Sin is Sin Sin is sin, and truth is truth. “What is truth?” - I seem to remember someone raising the question somewhere. For the ideologue, “truth” is whatever promotes the ideology, and if it happens to correspond with reality that’s fine. If it doesn’t, no problem, we’ll make something up. Followers of Him who is “The … Continue reading Sin is Sin: St. Thomas Aquinas and Conscience
Bread of Angels: St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Panis Angelicus”
Bread of Angels May the Bread of AngelsBecome bread for mankind . . . St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican, one of the greatest of all philosophers, and arguably the greatest of Catholic theologians. His feast day comes this week, on January 28th. We tend to think of him as a pretty cerebral fellow. And so … Continue reading Bread of Angels: St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Panis Angelicus”
The Bigger They Come: The Coversion of St. Paul
“The bigger they come, the harder they fall.” How many times have we seen that the more formidable the opponent, the more dramatic the impact when he comes crashing down?
God’s Ways are not Our Ways: 9th Day of Christmas
Ours is a God indeed whose thoughts are not our thoughts, whose ways are not our ways: he constantly confounds our expectations. This is not the Grand Entrance any of us would have devised for God Made Manifest.
Merry Christmas (and Feast of St. Anastasia)!
St. Anastasia shares in the Incarnation by sharing her feast day with the commemoration of Christ's Nativity on the Solemnity of Christmas.
The Christmas Conversion of St. Thérèse
The Lord didn’t need to knock Thérèse down, beat her up, or have her shot in order to get her full attention. All he needed was to allow her to overhear a couple of stray comments from the father she loved so dearly.
God Bless Little Saints: St. Servulus
St. Servulus puts flesh on the words of St. Paul: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions (Colossians 1:24).”
Only in the Lord: St. Nicasius and Advent
St. Nicasius understood that human righteousness would overawe neither Huns nor Vandals. Instead, he put his trust in the Lord.
Lover or Fighter? St. Nicholas of Myra
Lover or Fighter? Well, which is he, lover or fighter? St. Nicholas has the distinction of being one of those saints whose name is known to just about everybody, inside and outside the Church. At the same time, few, at least in the west, know his actual story today. I first published a version … Continue reading Lover or Fighter? St. Nicholas of Myra
Who Needs Adventure Stories? We Have St. Barbara
While the basic story of a young woman who accepts martyrdom because she defied her father seems likely enough, some of the miracles associated with her seem to stretch credulity a little too much. Although, who knows? With God all things are possible (Matthew, 19:26).