The Encouraging Thomist

Christ the King Icon I. What do you think it means for someone to be King? We hear the word "King" thrown around a lot in our popular culture, right?    Elvis, The King of Rock n' Roll?      NBA star Lebron James, often times referred to as "King James"?        Aragorn, son of Arathorn, High King of Gondor?        [that, friends, is a Lord of the Rings reference] And, like that Lord of the Rings reference,    often the only exposure to Kings or Queens is in high fantasy fiction       or in the movies depicting some sort of romanticized or legendary figure. Just last year, there was ANOTHER King Arthur movie produced:   you know, King Arthur, of the Knights of the Round Table?     Or if you prefer some dark and gritty portrayal of Kings and Queens,        pick up some Game of Thrones: it will make your taste for monarchy           go sour real quick. Our romanticizing of Kings and Queens is also very interesting    given that most o

The Ascension of Jesus Christ Icon I. Thank goodness for people who know how to build a good space for worship! We here at Trinity Searcy, in my humble opinion, have a uniquely beautiful place to worship.    This building has been standing for over 100 years,       the stained glass shines the light of the Gospels on us,         and the woodcraft that is around us right now is carefully constructed. And if you notice the construction of the building,    you will see that there are three distinct sections of it. Most of y'all in the pews are sitting in what is called the Nave,    which comes from the same root as the words "navy" or "naval"       and it refers to a boat.          In the early church, a common metaphor for the Church was Noah's Ark,          [Augustine of Hippo, Contra Faustum, book XII; and etc.]             and if you look at the ceiling trusses,               you may find that it looks a little like the structure of

The Widow's Mite  Mosaic at St. Apollinarius's Church in Ravena I.  "We wear the mask that grins and lies,    It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—       This debt we pay to human guile;          With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,             And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise,    In counting all our tears and sighs?       Nay, let them only see us, while          We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries    To thee from tortured souls arise.       We sing, but oh the clay is vile          Beneath our feet, and long the mile;            But let the world dream otherwise,              We wear the mask!"                 ["We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar] Some of you may recognize this poem,    but if you haven't heard it,       this is a poem called "We Wear the Mask"         by one of the most influential poets and novelists            of the la

All Saints Icon I. "See, the home of God is among mortals.    He will dwell with them as their God;       they will be his peoples,          and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.    Death will be no more;       mourning and crying and pain will be no more,          for the first things have passed away." [Revelation 21:3-4 NRSV] Today, we celebrate the great feast of All Saint's Day,    A day in which we all remember and rejoin that mysterious cloud of witnesses       in worship of God Almighty, who has made a dwelling          even with the most unworthy creatures of his creation. Because these saints of ages past,    these pillars of faith, hope, and love,        are not commemorated because they were flawless:             but they are commemorated because they were particularly special vessels                of Jesus Christ and His love for the world. Missionaries, such as St. Peter and St. Paul,    wh