We live in strange times. Never in human history has it been possible for so many people to live lives so disconnected from reality. Former Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Carlo Vigano has just released a remarkable meditation for Lent which touches on that issue. He starts with a prayer from the Ambrosian Missal, which says … Continue reading Evangelism, Free Will, and the Spiritual Works of Mercy
Remember That You Are Dust – But That’s Not All
“Remember, Man, that you are dust.” The words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy are not simply telling us that we come from mere matter: they are reminding us that God has so much more in store for us. It’s a call to lift our eyes from the dust, and look to Heaven.
One H*ll of an After School Activity: Meet the Satan Club
Clearly, their purpose is not to promote a religion in which they assure us they don't believe, and they manifestly don’t model the virtues they claim to advocate.
Catholics, This Is Your Language
Latin is still the official language of the Mass. If you're lucky you may hear some of the traditional language, your language, in church.
Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
From the film Little Caesar, 1931 "It's like comparing cats and dogs." Ever heard that expression before? Ever used it? I did, several years ago. I was teaching a 9th grade theology class in a (more or less) Catholic school, and same sex marriage (a hot topic at the time) came up for discussion. I wanted to emphasize that … Continue reading Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
Cons or Coeds? Sin, Suffering, and the Mystery of the Cross
Who would you expect to be more open to conversion, prison inmates, or students at a Catholic college? "It's not even close," was the priest's reply.
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
There’s an old joke about a police officer who was walking his beat one night when he came upon a man, apparently drunk, crawling around on his hands and knees on the pavement under a streetlamp. “What are you doing?” asked the officer. “Looking for my keys,” came the reply. “Where’d you lose them?” … Continue reading Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
What Do you say to a God who permits bone cancer in children? Ask Chiara Badano
This is the transformative power of faithful suffering. If we let him, Christ can transform our suffering into a powerful force for the good of our fellow men and women.
Newspeak and the Word of God
If you want to change the Church, if you want to change the beliefs that have animated Christians for two millennia, you need to take away the concrete images, the traditional words, and the familiar actions that embody the traditional understanding of the faith.
A Sin is a Sin: St. Thomas and Conscience
"What is truth?" I seem to remember someone raising the question somewhere. For the idealogue, "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 Way, The Truth, and The Life" (John 14:6) know better . . … Continue reading A Sin is a Sin: St. Thomas and Conscience