HUGH OF ST. VICTORMarriage, during the time of Hugh of St. Victor, was primarily took place outside of the Church, with a blessing of the marriage occurring months after the actual marriage had take place. St. Victor firmly believed that creation had fallen and needed to be restored entirely in Christ. This heavily influenced his [...]
Sometimes, I am like the Apostle, Thomas, full of doubt. I have been told that Jesus is risen, that He is the Son of God, but I want proof. I want to put my fingers in His hands and in His side. I want to see His resurrected body standing before me. If you’re anything [...]
In a world of digital technology and modern medicine, the Middle Ages may seem irrelevant. However, in reading St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Hildegard of Bingen, we see that their mystical theology, which is closely linked to love, can lead one to a greater understanding the sacrament of marriage. Contrary to the hookup culture [...]
dis-cern-ment: (noun) a decision-making process that determines and honors God's will for one's lifean 11 letter word that, when spoken in the Catholic realm, often invokes a series of questions and a plethora of promised prayers For many years, I've desired marriage, motherhood. But as I've grown in my knowledge of the faith I've had [...]
For some, it is easy to dismiss the sacraments as empty rituals, meaningless signs. Indeed Ratzinger comments on this growing trend in his book Theology of the Liturgy: The Sacramental Foundation of Christian Existence: The man of today is certainly interested in the question of God, and he is even concerned about the problem of Christ; [...]
It was days before Christmas, the church was filled with poinsettias and Christmas trees, an array of white candles were placed before the altar, the nativity scene glowed serenely in the distance. I was surrounded by beauty, but rather than marveling at it, I knelt before the tabernacle and sobbed. My boyfriend and I had [...]
As a “cradle Catholic,” I grew up loving, Mary, the Mother of God. When I was baptized, I received a Miraculous Medal, and I received my first pair of rosary beads at my First Communion; I’ve prayed the Hail Mary for as long as I can remember, and have never missed a Marian feast day.Mary has [...]
The summer before 7th grade, my grandfather died. It was the first time I had encountered the death of a loved one. I remember being struck at my grandmother’s composure throughout this time–the weeks leading up to his death, the funeral, and the days after. Of course she was sad and grieving, she had been [...]
One afternoon, my younger brother took a picture of the two of us. When I saw it I asked him to delete it because I looked “fat.” He looked at me surprised, “Do you hear yourself? You talk to other girls about this very thing… about body image, about looking at yourself the way God [...]
We are inundated with media that tells us to live a life contrary to the values of our faith. We are told that happiness is achieved through popularity, money, success, fame, sex, material wealth. Sometimes it is easy to be consumed by our culture, to try and fill that void in our hearts with clothes, [...]
Caitlin Bean 