Issue 026: Lent Begins; Sts. Valentine, Scholastica, and Modern Myths of Suffering
Issue 026: Lent Begins; Sts. Valentine, Scholastica, and Modern Myths of Suffering
Newsletter
Greetings Readers,
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, where we spend 40 days in prayer, fasting, and alms-giving. In this issue, we bring to you stories of the saints as well as a reminder of the ever-present problems of suffering in our world today.
— The Editors
Call for articles!
Gaudium is always seeking thoughtful articles that fit our magazine’s mission and style. Please write to us at submissions@gaudiummag.com with inquiries, requests, and submissions!
Modern Myths and the Problem of Suffering
If there is one thing our world tends to find uncomfortable, perhaps even more than death, it is suffering. So much of our modern world’s problems comes down to our inability to deal with suffering, for the modern world has no ideology or philosophy that can allow it to find meaning in the midst of suffering. Where the modern world, however, fails, Christianity can offer explanation and meaning even in the midst of suffering. Read more here.
On This Valentine's Day, Remember the Real St. Valentine
On this Valentine’s Day, couples in the western world will exchange romantic cards, chocolates, flowers, and jewelry. The real, “Valentine,” or “Valentinus,” whose name means “strong” in Latin, would not have been a man for candy hearts and teddy bears, or the sappy sentimentality of the modern day that takes his name. Read more about him here.
Holiness in a Hard World: St. Scholastica for Today
The twin of her brother St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Scholastica was a fascinating and powerful saint in her own right. Benedict and Scholastica lived, worked, and prayed, giving important testimony to a world in chaos. Like, her brother, St. Benedict, she and her nuns lived holy lives of fasting, prayer, and penance. Their monasteries stood as islands of peace and holiness in a sea of what must often have seemed to be a wicked, violent world far from God. In this, they remain models for us and our families today. Read more here.