If one understands the existence of angels, the existence of guardian angels shouldn’t present many problems. To justify their existence, the Summa first cites Psalm 90:11: “For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all … Continue reading
St. Augustine perfectly encapsulates the confusion many have when “they hear that the Father is God, and the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God, and yet that this Trinity is not three Gods, but one God; and they ask … Continue reading
I don’t know what the politically accurate terms are for the intellectually challenged or the mentally ill. I ask your forgiveness if I have misused terms; if I’ve said something insulting, it is a result of my ignorance, not my … Continue reading
What Is an Angel? St. Augustine defines angels by saying, “Angel” is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, … Continue reading
Life in a Medieval City by Joseph and Frances Gies is an interesting little book. I must say I’ve been avoiding books in this series when I saw them at Half-Price Books because the title seemed too simplistic to be … Continue reading
In the Prose Lancelot, there is an adventure in which Guinevere is (falsely) accused of being an imposter. Unfortunately, King Arthur believes the scam, so a great deal of time is spent on what should be done with her. Some … Continue reading
In briefest terms, transubstantiation is the process by which bread and wine are entirely transformed into the body and blood of Christ. To medieval Christians, this was taken literally, though the appearance of bread and wine is maintained. It should … Continue reading
It feels a little strange to be writing a book review of the catechism. For obvious reasons, this review will not focus on the book itself, but on its usefulness to a medievalist. I’ve stressed several times and will probably … Continue reading
þe stif mon steppez þeron and þe stel hondelez dubbed in a dublet of a dere tars, and a wonderlich wroȝt trosse he wore for to sauve him of strain from stel briȝt, and syþen a crafty capados closed aloft … Continue reading
The Eucharist is often referred to as “The Sacrament” in medieval writings. You may also see it referred to as “the sacrifice,” “Communion,” and “the Host.” Sometimes, these terms can be separated by defining “Eucharist” as the sacrament, “Communion” as … Continue reading
