The Eucharistic Liturgy is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”[1. CCC 1324; Cf. Lumen Gentium 11. ] Active participation in these mysteries constitutes the “foremost and indispensible font” for acquiring the Christian Spirit.[2. S … [Read more...]
Magazine
Preaching, Music, and Acoustics
February 12, 2015 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
The work of the New Evangelization is identical to the work of evangelization in every age: to communicate to those who are unaware of the saving work of the Son of God those things that will bring them to accept the gift of faith, and come … [Read more...]
The Primacy of the Pope As Viewed in Dissident Byzantium by Symeon of Thessalonica (1416/7-1429)
February 12, 2015 by James Likoudis
Acknowledging that the primacy of the pope is the greatest dogmatic obstacle to the reunion of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the Greek Orthodox scholar Demetrios Bathrellos has attracted attention to the view held by the dissident … [Read more...]
Witness “Begets” Witnesses
February 12, 2015 by Francis Etheredge
Introduction[1. The “witness” section of this paper (Part III) was given verbally to visiting seminarians from Minnesota as part of an Introduction to the RCIA at the Maryvale Institute, 2/22/2014 and the rest of this paper was given in sup … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
February 12, 2015 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
What are the arguments against giving Holy Communion to divorced Catholics who are remarried outside the Church? I have heard that the Eastern Church permits this practice. Same-sex marriage is being approved on a vast scale in many … [Read more...]
Homilies for February 2015
Homilies for Sunday Liturgies and Holy Days, February 2015
January 29, 2015 by Fr. Joseph Scolaro
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time—February 1, 2015 True Authority Purpose: In a world which struggles with authority, as people of faith, we know that Christ is the true model of authority. Calling for us to have faith in him, he reveals … [Read more...]
The Holy Land
January 29, 2015 by David Vincent Meconi
Spending the Christmas season in the Holy Land has made me much more sensitive to how communities are “ringing in” the New Year. As the date turned from 2014 to 2015, two very different calls for solidarity made the news. On the one hand, J … [Read more...]
Laying the Foundation for Forming Disciples in Our Parishes
January 29, 2015 by Fr. Matthew J. Albright
A recent mailing of the Franciscan University of Steubenville declares, “The age of casual Catholicism is over. The age of heroic Catholicism has begun.”[1. Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR, Franciscan University of Steubenville. ] Men and women sta … [Read more...]
Pope Benedict XVI’s Theology of Beauty and the New Evangelization
January 29, 2015 by Dr. Matthew J. Ramage, PhD
“I have often affirmed my conviction that the true apology of Christian faith, the most convincing demonstration of its truth…are the saints and the beauty that the faith has generated.”[1. Joseph Ratzinger, “The Feeling of Things, the Conte … [Read more...]
Accusations against Priests
The Need for More Justice and Psychological Science
January 29, 2015 by Dr. Richard P. Fitzgibbons, MD
The evaluation process of accusations against priests in regard to determining their suitability for priestly ministry would benefit from greater justice and knowledge of psychological science. There are presently severe weaknesses in this … [Read more...]
Liturgy in Bede’s World
January 29, 2015 by Daniel J. Heisey, OSB
Time-honored ritual; a space often ornate, if not opulent, used almost exclusively for this purpose; seating by hierarchy; candles; a prayer, perhaps in Latin, perhaps in English; ceremonial robes; a bevy of trained servers; wine; elegant, … [Read more...]
Winter Reading for January 2015
January 29, 2015 by Book Reviews
New Evangelization: Passing on the Catholic Faith Today. Cardinal Donald Wuerl. (Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2013) 91 pages. (Reviewed by Dr. Edward Peters) ______ A Future Built on Faith: Religious Life and the Legacy o … [Read more...]
Mary, Daughter of Zion
January 12, 2015 by Fr. James Swetnam, SJ
In the ancient Near East, a woman, often evoked as a virgin, was frequently used to symbolize a city or a country. For example, at Isaiah 47:1, the city of Babylon is called a “virgin daughter”: “Step down! Sit in the dust, virgin daughter o … [Read more...]
Breaking Free of Our Metaphysical Winter
On Why Christians Must Study Philosophy
January 12, 2015 by Brian Jones
In diagnosing the philosophical mentality of modernity, the Catholic novelist-physician-philosopher, Walker Percy, once wrote the following: The distinction which must be kept in mind is that between science and what can only be called … [Read more...]
Life-Giving Funerals
The Importance of Skill in Music Ministry
January 12, 2015 by Angela Biggs
It is exceedingly difficult to stand before mourners assembled for a funeral Mass, look them in the eye one at a time, and sing—with them, to them, and sometimes for them—of truth, love, and life. Still, this is a duty that must not be neg … [Read more...]
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