Those of us who gave up biological fatherhood to embrace the counsel of celibate chastity did so fully cognizant that we were giving up a good — and a great good — of standing in the place of God the … Continue reading
Category: «Ad Rem» A Fortnightly Email Message from the Prior
«Ad Rem» is our Prior’s fortnightly email message offering news and commentary regarding the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Crusade of St. Benedict Center, and issues affecting the universal Church. Each number offers brief, ad rem (“to the point”) commentary on timely or otherwise important matters. Click here to subscribe to our email list and receive the «Ad Rem» each time it’s published.
Judgmentalism and a Free Society
In Saint Paul’s account of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Apostle admonishes all who receive our Lord’s Body and Blood to examine their consciences, for “he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not … Continue reading
The Augustinian and the Carmelite
Have you heard the one about the Augustinian and the Carmelite? No, this is not a joke of the priest-minister-and-rabbi variety, but a true story about the profound influence of a little-known Augustinian nun on the life and vocation of … Continue reading
Black Elk, Catholic Catechist, Speaks
In the book, Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt, Americans were treated to a hefty dose of pagan American spirituality. Paul Harvey-like, I would venture to tell “the rest of the story.” In brief, it is this: the famed … Continue reading
A ‘Great’ Pope and the SBC Conference
A truly great pope, worthy of the title “the Great,” which he has not yet officially been granted like Leo or Gregory, he knew how to handle the manifold crises in which the Church found herself in his day. Personally … Continue reading
St. Louis Marie and Baptism
The feast of St. Louis Marie de Montfort coincides this year with Easter Wednesday. This liturgical concurrence provides us with an especially felicitous occasion for considering the sacrament of Baptism. Why? Let us recall two things at the very start. … Continue reading
The Drama of Holy Week
If the Church’s liturgical calendar were a temple of time consecrated to God, what we are fast approaching is that temple’s Holy of Holies. The Church sanctifies every week of the year, but only one, by virtue of excellence, does … Continue reading
Charity for Gentiles and Jews
There is a lot of talk about the Pope’s new book. I have not read Volume II of Jesus of Nazareth, so I cannot and will not comment on it. Rather, I will use one short article about the book … Continue reading
Sinners in the Hands of an Affirming Rogerian
In medio stat virtus, or “virtue stands in the middle,” is a tried and true aphorism of the moral life. It means that the correct way of virtue avoids the errors of excess on the one hand and defect on … Continue reading
Smite Them, O Lord!
Some of the richest treasures of the traditional Roman Liturgy are the Votive Masses near the back of the Missal. I was recently reminded of this when assisting at Holy Mass. That day, the celebrant availed himself of his option … Continue reading
Motives and Methods for Lay Apostles
The apostolate is not something reserved to clergy and religious. It never was. Long before Vatican II — which, according to a strange mythology, first asserted the importance of the laity in propagating the Catholic message — Saint Vincent Pallotti … Continue reading
That We May Know the True God
But the Lord is the true God: he is the living God, and the everlasting king, at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his threatening. —Jeremias 10:10 And we know that … Continue reading
Increasing in the Knowledge of God
As we approach the Feast of the Epiphany, the intimacy of the Christmas Octave gives way to the universality of Christ’s three-fold “showing forth” in the visit of the Wise Men, the Baptism in the Jordan, and the Wedding-Feast of … Continue reading
The Excellent Knowledge of Jesus Christ
Light is a medium of knowledge. By it, we see things, perceive things, know things. Advent marks the time of darkness before the coming of the light of Christ. Christmas, foreshadowed by the Jewish “Festival of Lights,” commemorates the entrance … Continue reading
The Silent Woman
It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God (Lam. 3:26). We’ve considered the Marian character of our present liturgical season in Maria’s Advent. Now I would like to reflect on one particular facet of Mary’s own … Continue reading
