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
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.
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
The Challenge of Faith and the Hostility of the World
Anyone who believes the Gospels will accept it as fact that the world hates Jesus Christ and His Church — and always will. What we’re seeing in the current media brouhaha over contraceptive devices is only the most recent major … Continue reading
Promising Salvation to Non-Catholics: A Sin against Charity
We all hate it when someone makes a promise and doesn’t keep it. “But you promised!” we will say, and, depending on the level of blame and sensitivity of conscience on the part of the offending party, the reaction can … Continue reading
Last Call for the 2010 SBC Conference
Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my calves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage (Matt. 22:4). Our conference is all ready. … Continue reading
The Four-Fold Wisdom
Brother Francis began his eight-part philosophy course with words to this effect: “We are starting a course on wisdom. And when it comes to wisdom, only a fool can think himself a worthy teacher.” He stated this with his characteristic … Continue reading
The Romance of Wisdom
That wisdom could be “romantic” would strike many as odd. This is because, generally speaking, neither romance nor wisdom is properly considered. The former is mistaken for lust, while the latter is lost in a sea of empty esotericism, or … Continue reading
Limbo and the Mystical Body: on the Borderlands of Dogma
In Salvation for Non-Catholics and Limbo, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus makes two arguments I would like to address. The first deals with limbo and claims that the lack of certitude that we have about the fate of unbaptized infants provides a … Continue reading
