Good Friday Catechesis: The City of Jerusalem

April 19, 2019 Suzanne M. Lewis

There are two holes in the top of the model of the mount where Jesus was killed. The cross is erected in one, and we speak, with deep sadness, of Jesus' death there. Then I show them a small hole in the side of the mount, to indicate Jesus' tomb. We… — There are two holes in the top of the model of the mount where Jesus was killed. The cross is erected in one, and we speak, with deep sadness, of Jesus' death there. Then I show them a small hole in the side of the mount, to indicate Jesus' tomb. We roll the huge stone over the opening. Then I ask, "But what happened on the third day?"
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Holy Thursday Catechesis: The Cenacle

April 18, 2019 Suzanne M. Lewis

…We dwell together on the amazing fact that the Passover Jesus celebrated at his Last Supper was the same one that had been celebrated for thousands of years, except that this time Jesus spoke some new words, great and loving and precious words that had never been said during a Passover before…

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Our Body

April 16, 2019 Suzanne M. Lewis

But the greatest miracle (and the reason why Notre Dame isn’t a “symbol” or “just a building”) is that this holy church…

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The Borromean Rings in Our Logo

March 13, 2019 Suzanne M. Lewis

The "Borromean rings" are a sign of unity in diversity. The name, “Borromean,” comes from the use of this three ring design in the coat of arms of St. Charles Borromeo's northern Italian family. In mathematical knot theory, the Borromean rings are a simple example of a Brunnian link: if you break one link, the entire knot comes apart. The link itself is much older and has appeared in the form of the valknut on Norse image stones dating back to the 7th century. The Borromean rings have been used in different contexts to indicate strength in unity, e.g., in religion or art. In particular, the design has been used to symbolize the Trinity.

In Defense of Reading Pagans

January 18, 2019 Suzanne M. Lewis

Guest post by Stephen E. Lewis:

Last week, a controversy erupted over a book I assigned in a five-student advanced literature seminar at the Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS) during the Spring 2018 semester. Not wishing to further divide our university community, I trusted that my superiors at FUS would handle the matter appropriately and I refrained from public comment. But many observers have assumed that Franciscan University’s decision to remove me from my role as chair of the English Department confirms that I assigned the book out of hostility to orthodox Catholic belief. Because nothing could be further from the truth, many friends have urged me to explain why I put Emmanuel Carrère’s The Kingdom on my syllabus in the first place. Now that some time has passed, I feel a duty to the Franciscan University community and others concerned by the uproar to provide an account.

Read the rest here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/conviviumsalon/2019/01/in-defense-of-reading-pagans/

Stephen E. Lewis is professor of English at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Photo by Jenny via Creative Commons. Image cropped.