The New Creation, an Easter Meditation Reply

The new creation sharpened 11X14 with copy right

Alison Batley Stone, “The New Creation,” collagraph and intaglio print

“The New Creation,” a collagraph and intaglio print, is a meditation on the whole of salvation history, which we are called to reflect upon at Easter. The six days of creation are illustrated in a womb like structure surrounding the central figures. In the Genesis narrative, the Tree of Life was placed in the center of the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve had open access to this vital fruit. Instead, they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, bringing about their expulsion and death. Man and woman became trapped within this spoiled produce, losing their communion with God, themselves, each other, and all of creation. More…

On the Path of Life, through the Valley of Tears 4

Lord, You show us the path of Life

Lord, You show us the path of Life

Managing our expectations…

Just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we too become frustrated and discouraged when reality doesn’t measure up to our expectations.

This simple truth holds for all things, big and small, as when an unforeseen traffic jam threatens to make us late for an appointment. More…

Becoming Like God Thanks to the Resurrection 2

Fr José LaBoy

Fr José LaBoy

In the episode of the encounter of Christ with the disciples on their way to Emmaus we find a very enlightening lesson regarding the saving power of the Resurrection. Christ appears to them because they have lost hope in his message, since the events have destroyed, according to them, their expectations. That is why after giving an account of the death of Jesus, his “unfulfilled promises,” they say: “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” (Lk 24:21) More…

Why Is Today Divine Mercy Sunday? 5

Pope John Paul II praying before an image of Jesus, the Divine Mercy

Pope John Paul II praying before an image of Jesus, the Divine Mercy

On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized the Polish nun who had received from Christ the amazing revelations of the Divine Mercy in the early years of the twentieth century, Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska.

During that ceremony, the pope fulfilled one of the requests that Christ had made through those revelations: More…

Hey Buddy, You Shouldn’t Be Carrying That Cross! 12

Good Friday 2011 was a day my life significantly changed.

I was a philosophy professor at a Catholic seminary in New York at the time, and like every year for the past almost 20 years, I had planned on “celebrating” Good Friday there at the seminary and taking part in the liturgical activities there. The Liturgy of the Hours sung in Latin was one of those things you could not experience anywhere else and I did not want to miss it. More…

Mission Youth Evangelization: Carrying the Cross in New York City 7

Good News!

That is what the New Evangelization is about and what Mission Youth missionaries did on the Streets of Manhattan on Good Friday.

Over 50 high school missionaries carried the cross from Central Park South, down Broadway, to Old St Patrick’s Basilica in Soho — More…

They Doubted That We May Not Doubt 2

Caravaggio, Incredulity of St Thomas

Caravaggio, Incredulity of St Thomas

By Fr Jose LaBoy

There is in the homilies of St. Leo the Great on the Ascension a great lesson regarding the importance of the Resurrection appearances during the period of time that goes between the Resurrection and the Ascension. Christ didn’t have to appear to the disciples after his resurrection, but he did because their faith (and ours) was at stake. More…

Living Stations of the Cross from the New York Holy Week Mission (Video) 5

Mission Youth carrying the cross through Times Square on Good Friday

Mission Youth carrying the cross through Times Square on Good Friday

This year’s Holy Week mission in New York City was the best yet.

I had the grace to join them this year, flying up from Atlanta on Wednesday to join in the action and help the group of Mission Youth Missionaries who participated in the Living Stations of the Cross. More…

Breakfast on the Lake Shore 11

Like the Apostles, we all need reassurances and reminders.

Ordinary events in life  can weigh on us and wear us down over time. That is why Jesus often reveals himself to us through the ordinary. At work, at breakfast, through ordinary people — He is there to life us up, though sometimes we do not recognize him at first.

So it was with Jesus’ apostles. More…