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.
The Presentation: Suffering and Joy
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul … Continue reading The Presentation: Suffering and Joy
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
I Show You The Times: The Truth v. The Narrative
Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of truth. Our Lord tells us "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much." (Luke 16:10) How can we hope to be faithful to Him Who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6) if we're not faithful to the ordinary everyday truths?
Rights, Solidarity, and the Truth
. . . and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32) I'll bet you're tired of talking about COVID. I certainly am. The curious little virus (SARS-CoV-2) from Wuhan (or, more accurately, our reactions to it) has tyrannized not just conversation but public life for almost two years now, … Continue reading Rights, Solidarity, and the Truth
Forget the Tech Tyrants: Our Hope is in The Lord (One Year Later)
/*! elementor - v3.5.3 - 28-12-2021 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} One year ago I started this blog, Spes in Domino, in large part because I felt the need for independent voices, even small, insignificant voices like mine, to provide some alternative to the increasingly totalitarian dominance of tech giants such as Twitter, Facebook, … Continue reading Forget the Tech Tyrants: Our Hope is in The Lord (One Year Later)
The World Turned Upside Down, or, Cicero at the Gym
Of course, the current War on Christmas is itself simply one example among many, just one illustration of the sorry reality that we are now living in a Neo-pagan culture. Our society has largely abandoned God and Christianity, and given itself over to the indulgence of primal urges.
Christ is King of All . . . Even The Holidays
Christ is King of All We know that Christ is "King of All," but do we know what that means? So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I … Continue reading Christ is King of All . . . Even The Holidays
Put Not Your Trust in Princes, or, The Autumn of Our Discontent
"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus says to Pontius Pilate (John 18:36). Our journey to that kingdom lies along a via dolorosa in this one: we can depend upon the powers of this world to save us no more than Jesus could rely on Pilate to save him from Calvary.