luke 21: 1-4) asks us to reflect on how we express our love for God. At first glance, the poor woman in the Gospel looks reckless. Yet, love, regardless […]
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Thought you might enjoy my homily for this weekend’s solemnity of Christ the King: Today, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King […]
Mary – The Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Wife of Joseph
The question may be asked “How is the word “spouse” used in reference to Mary and the Holy Spirit? We have all read the nativity accounts of St. Matthew and St. Luke […]
Saints Pontian and Hippolytus and Our Call to Duty
Today we celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Pontian, who was the lawfully elected successor pope to St. Callistus during the early 3rd century. St. Pontian was considered a criminal by the emperor Maximinius […]
The Transfiguration of Christ
Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This feast has been celebrated since the 5th century. It was inserted into the general calendar of the […]
St. Peter Chrysologus’ Appeal By Christ To Be Transformed
Today is the memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus. Peter was born in the late 4th century in northern Italy. In 424, after serving as a deacon and priest in Emilia, he became […]
A Sacred Image – The Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ
You are probably thinking, the poor old fellow has made a mistake in his spelling. Shouldn’t the title read “Son” of Justice? When I made my preliminary drawing for this sacred image […]
When People Or Governments Get In Our Face
Recently I received a rather funny email from a friend concerning a God loving Marine coming to terms with an atheist professor. It triggered, however, a serious reflection on how we, as […]
Seeds of Faith and Art
In our Gospel today, from St. Mark Chapter 4: 26-34, we have two important parables concerning the reign of God: the first concerns the farmer’s sowing of seed and the second refers […]
St. Matthias and the Renewal of Easter Hope – The Lord Loves His Friends
Today is the feast day of St. Matthias. The Acts of the Apostles relate that Matthias was chosen by lot to replace the disciple who had betrayed Jesus in the garden. In […]
Shaped By The Potter’s Hands
All of us struggle with the reality that the experiences of our life may harden our hearts and deafen our ears to God’s truth. We may be similar to the disciples in […]
Making Room In Your Heart for God, Prayer, and Creativity
The Gospel of St Mark, chapter 9: 14-29, challenges us to ask ourselves the question “How does the effective disciple of Jesus live his or her life?” Clearly the ineffectiveness of Jesus’ […]
The Joy Filled Christian – A Sermon on Survival in the Face of Tribulation
Today is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice!” The Church has us visualize this by the rose colored candle in the Advent wreath and the rose colored vestments. Gaudete Sunday appears at the […]
The Immaculate Conception – A Time To Reflect On The Meaning of Mary
1) Mary’s Personal History Tradition tells us that Mary was the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. They were devoted Jews who raised their child to be loyal and pure within the […]
Our Lady of the Rosary
All the events of human history have to be backlit by the reality of our faith that God does not abandon His people. An example of this truth is today’s memorial of […]
St. Francis of Assisi, Simplicity, and Sacred Artists
Today is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. He is one of the patrons of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts. St. Francis reminds us how we admire, […]
Sacred Artists Must Be Empty Vessels
In this morning’s Gospel St. Luke is clear that Jesus is carefully listening to the argument that breaks out among His disciples as to who is the greatest among them. One translation […]
The Birth of Mary – The Pure Disciple Who Shows Us the Way
We cannot allow this day, September 8th, to slip by without celebrating the nativity of our Blessed Mother. For as the Invitatory in the Roman Breviary says for today’s feast: “Come, let […]
The Eternal Now and the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the memorial of the Coronation of our Blessed Mother. Sacred icons and images have expressed the Queenship and Coronation of the Holy Theotokos – the Mother of God – for […]
The Dormition – Assumption of Mary
Over the past two weeks, our Sunday Gospels have stressed the truth that to be a faithful disciple of Christ we must keep our focus – in good times and bad – […]
A Reflection on St. Matthew 14: 22-33
Today’s Gospel reading cuts right to the heart of the matter – and asks the question: do we have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? St. Peter certainly came face-to-face with that […]
