released 12/10/2024

In this essay published on March 27, 2014, Albert L. Shepherd V explains why George MacDonald’s story “The Light Princess” is meant for “all who are childlike in faith and imagination.” The tale concerns a cursed princess who has no gravity — in soul, mind, or body — and is always in danger of floating away. (Spoiler alert) It is only after the sacrificial — and baptismal — death and resurrection of the prince who loved her that she experiences both gravity and real joy. Shepherd explains how the princess might be read as an analogy for the Church, who is being made “solid” for the wedding feast to come. 

This essay is provided courtesy of First Things magazine and is read by Ken Myers.

8 minutes

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