 This Sunday, don't grow accustomed to the dark...
Last week the Son of Man was resplendent in glory as angels surrounded his throne and the nations assembled before him. This week, the First Sunday of Advent, Year B, he is a long way off and we are left on our own in a dark house, hoping that he will come. The Church does that on purpose...
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 2 Timothy 4:4
2 Timothy 4:4
(4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Once people reject the truth or decide for themselves what the truth is, what is there? What is left? What does it produce? Fables, myths, manmade wisdom, unsound teaching. It is certainly not the pure truth from God, and so Paul writes, "They turn their ears away from the truth and are turned aside to fables." "Fables" is a general catchword for anything that is
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St. Thomas More: Defender of marriage and fatherhood...
Born into some of the most tumultuous times in the entire history of the Catholic Church, the brilliant Saint Thomas More has been hailed with many accolades: patriot, genius, statesman, martyr, saint. But to a group of children in the 16th Century, he was simply "father." The legacy of Saint Thomas More is so powerful that even today, centuries later...
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Patriarch of Venice calls for prayers of reparation after Virgin Mary statue decapitated...
A statue of the Virgin Mary in a public square in a suburb of Venice, Italy, was vandalized Thursday night. "The head was decapitated and the hands of the monument lopped off" in the early hours of Nov. 26, according to a notice from the City of Venice. The statue is located in a greenspace at the center of a roundabout in the Venice municipality of Marghera...
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2 Thessalonians 3:2
2 Thessalonians 3:2
(2) and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
An interlinear Bible will clearly show that the definite article "the" should appear before "faith," making this faith a specific kind or level of faith distinct from others. Anybody can have a spiritual faith in somebody or something—even in the Creator God—and still not have saving faith, the faith to which Paul refers here. Many believe i
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Numbers 33:53-54
Numbers 33:53-54
(53) you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. (54) And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone"s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
The eighth commandme
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Romans 13:1-7
Romans 13:1-7
(1) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (2) Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. (4) For he is
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This is as evil as anything I've seen in a long time.....
This is as evil as anything I've seen in a long time. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." This will be promoted...
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Catholics can morally take soon-to-be-released COVID-19 vaccines, says U.S. bishops' internal memo...
Days after some Catholic bishops shared misinformation on social media about Covid-19 vaccines that may soon hit the market, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops distributed a memo to all U.S. bishops stating that at least two of the vaccines are considered ethically sound. The memo also reminded bishops that church teaching allows for even the widespread use of vaccines whose origins are considered ethically unsound when other treatments are unavailable.
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Hebrews 3:19
Hebrews 3:19
(19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Paul puts his finger on the source of the Israelites' problem, why their heart could not be changed, why they consistently and persistently sinned and rebelled: "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Paul later turns this thought into an admonition for us: Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come sho
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Vaccines and doubly remote cooperation in evil...
This month, two vaccines for COVID-19 finished their final tests. They proved to be 90-94 percent effective at preventing COVID, and both vaccines have been ethically produced. This is very good news indeed. Some have raised moral qualms about getting these vaccines...
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Vatican cancels public Advent and Christmas liturgies amid COVID surge...
As happened during Holy Week this year, liturgical celebrations in St. Peter's Basilica over Christmas, such as midnight Mass celebrated by Pope Francis, will be limited to a select group of faithful and live-streamed to the faithful amid concerns over a surge of COVID-19 cases. The Vatican quietly announced at the end of October that liturgical celebrations...
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Why you should celebrate your Name Day...
Why do we celebrate our name days? In many countries, your name day is more important than your birthday. To try to understand why, I asked people who are experts in name changes — the monks and other religious who have changed their names. Here are their reasons.
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Why Thanksgiving is a perfect example of the common good...
A natural precept attributed toward the dignity of the human person is to seek the good of another person through the act of community. I propose this argument from the nature of faith and reason that the human state is ordered to not only seek the good in another person but also to nurture and protect the person in order propagate a healthy society...
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Why you should celebrate your Name Day...
Why do we celebrate our name days? In many countries, your name day is more important than your birthday. To try to understand why, I asked people who are experts in name changes — the monks and other religious who have changed their names. Here are their reasons.
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How Blessed Miguel Pro continued to serve his people during church closures...
In 1926 President Calles of Mexico enacted new laws in his country that specifically targeted priests and religious, as well as Church buildings. Priests were unable to wear their religious garb in public and the government seized control of churches and monasteries. Public worship was soon banned and churches remained closed to the faithful.
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Some thoughts on Jesus as a “concealed king”...
We do well to further examine a quality of Christ's kingship mentioned in yesterday's sermon notes, namely that he is a "concealed" King. In the gospel, both the saved and condemned are surprised and wonder when they encountered Jesus at all, whether as hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick or in prison.
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Romans 8:7
Romans 8:7
(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
The carnal mind is the nature in which a person's conduct is based until God acts to convert or transform him; it is man's deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Once an individual is called, and the Father and Son have revealed Themselves and some of Their purpose to him, this verse succinctly describes the major impediment to our submitting to Th
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Why St. Cyprian says love of the world fuels the fear of death...
As November winds down and Advent still looms, the traditional meditation we make on the four last things (death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell) is still operative. A classic writing by St. Cyprian comes to mind. It is a meditation on the fundamental human struggle to be free of undue attachment to this world and to have God...
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The battle to free the Mass...
This year, Americans have endured not only the intertwined economic, health, and political crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a deep spiritual shock. For the first time since the Spanish Flu of 1918, our local and state governments have restricted worship services. And while the Word can be livestreamed, the Eucharist cannot. I am well aware that this spiritual crisis has intensified the concern that faithful Catholics have about their leaders...
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This insect has the only mechanical gears ever found in nature...
To the best of our knowledge, the mechanical gear—evenly-sized teeth cut into two different rotating surfaces to lock them together as they turn—was invented sometime around 300 B.C.E. by Greek mechanics who lived in Alexandria. In the centuries since, the simple concept has become a keystone of modern technology, enabling all sorts of machinery and vehicles, including cars and bicycles.
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Newly-discovered sketch of Jesus was drawn by Leonard da Vinci, expert claims...
A drawing that was in a private collection for years has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. The Italian-language newspaper La Stampa reports that Annalisa Di Maria, a scholar who has worked with UNESCO's Florence division, believes an image of Jesus found by a collector in Lecco to be the work of one of the Renaissance's most high-profile artists.
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Amy Coney Barrett's critics accuse her of being a bad Catholic. She is not.....
Several Facebook friends and others jumped on new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's joining the majority of the court in lifting a stay of execution for Orlando Hall. He'd been sentenced to death in 1994 for kidnapping, raping, and murdering a sixteen-year-old girl by burying her alive. The appeal was his last chance to live. He died by lethal injection late Thursday night.
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When the time comes for civil disobedience.....
Here's the question, THE question, that's on my mind these days: As governors continue to impose tight restrictions on churches, when will Catholic bishops encourage civil disobedience? Archbishop Sample of Portland seems to have answered that question, saying it's not going to happen." Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco sends a different message: "I'm taking no options off the table."
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The 50 most underappreciated cars of all time...
Generational shifts almost always wreak havoc on accepted pop-culture wisdom. As one cohort ages out of a particular scene — be it music, movies, fashion or design — a new group rushes into to fill the gap, bringing with them their own ideas about what's cool, what's not and most importantly, where you should turn your attention next.
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Living the reality of the Kingdom of Christ...
The Solemnity of Christ the King is an occasion for us every year to recalibrate our lives to the reality of Christ's kingdom and to follow the criteria Christ gives us to enter it, live in it and proclaim it. The annual feast is much needed to fight against the perennial temptation to view the world through the lens of earthly power and squeeze our understanding of God into that prism.
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Two secular lawsuits, involving McCarrick and Becciu, raise deeply ecclesiastical conundra...
Within the last few days, two completely separate lawsuits have been filed in two different countries that somehow involve the Vatican. In the United States, four alleged sex abuse victims of ex-cardinal and ex-priest Theodore McCarrick are suing the Vatican, while in Italy Cardinal Angelo Becciu has filed a $12 million defamation of character claim against a news magazine.
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Jesus Christ our King is the strangest king you will ever hope to meet...
The readings for this Feast of Christ the King evoke three images of Christ as King. All of them are to some extent paradoxical because they emphasize things we don't usually associate with kings. They also tell us that we have already met King Jesus even if we don't realize it. Let's look at these three images of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of all Creation...
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'Long live Christ the King' — The 51 Claretian martyrs of Barbastro...
At various times in history, martyrdom has been a real possibility for Christians. One such time was for Catholics during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, particularly those who were members of the clergy. The Spanish Civil War marked the most violent and prolonged spasm of the sort of religious persecution that had afflicted Spain for the last 100 years...
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Sober but serene themes of judgment in the spirituals...
I've often been impressed by the ability of old African-American spirituals to treat serious subjects in a clear, memorable, and almost joyful way. This is true even of weighty matters like sin and judgment. During early November we are focused on the four last things (death, judgment, Heaven, and hell) and November is also Black Catholic History Month. So, this seems like a good time to look at some of the creative lines from different spirituals that articulate these topics...
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Luke 18:9-14
Luke 18:9-14
(9) Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: (10) "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' (13) And the tax collec
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Ralph Martin: The biggest crisis in the world revealed...
The biggest crisis in the world "is alienation from God, rebellion against God, it's not believing in Jesus Christ, it's not accepting the offer of mercy and salvation that God's offering to the human race. The primary mission of the Church is not to improve the world. We should absolutely apply the social teaching of the Church, out of charity in all these different areas...
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November, the holy souls, and purgatory...
November is the month of the Holy Souls, and so this is an important time to remember our loved ones, and more generally the souls in Purgatory. But our concern for them should not be limited to just one month. We can also, at any time of the year and at any time or place, pray for them, or visit a cemetery and pray for particular souls...
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This Sunday, Jesus reveals Himself in glory, and in our neighbor...
It's autumn in America and in the Church calendar, too. Time for one last lesson in this liturgical year, and the best one too — the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Matthew's Last Judgment is a moment of unveiling in which we see Jesus, and each other, as we truly are...
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What is holding you back from being a saint?
God's grace flows through us like a river, washing us and nourishing his divine life in us. His grace flows freely when we let go of the attachments that dam us up, blocking grace's entry points. If we are distracted by technology and do not make time to pray, are stuck in impurity, or consumed by work, we will miss what's most important...
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Ecclesiastes 8:2-3
Ecclesiastes 8:2-3
(2) I say, "Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. (3) Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him."
This advice calls on us to refine our behavior to be delicate, reserved, and careful so we do not appear obstinate when a difference arises between civil authority and us. Solomon's counsel is that, if the king does not grant us what we desi...
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Ecclesiastes 4:13-16
Ecclesiastes 4:13-16
(13) Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more. (14) For he comes out of prison to be king, Although he was born poor in his kingdom. (15) I saw all the living who walk under the sun; They were with the second youth who stands in his place. (16) There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasp
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New Catholic elected officials hope to lead with faith...
They come from different places and different backgrounds. One spent his teenage years adjusting to life in the United States as a refugee of the Vietnam War. Another is less than a decade removed from serving as Miss Minneapolis. But whatever their differences, Catholics newly elected to state or federal office this November have responded to a similar call to enter into public service...
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The meanest thing Jesus ever said...
The Gospel from Wednesday's Mass (Wed. of the 33rd Week - Luke 19:11-27) is known as the "Parable of the Ten Gold Coins." It has an ending so shocking that, when I read it at Mass some years ago, a young child said audibly to her mother, "Wow, that's mean!" I'd like to look at it and ponder its shocking ending. Today's parable is like Matthew's "Parable of the Talents," but with some significant differences...
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Who's to blame for 'Uncle Ted' McCarrick? It depends on the news sources you follow.....
A week after the Vatican released its much-anticipated investigation of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, there remain many unanswered questions. Whether journalists will delve deeply into these unanswered questions remains to be seen. The point of any report, after all, is to uncover the culprits and hopefully detail how sins and crimes of this nature can be prevented in the future...
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Making room for the common good...
In a fascinating front-page article in last week's National Catholic Register, Jonathan Liedl documents a surprising increase in multiracial support for the Republican Party. It will take time for all the data to be solidified and interpreted, but it appears that the GOP increased its percentage of non-white voters in 2020 as compared with 2016, up 5 percent overall, including increases of 4% among Blacks and Latinos and 2% among Asian voters.
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A recap of Day 1 of the USCCB 2020 fall meeting...
An emphasis on the need for healing, in both the Church and broader society, was prominent throughout the first day of the fall general assembly for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In his address Monday, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the conference, called for a "heroic Christianity" that forms missionary disciples.
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'Gender transition' of third-grade student at Baltimore Catholic school sparks furor...
When a third-grade girl at School of the Incarnation here told her classmates she was a boy, parents of other students were surprised to learn that the Archdiocese of Baltimore had agreed to cooperate with her new identity. In the face of cultural trends that suggest someone can choose a gender different from his or her biological sex at birth...
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New COVID-19 restrictions in Europe are depriving the faithful of Mass again...
A few months after the first coronavirus lockdown deprived millions of Catholics worldwide of the Holy Mass, including Easter celebrations, new coronavirus restrictions adopted by several European countries have once again plunged the faithful into disarray. Following renewed restriction in Ireland, France and Belgium, England has entered a new period of lockdown Nov. 5, which is due to last...
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Life involves risks. There is no such thing as complete safety.....
In the video below, a comedy routine from Mad TV shows how many modern notions were non-existent even just fifty years ago. In the sketch, a pregnant mother drinks a martini and smokes a cigarette; children ride bikes without wearing helmets. Of course, like a lot of comedy, the topic is taken to excess for effect. Nevertheless, most of us who are older grew up in a "dangerous" world...
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The fury of the fatherless...
The Trump administration's recent designation of several American cities as "anarchic jurisdictions" may turn out to have been nothing more than a quixotic gambit in the supercharged run-up to November 3. But the fact that it was thinkable in the first place points to a truth beyond electoral politics: The frenzy that has been enacted in city after American city since May 2020 demands more scrutiny than it has yet received.
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Father David Bonnar, ex-chaplain to Pittsburgh Steelers, named bishop of Youngstown, Ohio...
Pope Francis Tuesday named Pittsburgh priest Fr. David J. Bonnar the next bishop of Youngstown, Ohio. Bonnar, 58, succeeds Bishop George Murry, S.J., who died June 5 from acute leukemia. The bishop-elect is pastor of St. Aidan Parish in Wexford, Pennsylvania. For 12 years he was chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 2016, the bishop-elect has been director of The Priest Magazine, published by Our Sunday Visitor.
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“I couldn't fix myself”: Bishop James Conley opens up about mental health recovery...
In December 2019, Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln announced he was going on a medical leave of absence. Citing diagnoses of depression and anxiety, as well as chronic insomnia and debilitating tinnitus (a constant ringing of the ears), the bishop said in a public statement that he would be receiving psychological as well as medical treatment.
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Don't fall for the Straw Pope fallacy...
What I call the Straw Pope Fallacy is a variation of the famous Straw Man Fallacy that is applied to the pope. The Straw Man Fallacy occurs when a person critiques an inaccurate version of someone's position. The name of the fallacy is based on the fact that it's easier to knock down a straw man than a real man...
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Vatican launches 'Vos Estis' investigation of San Jose's Bishop Oscar Cantú...
The Vatican's Congregation for Bishops has ordered an investigation into Bishop Oscar Cantú's handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse and misconduct. The investigation is being carried out under the provisions of Vos estis lux mundi, Pope Francis' 2019 law for holding bishops accountable in the handling of sexual abuse cases.
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How McCarrick got away...
How did it happen? That's the question the McCarrick Report was supposed to answer. How many of the bishops knew about his beach house? Who turned a blind eye? Who lied to protect one of their own? Nobody expected the Report to answer those questions, and so nobody will be disappointed. Still, it was revealing...
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Thanks be to God for priestly celibacy...
The combination of the ongoing clerical sexual-abuse scandal and a recent wedding of a former Catholic priest has made it popular to embrace throwing out the celibacy rule in the Catholic priesthood. But as Father Carter Griffin points out in the book Why Celibacy: Reclaiming the Fatherhood of the Priest...
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17 winners of Close-Up Photographer of the Year...
The second year of the Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition has just come to a close, and the winners have been announced. The contest "celebrates close-up, macro, and micro photography," among seven separate categories. More than 6,500 entries were received from 52 countries this year...
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The McCarrick Report: the cover-up continues...
The McCarrick Report, hyped for months as a candid Vatican exploration of an ecclesiastical scandal, is actually a clever bid to deflect attention away from the real scandal. The 450-page report fails to explain how Theodore McCarrick rose to prominence, influenced Vatican policies and appointments...
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