Archives for 2013

To Jesus, Through Mary, in the Spirit of St. Joseph: The Wheat, the Rose, and the Lily

St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximillian Kolbe . . . have consistently taught that the most appropriate response on our part to Mary's role as spiritual mother is filial entrustment, or “total consecration” to her. This perfect devotion of … [Read more...]

Imagination, Prayer, and the Spousal Gift

In and through Christ’s Spirit, St. Joseph stands ready to assist any priest in going to Mary, thus concretizing the priest’s own spousal identity.   In this essay, I will explore the identity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her powerful rol … [Read more...]

The Power of the Religious Habit: A True Story

Sister Z herself says that her habit is a daily reminder of her vow to God. Since a religious habit is a sacramental, it is an outward sign disposing the wearer (and others who see it) to receive graces.  St. Paul Visiting St. Peter in … [Read more...]

A Luminous Point for the New Evangelization

She is the singular star that draws us into the will of the Father by reminding us to “do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:10). Star and Sure Guide At the close of his Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Mi … [Read more...]

Lust – It’s Not Always About Sex

Author’s name withheld by request. Sometimes it’s about a compulsion to dominate other people that originates in childhood rivalries and persists into adulthood as an unconscious trait. The good news is that a person can readily overcome … [Read more...]

Fasting and the Call to Holiness

Our salvation depends wholly on God’s grace, of which we are completely undeserving. But through fasting, as well as through prayer and almsgiving, we can open up space for God’s grace to enter. The Second Vatican Council’s document, … [Read more...]

The Providence of God and the Cross of Christ

When one examines the mystery of divine providence, and its relation to the cross of Christ from the viewpoint of wisdom, which is knowledge of divine things, he sees God’s wonderful plan of redemption for his creatures. Crucifixion is t … [Read more...]

“La Petite Voie” of Thérése of Lisieux

Here was one of the most brilliant popes the Church has ever seen declaring that little Thérése Martin was to be studied and analyzed alongside the great Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Robert Bellarmine!  St. Therese of Lisieux: as a ch … [Read more...]

Gospel of John

... what if God, who also wills to perfect his own mercy, made death itself a means by which we reach him?  What if something crushed, something broken, became at the same time a path to life? The multiplication of loaves and fishes. … [Read more...]

Questions Answered

What are the conditions for informed consent regarding rejection of medical treatment? Can you explain the limitations of law? Do unjust laws oblige us to obedience? Question: What are the conditions for informed consent regarding … [Read more...]

Homilies for October 2013

For Sunday Liturgies and Feasts Homilies for October 2013   Respect Life Sunday, October 6, 2013 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time-October 6, 2013 RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY Purpose: On this first Sunday of October, Respect Life Sunday, we … [Read more...]

The Formation of Priests: Knowledge and Sanctity

Though there has yet to be published a history of the formation of priests, the historic concern for good priests assumes that the Church has needed, and continues to need, effective seminaries and programs of formation Christ, the Good … [Read more...]

Jesuitizing the Church: Under Francis, Would That Be So Bad?

Francis has made this strategy the most visible difference in the lifestyle he has adopted as Bishop of Rome ... rejecting ... the “riches and honors” that, over the centuries, have attached themselves to the papal office like barnacles to a … [Read more...]

Knowing Enough History to Defend It: Catholic History and Apologetics

The Church is distinctive among institutions in the history of mankind: it is human and yet divine; perfect, yet in need of reform; holy, yet made up of sinners; infallible, yet led by fallen, fallible humans. While many seem to … [Read more...]