LifeCraft Read-Alouds

The Cave is the most memorable and influential image in the history of philosophy. This excerpt from Plato’s Republic is worth returning to again and again to savor the layers of meaning in this image that takes us to the heart of the human drama.

This inspiring chapter from a spiritual classic uses the Old Testament book of Wisdom to highlight the beauty of Eternal Wisdom and point to how He comes to those who fittingly seek Him.

Among the greatest military geniuses in history, Stonewall Jackson was a man whose private life rewards a closer look. This excerpt provides a heartwarming and uplifting window into his firm convictions and steady practices about things that mattered most to him.

In this little gem Thomistic philosopher Josef Pieper sorts out with characteristic clarity the three concepts that express the main contours of truly human life. And in doing so, he offers us a foundation for real self-examination and improvement.

In this classic essay, Josef Pieper offers a powerful warning (already some 70 years ago!) that common practices are subtly but surely threatening our very humanity, by blinding us to the world around us.

One of the most famous speeches in the history of western civilization, this classic is a masterpiece of rhetoric that paints an unforgettable portrait of the ancient city of Athens, and the men who died in her defense.

In this remarkable excerpt, Josef Pieper explains that what Sunday and Easter celebrate not only underlies all other feasts but should permeate every moment of every day.

Music, whether we realize it or not, “plays a role in man’s formation and perfection, as contribution or hindrance.” So argues the great philosopher Josef Pieper in articulating the wisdom of the ages about the power of music for good or ill. This brief, hard-hitting essay will change how you think about music, the mysterious reality entrusted to man by the divine.

A master story-teller offers another delightful sketch of rural western Ireland when life was more simple but human interaction as rich and entertaining as ever.

One of the most revered Confederate cavalrymen, Turner Ashby was Stonewall Jackson’s right hand in the world famous Valley Campaign. This excerpt offers an unforgettable sketch of the Shenandoah Valley and of Ashby’s knight-like service and death.