St. Bridget's success, and our “success” as Christians, consists in fidelity to Christ and in nothing else.
Darmok and Jalod Ad Orientem (Cardinal Sarah was Right)
The Tamarian captain understands that actions, that experiences, can communicate in ways that words cannot, which is of course as true of human beings as much as it is of fictional extraterrestrials. This is a large part of why so many religions rely on ritual and formal rites: the actions communicate to us much more deeply than mere words, because we are actually living out what they want to convey. In fact, the true meaning of the term “mystery” (from the Greek μυστήριον) is not something unknowable, but something that can only be known experientially, through doing. Traditional Christianity tells us that God uses these mysteries as a means not only of imparting His Grace, but of revealing himself to us.
The Latin Mass is Not Going Away
The Latin Mass is Not Going Away No, the Latin Mass is not going away anytime soon. I say, this, by the way, not as a regular attendee of the pre-Vatican II liturgy. In fact, I've participated in a pre-Vatican II liturgy at most three times over the past nine years. My point is, I'm … Continue reading The Latin Mass is Not Going Away
Communion with Christ vs Virtual Community
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.
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?
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.
Infinite Trinity, Finite Minds
So you and I are in good company if we find TheTrinity challenging. Fortunately, even if the philosophical explanations elude us, we can know the Triune God through the experience of Faith. Thanks be to God. And after all, isn't through experience, and not intellect, that we come to know love?
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?