So our Hope, then, is God's assurance that we will, eventually, find a place on his roster . . . provided we follow the course he's set out for us.
The World, the Flesh, and the Devil
It’s summertime! What better to enliven the indolent days of summer than a good rant about the World, the Flesh, the Devil . . . and Smartphones?
A Sin is a Sin: St. Thomas and Conscience
In other words, a sin is a sin is a sin, and whatever we may think, it’s still a sin. As Catholics, we have ample means of knowing the Moral Law, and therefore have no excuse for disobeying it.
Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis
Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis 11 Jan 2023 1st century Roman mosaic; Kunsthistorisches Museum / Public Domain When a man dies, his life is revealed. Call no man happy before his death, for by how he ends a man is known. (Sirach 11:27-28) Human Trafficking Prostitution sometimes hides under the phrase "the world's oldest profession." … Continue reading Human Trafficking, Love & St. Vitalis
A Loving Mother: Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of Our Redeemer Who doesn't want a loving mother? Or, if we need to win the favor of a powerful person (a King, for instance), how could we pass up the opportunity of having his Mother put in a good word for us? That's the dual promise of the Alma Redemptoris Mater. The first few … Continue reading A Loving Mother: Alma Redemptoris Mater
Feed My Sheep: Love, Forgiveness, and Grace
God is always the initiator, inviting us to share His Grace. And He’s always willing to move a little closer, if it will bring us closer to Him . . . even to the point of becoming one of us.
Let’s Keep the Confessional Open
The Seal of the Confessional? What's wrong with the picture above? At first glance it looks like a confessional of the sort you used to be able to find in any Catholic church. A closer look reveals that the doors through which the penitents were accustomed to enter have been replaced by plain panels. There's no way … Continue reading Let’s Keep the Confessional Open
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.
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
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