The point is that the Church doesn't exist as a community for the sake of the community itself, it exists to bring us into communion with the Trinitarian God. Even fundamentally good and essential communities such as the family can't do that.
Monteverdi’s ‘Nisi Dominus’: Arrows in the Hand of a Warrior
Nisi Dominus: Unless the Lord Builds the House . . . Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was probably the most important composer in the transition from Renaissance Polyphony to Baroque. This beautiful piece from his Vespers composition, Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610), is a musical setting for Psalm 127 (sometimes listed as Psalm 126). This particular psalm (printed … Continue reading Monteverdi’s ‘Nisi Dominus’: Arrows in the Hand of a Warrior
When Our Priest is a Communist (To Whom Shall We Go?) Part II
Our culture has become toxic, and it is actively hostile to Christian belief and practice. Not only that, the toxicity has infected a large part of the institutional Church. What can we do if leaving the Catholic Church itself is not an option?
St. John Fisher, the Bishops, and Abortion
St. John Fisher St. John Fisher gave up his life on this date in 1535. He died because he would not subordinate the moral authority of the Church to the demands of the secular state. I'll have more to say about today's saint in a moment. First, let's take a moment to discuss the demands … Continue reading St. John Fisher, the Bishops, and Abortion
To Whom Shall We Go (When Our Priest Is A Communist)? Part I
To Whom Shall We Go? "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68) Your parish priest? We live in scary times. It looks like our secular institutions in the West are collapsing, with mob rule on the rise. "Mob rule" really means, of course, a tyranny of the elite … Continue reading To Whom Shall We Go (When Our Priest Is A Communist)? Part I
A Thorny Problem: the Body and Blood of Christ
A Thorny Problem A thorny problem indeed. It’s so hard for us truly to accept that the Infinite God of the Universe could fully inhabit a human body, and be both True God and True Man. I was often reminded of just how thorny a problem this is for us when I used to discuss the … Continue reading A Thorny Problem: the Body and Blood of Christ
Body and Soul, or, When A Church Is Not A Church
We are body and soul. Human beings need material means to approach the immaterial God. The means need to be suited to the end, or we’re liable to go astray. For that reason, destroying the beauty and religious distinctiveness of our churches does real spiritual harm.
First Comes Marriage; Blessed Margaret Pole
The connection between our sexual conduct and our societal health is incontrovertible. At least it is for those who haven't invested in the so-called "sexual revolution. It is clear that the societal endorsement of sexual license directly undermines the institution of marriage. The breakdown of marriage in turn has a profoundly negative impact on children most immediately, and from there on everything and everyone else. First comes marriage and all the rest follows. When we put the cart before the marital horse, well . . .
This Is No Time to Despair
Once one of these buildings no longer serves as a church, it still communicates something of its sacramental character. This is less of a problem if the building remains Church property. But what if it's up for sale?
The Pentecost Sequence
The Pentecost Sequence Today would be Monday in the Octave of Pentecost in the traditional liturgical calendar. Although the Octave of Pentecost has not been observed in the Ordinary Form of the Mass since 1969 (for more on this liturgical change, with feeling, see HERE and HERE on Fr. Z's blog), it would be a shame … Continue reading The Pentecost Sequence