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Discussions with international lawyers and legal scholars about current legal issues in the fields of art, museums, archeology, cultural property, and cultural heritage.
“Where there is railway, there is civilization.” Railway can bring about resources, culture and prosperity. The six episodes of culture documentary take the audience to look around China Culural. We shall introduce the newest high speed rail lines to you, including the Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway(京廣深港高鐵) Qingdao-Taiyuan high-speed railway(青太高鐵) , Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway(滬昆高鐵), Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway(哈大高鐵), Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed railway( ...
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Church historian, speaker, and author, delivers highly interesting and engaging reflections on Catholic tradition, teaching, and cultural heritage. Find out more about his ministry and discover countless free Catholic resources at www.dritaly.com.
The Chicago Cultural Alliance presents Cultural Connections! A conversation designed to curate meaningful connections and to highlight the stories of Chicago's cultural organizations and supporters. With Covid-19 re-engineering our world, the Alliance recognizes the importance of sticking to our roots, with our number one focus being to uphold our mission: To connect, promote, and support centers of cultural heritage for a more inclusive Chicago. To do that, we've brought back our original n ...
Eight days after Easter, Doubting Thomas has an encounter with the Risen Christ that makes him a believer and even more, an apostle or ambassador who will bring the gospel to an unbelieving world. That should give us hope that he will do the same with us.
The meaning of Easter is more than springtime and dyed eggs. The significance of Easter is that not only sin but death has been conquered by the risen Christ who foretold his own resurrection from the dead before he gave his life for us on Good Friday.
The Creed proclaims "He descended into Hell." This homily for Holy Saturday from the 4th Century treats of the "harrowing of hell" and the rescue of Adam and Eve. This was a popular theme in early and medieval Christian poetry, liturgy and song. Note the parallels between Adam and Eve's sin, which lost paradise for us, and the passion of Christ, wh…
Good Friday is the day of the Crucifixion, Passion, and Death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Was the cross a big mistake or was it in His plan? Was it an agonizing defeat or a brilliant victory?
In this podcast from the Sonrise Morning Show, host Anna Mitchell begins by observing that virtually half the Gospel of Luke is taken up by Jesus and disciples journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. Holy Land Pilgrimage host and theologian Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy) describes what this journey would have been like for the Lord and his followers …
Passion Sunday -- The Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday, is observed by virtually all Christians. But for the Roman Catholic Church it is also Passion Sunday during which all stand for readings and meditations from the passion account. The feast has a bittersweet taste. Though it celebrates the King's triumphal entry into Jerusalem amidst hosannas,…
Palm Sunday in most Christian Churches involves the distribution of palms and a commemoration of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem amidst shouts of Hosanna. But what is the meaning of his decision to ride into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey? And what does this have to do with the COVID-19 crisis facing the world at this moment? It teaches u…
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Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
As we approach Easter, the Church switches our focus from our Lenten sacrifices to a much more important sacrifice. It was motivated by a love stronger than death, a choice for fruitfulness over comfort and safety. Unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die, it remains just a grain of wheat. For the 5th Sunday of Lent, B.…
If "God so loved the world." how can he possibly send people to hell? Is he a loving Father or a stern judge? Jesus helps us reconcile love & grace with hell & judgment in perhaps the most famous worlds in the Bible, John 3:16.
Religion is not supposed to be the opposite of spirituality. But sometimes religion becomes a cold routine, even a business. The Lord's cleansing of the Temple spells the end of business as usual. Our religion must be a matter of living faith, zeal and fidelity to the Ten Commandments.
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Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
On the Second Sunday of Lent, the church places together the story of Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah with the story of Jesus and three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. Together, these stories teach us the meaning of Lenten sacrifice.
Almsgiving or works of mercy are essential to making Lenten Fasting lead to the spiritual renewal and progress that the Season of Lent is all about, says this fifth century writer.
We begin the forty days of Lent with the memory of a previous 40 days when sin was cleansed from the face of the earth. This occurred through a flood which spared only 8 people - Noah & his companions on the ark. This gives us a hint about the meaning & purpose of Lent and its mysterious link to baptism. For the first Sunday of Lent, cycle B.…
Lent is supposed to be a season of a successful journey through the desert of penance to a new land and a new, deeper, intimacy with God. But often, we find ourselves going back to the same old Lenten pathways of past years and end up getting nowhere. My aim here is to put into your hands some fresh Lenten ideas to help you approach the season in a…
There is much more to Jesus' healing of the leper in Mark's gospel than first meets the eye. Hidden in the story are lessons on the role of suffering and how to respond to it in our lives and the lives of others.
The Bible is not just for Churches and Synagogues. Portions of it are read as literature, even in secular university classrooms. Invariably, when you look at the syllabus of such courses, you find Job.
It's been a long time that travel and freedom have been restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But restrictions are about to be lifted so it will be soon time to celebrate.
2020 was a time of exceptional turmoil and disruption throughout the world due to the COVID 19 pandemic. America, in addition, experienced extraordinary political and social unrest with a contested election and riots in the streets and even in the US Capitol. Both the pandemic and political turbulence continues today.…
Podcast in which Dr. Italy identifies spiritual warfare as underlying the current malaise in the world and America. A spiritual battle can only be fought effectively with spiritual weapons, first and foremost being the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
Demons. Satan. Beelzebub. Lucifer. The Devil. Known by various names, evil spirits are to be found in the Bible, both New and Old Testaments. Jesus casts them out and has authority over them. What do we now make of this, living as we do in a scientific age?
There is a cost of discipleship -- Jesus sometimes calls us to leave behind professions, friends, even family. Does that mean that work and human relationships are at odds with growing in our relationship with God? The concept of detachment can help us understand this problem.
Yes, we are called to holiness. But no, vocation is not a matter of a particular state in life. Holiness surely involves purity. Yet it does not include a prudish disdain for the body and the pleasures of ordinary human life.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan closes the Christmas Season. This reflection on the scripture readings for the feast also provide us insight into the sacraments of baptism and Confirmation and give us food for meditation as we say the first luminous mystery of the rosary.…
The Solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord traditionally occurs on January 6 following the twelve days of Christmas. Epiphany commemorates three scriptural events: the visit of the Magi to the stable of Bethlehem following the nativity of Jesus, Christ's Baptism in the Jordan, and his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. This article focus…
This commentary on the Feast of the Epiphany uncovers the meaning of the term epiphany and explains why the Magi -- Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior, the three kings of Orient riding camels and carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh -- are found, complete with crowns and camels, in every nativity scene.
January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Not because it is New Year's day, but because it is the octave (8th day) of Christmas. This feast of Mary, the Mother of God, brings home the reality of the incarnation. In Jesus, the Creator truly became man. And that man had, and still has, a mother. So affirmed the Ecumenical Council of …
The Feast of the Holy Family challenges us to grow in the virtues of piety, honor, patience, and forbearance. And to learn to laugh together.
The Feast of the Holy Family is an essential part of the Christmas Season. It makes clear that the Incarnation means not just that the Divine Word assumed a human body, but entered into every aspect of human life, including family life sanctifying it all and making it a path to holiness.
We all know the elements of the Christmas story: Caesar's census and Herod, shepherds and Magi, ox , swaddling clothes & manger, a stable and not room in the inn, Bethlehem and the Prince of Peace. But underneath each of these people, places, and things, there is deeper meaning that often goes unnoticed.…
Saint Joseph always appears in Manger scenes during Advent and Christmas time and even has a special Solemnity or Feast in his honor, St. Joseph's Day, March 19. But he is so often neglected that St. John Paul II decided to write a special teaching about his role as foster-father of Jesus. This essay makes a case that St. Joseph teaches us some cru…
The biblical term "mystery" refers to a long thread running through history, hidden under ordinary faces and events. It comes to a climax in an Angel's annunciation to a Virgin that puts together many biblical concepts -king, messiah, emmanuel, son of God - for the fourth Sunday of Advent.
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Cultural Connections
Monique Brinkman-Hill was appointed as South Side Community Art Center’s Executive Director in December 2019. Having to take over just before the start of 2020 and all the twists and turns it had in store, Monique and her team have worked hard to support their organization in its 80th year. www.ChicagoCulturalAlliance.org | Instagram / Twitter - Ch…
Join Executive Director Peter Vega and Kathleen McDonald as they discuss their experiences in the arts/humanities. Kathleen has been active in the world of arts and humanities since her college years (even though it wasn’t her original plan!) and worked her way up the ranks in museums. www.ChicagoCulturalAlliance.org | Instagram / Twitter - Chicago…
Advent is a season of joy & hope. Paul says to rejoice in hope. But what is hope, anyway? How does this theological virtue differ from faith and what does it have to do with rejoicing?
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Catholic Heritage with Dr. Italy
John the Baptist is often thought of as a stern, grim figure. But as a matter of fact, he could be the patron saint of joy! Maybe that’s why is is the focal point of the gospel for Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, the third (3rd) Sunday of Advent. Joy comes only through humility and repentance. On the third Sunday of Advent, the penitential purple of the…
The Gospel of Luke presents Mary, mother of Jesus, as the model of faith, showing us what faith must include to be authentic and effective. And imitating Mary's virtue is key to an authentic Marian devotion and an adequate understanding of the deepest meaning of the Immaculate Conception -- that it's all about grace.…
Advent’s theme can be summed up in the word’s of Isaiah 40: Prepare the way of the Lord! But what are the mountains that need to be leveled and the valleys that need to be filled in? Here’s a road map through the desert of Advent road construction to the joy of Christmas. Advent is a time of joyful anticipation. For someone even bigger than Santa C…
Welcome to the Chicago Cultural Alliance's #GivingTuesday Roundtable Event! Listen to hear each member discuss the hardships cultural heritage centers have faced in this challenging year and how they are working to keep their organization afloat. Featuring Rosa Gallagher of Dankhaus, Jennifer Kim from The Peace School, Dannilda Correa of DAMA (Domi…
Have you ever had one of those days when you just wish God would show up, snap his figures and work miracles? The people of Israel had about 500 years worth days like that, groaning under the oppression of one tyrant after another. The book of Isaiah gives voice to these sentiments: “O that you would rip open the heavens and come down, with the mou…
In the midst of the tragic Civil War that caused so much death and destruction in America, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed two special days: the last Thursday of April 1863 as a National Day of Prayer and Fasting, and the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving to God. Here is the text of his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, …
The Bible stories of Naaman the Syrian and Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers shows us that gratitude is an obligation of justice. To remember the source of our blessings and to give thanks is exactly why some countries, like the USA and Canada, dedicate a national Thanksgiving holiday. And why Catholics have a "Sunday obligation" to attend the Euchar…
Janet Carl Smith is an ardent supporter of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, recipient of the Alliance’s Cultural Champion Award in 2014, and has been an ally for the arts and culture community in Chicago for many years. You can learn about how she used her positions over the years to advocate for the arts in the spaces that not everyone can access an…
The Feast of Christ the King reminds us that Jesus will judge the living and the dead. Matthew 25 hints that the pious, decent folk may be in for a surprise . . . sins of omission, failing to love, may figure more prominently in the last judgment that we may think.
The belief second and final coming of Jesus as sovereign Lord and judge of the world is common to all Christians, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. It is commemorated each November in the Roman Catholic Feast of Christ the King, a celebration that inspires both hope and a salutary fear.
Join the Chicago Cultural Alliance's Executive Director Peter Vega as he presents the first of two 2020 Outstanding Community Leader Awards to the Chinese American Museum's Soo Lon Moy and listen as they discuss the history of community within Chicago's Chinese community and the issues of racism in Chinatown, especially during this Covid-19 pandemi…
The feast of Jesus Christ the Universal King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is observed on the last Sunday of the Roman Catholic Liturgical Year. It causes us to ponder what sort of authority, kingdom and dominion are truly lasting, and what judgment will be truly final.
The Proverbs 31 woman and Jesus’s parable of the talents proves that bold initiative, not timid passivity, is what true faith is all about. If we are to bear abundant fruit, our faith must be seasoned with boldness. I’ve seen it time and time again. Someone decides to seek a better paying job, or pursue an investment strategy, or launch a new busin…
Join the Chicago Cultural Alliance's Executive Director Peter Vega as he presents the 2020 Cultural Champion Award to the Court Theater's Angel Ysaguirre and listen as discuss theater in the age of Covid-19, the importance of the arts and dive into topics surrounding Chicago's art sector. If you'd like to support the Alliance and it's programs, ple…
Join the Chicago Cultural Alliance's Executive Director Peter Vega as he presents the 2020 Cultural Champion Award to the Court Theater's Angel Ysaguirre and listen as discuss theater in the age of Covid-19, the importance of the arts and dive into topics surrounding Chicago's art sector. Episode 1 Premieres on November 10th! Stay Tuned! If you'd l…
The parable of the foolish virgins who let the oil in their lamps run out recalls the recurring nightmare that so many experience, of being caught totally unprepared for a test or presentation. For the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A.
