Spirituality

St. Bernadette Soubirous

Feast day: April 16

Born in Lourdes, France, in 1844, St. Bernadette Soubirous faced intense asthma and endured extreme poverty. In 1858, she experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a grotto by the Gave River close to Lourdes. A spring flowed from the grotto, and the waters were found to possess miraculous qualities. She received additional apparitions from the Virgin who revealed that she was the Immaculate Conception and a place of worship ought to be built on the location. In 1866, Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity. Suffering from long-term illness, including escalating asthma and bone tuberculosis, she passed away at the age of 35. Bernadette was canonized in 1933, and she serves as the patron saint of the sick, the impoverished, and Lourdes.

(OSV News) — For Kendra Tierney, a Catholic writer and mother of 10, the Advent period leading up to Christmas resembles the anticipation of childbirth.

“There exists a distinct character to that period where rushing is not an option, and you’re focused on getting everything ready,” remarked the founder and CEO of Catholic All Year. “I believe that Advent provides us the chance to truly immerse ourselves in that sentiment, where we aim to utilize that time to prepare our households and to ready our families to receive Christ into our lives.”

Advent signifies the commencement of the church’s liturgical calendar, beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas. The term “Advent” suggests its significance: It is derived from the Latin word “advenire,” which means “to arrive” or “to come to.” This year’s season starts on Dec. 3.

A period of readiness

Though Advent is occasionally referred to as “a mini Lent,” Catholic specialists note that there are significant similarities and distinctions between the two, each of which culminate in important feast days and liturgical periods: Christmas and Easter, respectively. They concur that Advent mainly serves as a time for preparation.

“Lent possesses that sorrowful quality where … we aim to concentrate on strengthening those aspects of being remorseful. I believe that the essence of Advent is meant to contrast with that — it is truly, indeed, a period of anticipation for a birth,” stated Tierney, who authors works on celebrating the liturgical year at home.

Palm Sunday occupies a noteworthy position in the liturgical calendar for Catholics around the globe. It signals the commencement of Holy Week and celebrates the Lord’s victorious arrival in Jerusalem. As we ready our spirits for this important occasion, here are six essential elements that every Catholic ought to understand about Palm Sunday:

1. On Palm Sunday, Catholics carry palm fronds as a reflection of the Gospel.

The practice of using palm branches on Palm Sunday originates from the Gospel accounts, in which the multitude greeted Jesus as He entered Jerusalem by placing palm branches along the path ahead of Him. “When the large crowd that had arrived for the festival heard that Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel’” (Jn 12:12-3).

Palms signify triumph and tranquility in historical societies, and for Catholics, they embody Christ’s triumph over mortality and the dominion of peace within his realm.

Catholic Living Holidays & Occasions Spirituality Six Catholics reflect on the meaning of Easter Original artwork by Valerie Delgado. Find more of her work at paxbeloved.com. For numerous individuals, this Lent seems to have lasted beyond 40 days. In a sense, the Church and the globe have undergone an extended Lent since the onset of…

Question: Why do the Catholic Church and Catholic Bibles not capitalize pronouns when speaking about the persons of the Trinity? Doesn’t the Lord’s Prayer state, “hallowed be Thy name?”
— Joseph Krueger, Divide, Colorado
Answer: Capitalizing pronouns — such as he, him, his, you, your, and so forth — that pertain to the Blessed Trinity has not been a common custom in Christian tradition. In reality, these pronouns are never given capital letters in the original documents. They remain uncapitalized in the Greek version of the Scriptures. Likewise, St. Jerome did not capitalize them when he rendered these texts into the Latin Vulgate.

Three decades prior, the Catholic Church was influenced by two prominent saints. Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta were ubiquitous. Their images, messages, and teachings captivated the globe. Their dynamic methods, characterized by relentless travel and evident personal devotion, were a fixture in both international news and in both Catholic and secular media.
And now it has been 25 years since Mother Teresa passed away. The younger generation of Catholics no longer has any personal recollection of her. In my experience instructing undergraduates, they recognize the name of Mother Teresa and are familiar with her image, but I have discovered that their understanding of her mission is lacking.
Contemporary students are largely unaware of Mother’s efforts for the underprivileged. They lack knowledge of her strong advocacy against abortion on an international platform. They remain ignorant of her deep prayer life. They did not witness the news footage of her in Washington or grieve her passing, which notably aligned with the unfortunate demise of Princess Diana. It’s possible they aren’t even aware of that detail.

Question: What distinguishes a monastery from a convent?
— Allen Eberle, Hague, N.D.
Answer: Similar to numerous terms, we can identify both a precise definition and a more casual, conversational interpretation. It’s also worth noting that the meanings of these terms have somewhat evolved over time. The term monastery derives from the Greek word monazein, which translates to “to live alone.” In the initial periods, monastics (including both genders) retreated to the desert to lead predominantly solitary existences, in individual habitats.

(OSV News) — Bree Solstad, once a leading pornographic content creator, has recently declared her shift to Catholicism and her choice to depart from her former profession.

OSV News spoke with Solstad — who currently creates religious jewelry — to follow her path and to delve into her reflections on adopting the Catholic faith.

This Q&A has been modified for conciseness and comprehensibility.

OSV News: What information can you provide regarding your experience before joining the adult entertainment sector?

Solstad: I grew up in Alaska, nurtured by a devoted and diligent single mother. … As an only child, I never had the chance to meet my father. I was a latchkey kid. … I was baptized into the Lutheran faith at the age of 8 and participated in church activities and youth groups throughout my younger years.

As a child, I aspired to become a veterinarian. My passion for various plants and animals has remained strong over the years. … During my youth, I didn’t really contemplate marriage or starting a family. I often ponder whether this is linked to being brought up in a single-parent household and not having a relationship with my father.

Upon departing for college, I entirely drifted from my beliefs into a lifestyle characterized by excessive drinking, carelessness, and promiscuity. In spite of everything, I suppose I still viewed myself as a nominal Christian due to my upbringing, yet I did not engage in any practices and lacked a spiritual life.

I left college, largely due to my excessive drinking and self-sabotaging actions, and relocated across the nation. My personal life became increasingly promiscuous. I was consuming alcohol more excessively and launched a blog about my indulgent lifestyle that somewhat gained traction in that obscure part of the internet.

OSV News: Was that your debut in the realm of pornography?

Solstad: The blog attracted the interest of a prominent femdom (female domination) sex worker, who contacted me and effectively recruited me. She mentioned that this could be quite profitable and believed I would excel at it. She guided me through the setup process and connected me with key figures in the industry who could assist me in maximizing my earnings. Ultimately, I traveled to Oregon to film with her, and she encouraged me to launch my own studios featuring my own content.

This week, we set off on a captivating adventure for Pentecost with celebrated Catholic art scholar Elizabeth Lev. Journey through the silent corridors of history, where flashes of brilliance and murmurs of faith intersect. With a scholar’s perspective and a narrative flair, Lev reveals the intricate symbolism and deep meaning embedded in the works showcasing this crucial moment in Christian heritage. From the blazing arrival of the Holy Spirit to the quivering hearts of followers, every stroke of the brush and shaped contour acts as a gateway to the sacred meeting.

Yet, beneath the canvas and stone lies a more profound story — one of belief, camaraderie, and the strength of change. With Lev’s skilled direction, we journey through the ages, observing how creators from various cultures and periods have wrestled with the indescribable enigma of Pentecost, striving to encapsulate its spirit in color and illumination.

Join us as we reveal the concealed realities and enduring elegance contained within the art of Pentecost throughout this journey to decode the holy enigmas that persist in motivating and igniting the spirits of worshippers globally.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Pentecost artwork throughout the history of the Church

Our Sunday Visitor: Pentecost, the celebration of the Church’s revelation, commissions the apostles to proclaim the Gospel to the farthest reaches of the world. What importance does the art of Pentecost hold in the history of the Catholic Church?

Elizabeth Lev CNS photo/Robert Duncan

Elizabeth Lev: I believe the Church has sought to convey the concepts of Pentecost since its inception. It may have been on a more modest scale, as observed in early Christian art, where we encounter this type of imagery reflecting the commission of Jesus transferring the law to Peter and Paul and this concept of attempting to disseminate the message. However, I believe we begin to genuinely strive to depict the supernatural, which becomes significantly more intricate in the evolution of art, as we approach the first millennium. This is the period when we observe our initial substantial efforts to illustrate Pentecost.

Our Sunday Visitor: How did Christians start to illustrate this foundational event? What were the initial artistic forms utilized to represent it?

Elizabeth Lev: Paint and mosaic. Painting serves as our preliminary form of artistic expression. … While there exists a considerable amount of relief sculpture from that initial timeframe of 313 to approximately 500, … the true foundational art for Christians was indeed painting. It was those catacomb visuals that were frescoed directly onto the walls. Given that the majority of this art was created within churches, the most effective and candidly, the most cost-efficient method for creating artworks was fresco painting. Therefore, we encounter a greater volume of imagery produced in that technique.

The emblems of Pentecost

Our Sunday Visitor: It’s challenging to represent the Holy Spirit, in contrast to God the Father or depictions of Jesus Christ. What specific symbols do Christians utilize? How do we express the depth, the remarkable essence, of what occurs at Pentecost?

Bronze panel of the interior doors of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. Public domain

Elizabeth Lev: Therefore, that is indeed the challenge. The challenge lies in attempting to depict the existence of the Holy Spirit. There are numerous, excellent representations of the second person of the Trinity. You sometimes come across a subtle depiction of the first person of the Trinity in a certain spot or glancing in from a higher edge. Yet, it has truly posed an intriguing challenge for Christians to illustrate the figure of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s absence of physical form is what complicates matters. One of my favorites is the piece from 1070 at St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, where you can observe in a bronze panel — here, they aim to create something within what would be considered a sculptural medium, but at the time of its creation, it’s not really a relief sculpture. It doesn’t resemble what you and I would define as a kind of sculpture where the figures pop out; rather, it’s an etching imprinted on a bronze panel. Thus, it is something that’s fundamentally one step removed from a cloisonné. In this depiction, you see individuals arranged in a sort of semicircle, with these small bands rising from above their heads — and there are tiny flames illustrated into each of these bands. This symbolizes their interpretation of Pentecost, which is a particularly fascinating approach to addressing the dilemma.

Although some kids grow up with the Jesse Tree, I was an adult when I first came across one. In truth, I discovered it accidentally while looking into Advent activities for my class. I was instantly captivated and questioned why this tradition had never been familiar to me before.

Lacking a manual or guidelines, I had to navigate through the process independently. However, energized like someone in her twenties, I crafted a collection of ornaments over a weekend using various scraps from my mother-in-law’s sewing supplies. That December, I recounted a Bible story from memory each morning during “circle time,” and my students alternated in decorating our classroom Christmas tree with my handmade ornaments.

Public domain

What is the Jesse Tree?

Simply put, the Jesse Tree is the family tree of Jesus. It follows the ancestry of Christ back to Adam and Eve. In other terms, the Jesse Tree links the Old Testament with the New. It illustrates to us (and to our offspring) that God has been orchestrating since the fall of Adam and Eve to reconcile us to him through the Incarnation of his Son, Jesus.

The Jesse Tree merges visual artistry with narrative components similar to other family trees. Jesse Trees originated during the Middle Ages, a period when the majority of individuals could not read and the advent of the printing press had yet to distribute Bibles widely to the Catholic congregations. Religious beliefs were predominantly communicated through oral tradition. Via paintings, stained glass displays, and sculptures, theologians and artists collaborated to impart the narrative of salvation history to men and women of all ages through the Jesse Tree. The representations of individuals and the associated symbols played a crucial role in conveying the Biblical narratives by correlating images with the text. The Jesse Tree window located in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres in Chartres, France is an especially renowned and grand illustration, although many Jesse Trees were humbler in size to match the setting of a simple parish church.

Using paintings, stained glass panels, and sculptures, theologians and artists collaborated to educate individuals of all ages about the narrative of salvation history through the Jesse Tree.

The Jesse Tree derives its name from the father of King David, a rather lesser-known character of the Old Testament who rose to significance with the prophecy of Isaiah, which declares that “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Is 11:1). The passage alludes to the arrival of the Messiah stemming from the lineage of King David. Apart from this subtle mention, our understanding of Jesse as a historical character primarily derives from Jewish tradition, which offers significantly more insights than those presented in the Bible.

Tradition informs us that Jesse was a highly regarded individual whose profound faith was acknowledged throughout his life. His connection with the prophet Samuel — the individual who would designate David as king — highlights his prominence in the community. Nevertheless, even Jesse had further lessons to grasp. He did not comprehend Samuel’s anointing of his youngest son, overlooking the fact that God does not evaluate by external looks but instead “sees the heart.”1 Sam 16:7). His reference as the root of Christ’s lineage serves as a reminder to us today that the devout can still explore further.

Detail of the Jesse Tree on a fresco on the exterior of Moldovita Monastery in Romania Wikimedia Commons/Alex Moise

LINZ, Austria (OSV News) — St. Mary’s Cathedral in Linz captured global attention when a disputed sculpture of Mary located within the church was decapitated on July 1 by unidentified vandals.

The artwork, illustrating the Virgin Mary delivering Jesus crafted by Austrian artist Esther Strauss, was planned to be showcased in the cathedral for a duration of three weeks. This piece has faced backlash from certain Catholics who described it as blasphemous.

“The bigotry, ignorance, and absence of progress in the Catholic Church is alarming,” Theresa Limberger, who dedicated 200 hours to sculpting the statue following Strauss’ idea, stated to Austrian media ORF.

Contentious artwork and critique

The debate, nonetheless, was anticipated.

“There exists a guest book that allows individuals to jot down their reflections on it. There were certainly many verbally confrontational and unsettling remarks,” Martina Resch, co-initiator of the project, informed ORF.