Roll Out the Red Carpet!

It is an honor to think we’ve been nominated again for this year’s most coveted online award, the Cannonball Catholic Blog Awards. It’s always fun to see what blogs are popular reading especially the new ones. It’s been a long year full of hard work on the site, making sure we have quality as well as quantity–and you are no easy crowd to please! It’s an amazing honor that anyone reads this simple blog at all, and I do it as a small labor of love which seeks no award. Still the “contest” is all in good fun and really I imagine it’s a celebration of all Catholic bloggery and a light-hearted way to look at the phenomenon of the so-called Catholic “blogosphere”–a unique medium that is changing and growing rapidly.

If we win, we’ll be sure to put the trophy next to our other various awards and prizes (below). I mean, I’ll try to make room for it somewhere.

Pictured: The reliquary treasury of St. Paul Outside the Walls (NOT my personal trophy room)

Strength Against Adversity

Peace be to you. Everyone ought to know more about the Society of St. Pius X. It is an asset to the Church. They refuse outright the heresies of Modernism and Moral Relativism in an age where Joe Catholic wants entertainment instead of beauty and truth. I got into a lot of trouble in my seminary days for showing public support for their incorporation into the Church, resulting once in my being accused of the sin of schism. Well I continue to show my support and without reserve or apology. Though the liberal media and liberals within Church governance want them to be hated, I say they are upright. Would that they would soon join us.

*Edit, because I have more to say*: This post is not meant to be as explosive as some have interpreted it. It is clearly the wish of the Supreme Pontiff that the SSPX participate some day in the fullness of communion with the Church. His wishes will never be actualized if people are too afraid to support them.

Images from various SSPX liturgies:

The Glory of the Churrigueresque

Massive-scale, incredibly detailed highly decorative and ornate sculpture marks the height of Spanish Baroque architectural style, which reached its height in Mexico at the 1778 completion of the church of La Enseñanza, Mexico D.F.

Thanks to Cesar S. for the photos. Keep submitting, folks!

Cathedra of St. Sophia Cathedral

It is a shame we must be separated from the Greek Orthodox church, their liturgy is steeped in tradition and in general untouched by the ills of modernity.

From Cathedrals of California:

Holy Week from St. John Cantius

An absolutely huge post featuring photos from the Sacred Triduum at St. John Cantius, Chicago. These photos are exquisite!

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

The Vigil of Easter

I am immensely grateful to Br. Joshua Caswell, SJC, for sharing these with me.

Want to Write?

We are looking for a few good folks to contribute photos and articles on a regular basis.  Anyone interested should send a sample article to cwhitty [at] ufl [dot] edu.

Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain…

A blessed Easter to you all!

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the ancients (and the number of them was thousands of thousands), saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and benediction. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard all saying: To him that sits on the throne and to the Lamb, benediction and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said: Amen. And the four and twenty ancients fell down on their faces and adored him that lives for ever and ever.”
–Rev 5:11-14

Shrine of the Crown of Thorns…

From the treasury of Notre Dame de Paris. Gilded bronze, gilded silver, diamonds, precious gemstones, 1862. Height 88cm, width 49cm. Depicted on the base are St. Helen, King Baldwin II and St. Louis.

Detail: St. Louis

“At present we do not see “all things subject to him,” but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death, he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” –Heb 2:8-9

Good Friday 2010, Via Crucis at the Colosseum

On Him Lies a Punishment That Brings Us Peace…

…and through his wounds were are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)