Evening of Recollection of the Catholic Artists Society

Yesterday the Catholic Artists Society held the latest of its series of Evenings of Recollection, appropriately enough, at the “Actors’ Chapel” – St. Malachy’s.

 
Fr. Isaac Spinharney, CFR offered reflections on freedom, repentence and conversion.   He first referred briefly to  current developments (today’s Supreme Court approval of the Obama medical plan, its consequences for Catholic institutions and the Bishops’ “religious liberty” initiative)  and noted that in the space of a week the Church has commemorated no less than five martyrs (Sts Peter,  Paul, John the Baptist, Thomas More and John Fisher  – the latter three martyred for issues of morality). Fr. Spinharney spoke of freedom as freedom from sin.   Indeed the Old Testament – such as in the book of Judges – draws an express parallel between internal servitude to sin and external slavery. To achieve such freedom,  repentence and conversion are necessary.  It is a message of particular relevance to the artist who needs a geat deal of “internal freedom” in order to create.

Fr. Richard Baker – the pastor of St. Malachy’s – at Benediction which concluded the evening of recollection.