Hear the bells break the silence Shatter it to the bone Hear the old world dying Withering like the fig … More
Author: Avellina Balestri
Christ in a Waiting Room: An Early Spring Spiritual Epiphany
The painting showed the body of Christ being taken down by the cross, about to be placed in the arms of the sorrowing mother, and all at once I imagined the tears trickling down her face and the blood trickling from his heart, and it felt that everything around me dissolved in that one moment.
Shalott Revisited
I once met a fine young man Winning in his manners, honest in his speech With ideals that defied the … More
Eat of the Heart: A Harry Potter Fanfic
Darkness reigns. It penetrates. It permeates. It sings. And the man who would plug his ears to that siren’s … More
Broken Things: A Game of Thrones Fanfic
“What have you done? By the all the gods, what have you done to the poor girl?” “Dearest … More
A Kiss Goodnight: A Game of Thrones Fanfic
Tyrion entered Sansa’s chamber gingerly, not wanting to make her uneasy by his presence. He simply wanted to see … More
Good People and Paradise: Is There Salvation Outside the Church?
In order to get to heaven, is it only necessary that we be a “good person”? This is a question … More
Building a Bridge and Drawing a Line: A Way Forward for Traditional Religious and LGBT Communities
Is there any hope of a bridge being build between traditional religious communities on the one hand and the LGBT community on the other? I don’t believe there’s an easy answer to that question posed in Fr. James Martin’s controversial book entitled Building a Bridge.
Systemic Sins Matter: Coming to Terms with Racial Injustice in Society
The news seems to be flooded these days of terrible updates. From killer viruses to murder hornets, we find ourselves … More
Mary and Fatima: Reflections on the Sacred Feminine in Christianity and Islam
Both Mary and Fatima are seen, in their respective traditions, as “queens of paradise.” And what is a queen of paradise? Perhaps it has less to do with crowns and scepters, and more to do with a certain fullness of being, a height of proximity to the divine light.