Godzdogz

Quodlibets | The Student Brothers are resuming a series in which they respond to readers' own questions.  Read more

News | The student brothers are pleased to announce many exciting series coming up soon on Godzdogz. Read more

By Br Daniel Benedict Rowlands, O.P. | To borrow from St Gregory Nazianzen, in a turn of phrase much loved by Pope Benedict XVI, the Magi depart no longer relying on a star because they realise it is Christ who sets the orbit of the stars, and their own orbit too. And so it always is with the transcendentals: we are captured by a kind of gravitational attraction, and pulled into a new orbit around nothing other than the Good, the True, and the Beautiful itself, the infinite love of God – for God is love – love concretised and freely offered to us in the birth of Jesus Christ.Giotto's Adoration of the Magi depicts the star as a comet. Not the most astrophysically likely explanation, but it effectively captures the idea of the fleeting nature of the sign that, pointing beyond itself, ultimately gives way to the signified. Read more

By Br Gabriel Theis, O.P. | The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, which the Church celebrates on the 3^rd January, leads us into the depths of Christianity and the mystery of the Incarnation. Read more

By Br John Bernard Church, O.P. | Our nativity scenes tend to tell an incomplete story. The reality of Mary’s motherhood was likely far messier, as she contemplated an Omnipotent Creator who cries because he’s hungry. Read more

By Br Pablo Rodríguez Jordá, O.P. | ‘O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in a manger!’ The Eucharist is the summit and source of the Christian life, a gift and a mystery confessed by all generations of Christians, up to the first Apostles. In this post, Br Pablo examines some ancient testimonies of Eucharistic devotion, that we may renew our faith as we enter the new year by approaching Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Read more

By Br Bede Mullens, O.P. | The firstborn of Egypt in themselves were surely just as innocent as the infants commemorated today. Is God then as unjust as Herod for bringing about their deaths? Read more

Scared that you are going to be bored this Christmas? What to do with those 12 days? The student brothers recommend some seasonal reading that might take your fancy (and you might wish had taken your stocking!). Read more

News | You can see below the times of Masses and other services at Blackfriars, Oxford. Read more

By Br Thomas Thérèse, O.P. | 'Will you let me in Fred?' Asks Scrooge. Br. Thomas Thérèse asks whether we have adequately prepared for Christmas like Fred, Scrooge's Nephew by living our advent wisely? Have we prepared ourselves to open our shut up hearts freely or has our advent been a selfish time of gain and self interest?
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