Category Archives: experiences

The visionary art of the Rothschild Canticles

The Rothschild Canticles is one of the most unusual illuminated manuscripts to have survived from the Middle Ages. The text was made around 1300 to serve as an aid to mystical devotions in which images played as central a role as the written word. Visionary depictions of the Trinity, the Song of Songs, the VirginContinue reading “The visionary art of the Rothschild Canticles”

God’s presence in nature

Catholic theologian, Father Edward Leen, expresses in his book, The Holy Spirit, just how intimate God’s presence is in nature: “God’s power is put forth in every pulse of organic and inorganic being, in repose and movement, in every slightest change. Since every being and every aspect of being is the effect of God’s creativeContinue reading “God’s presence in nature”

Surprised by God

The scriptures record that a frequent response to the actions and announcements of God, through the Messiah and others, was surprise, wonder, and amazement. The Gospel of Matthew records that the crowds listening to Jesus, “were astonished at his teaching.” Sometimes witnesses were left without words. The Gospel of Luke records that, “astonished by hisContinue reading “Surprised by God”

Incommunicable experience

As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience. (St. Basil the Great, Conversations onContinue reading “Incommunicable experience”

Is something essential being overlooked?

A man who has never had that experience, be it only very briefly, who has never felt that he is exiled from God and from real life, will never understand what Christianity is about. And the one who is perfectly “at home” in this world and its life, who has never been wounded by theContinue reading “Is something essential being overlooked?”