A Sin is a Sin: St. Thomas and Conscience

In other words, a sin is a sin is a sin, and whatever we may think, it’s still a sin. As Catholics, we have ample means of knowing the Moral Law, and therefore have no excuse for disobeying it.
The Bigger They Come: The Conversion of Saint Paul

Unlike Caesar, who lived only for his own glory, Paul now lives for the Glory of God. As Paul himself puts it: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
I Rejoiced! Monteverdi’s “Laetatus Sum”

The New Testament, as St. Augustine pointed out, is concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. And, here, beautifully put to music.
Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis

Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis 11 Jan 2023 When a man dies, his life is revealed. Call no man happy before his death, for by how he ends a man is known. (Sirach 11:27-28) Human Trafficking Prostitution sometimes hides under the phrase “the world’s oldest profession.” There’s some truth in that expression, in that the […]
The Baptism of the Lord: The Mission Begins

We welcomed our Lord at Christmas and now, as he takes up his mission, our mission is to follow him, that all righteousness may be fulfilled.
We Three Kings: Music for Epiphany

We Three Kings “We Three Kings of Orient Are . . .” Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know this song? It’s easily the most familiar hymn associated with Epiphany, at least as it’s celebrated in the Western Church. I wrote more extensively about Epiphany itself in my post on Janauary 6th, the traditional date […]
Epiphany – Faith vs. Power

We can learn a lot from the faith of the Magi. How often do we, who have the full revelation of Jesus Christ and his Gospel, instead seek our own worldly agenda, following the example of miserable King Herod?
12th Day of Christmas – The Christmas Tree Points to Christ

The Christmas Tree, 5 January 2023 12th Day of Christmas Merry Christmas on this, the 12th Day of Christmas! Today is the last of my daily “Twelve Days of Christmas” posts. While today doesn’t mark the end of the Official Christmas Season, we are nearing its end. In an earlier post, I described the season as […]
11th Day of Christmas – Christmas Bells: The Wrong Shall Fail, The Right Prevail

Longfellow, who had very powerful incentives to turn to despair, instead created a poem that shows us that the joy of Christmas is not a denial of the brokenness of this world, but God’s answer to it.
10th Day of Christmas – The Christ Child and St. Genevieve

But who can we trust if we can’t trust the God who became a little child among us, and showed us how to say, even in the final extremity, “Into Your hands, Lord, I commend my Spirit” (Luke 23:46)?