As Easter fast recedes, one cannot help but think — after one has attained a certain age — of Holy Weeks and Easters past. Of course, Christmas famously attracts such thoughts; but I suppose that every major holy day does … Continue reading
Category: Articles
Saints of Passiontide
Lent can be a beautiful season, a time of new growth. Each year I gain something different; this year, I am growing in love for the saints who are remembered at least in part for their actions on the day … Continue reading
Saint Josaphat: Martyr for Peace and Unity
The world we live in now is so full of division; we see this most painfully in former Christendom (Western and Eastern), with so many different denominations of Christianity, especially with the continuing divorce of the Eastern Orthodox with the … Continue reading
A Mirror of Creation — Reflection on the Work of a Catholic Teacher
All men, at some point in their lives, become teachers in some capacity or another. As a result, being a professional teacher can swiftly lose its meaning to the likes of students, as well as even parents and other administrators. … Continue reading
Penitential Joy, Joyful Penance!
This Lent finds me in rather a saddened frame of mind — perhaps appropriate to the season. Bishop David O’Connell, an auxiliary bishop of my home diocese, Los Angeles, has just been shot dead. Two online friends whom I have … Continue reading
A House of Mirrors
Dear Reader, have you ever been to an amusement park and wandered into a house of mirrors? The various formations of the mirrors produce entertaining reflections, such as a very tall and unusually skinny “you”, or a squat and fat … Continue reading
Why Study Dante? The Case for Teaching ‘The Divine Comedy’ to Our Youth
It is becoming increasingly common — to my great dismay — to find one of two scenarios in both Catholic and Public schools in the United States when it comes to its exploration of great literature. The first is that … Continue reading
Feast of the Espousals of Joseph and Mary
Traditionally, some dioceses and religious orders have celebrated the beautiful feast of the Espousals of Joseph and Mary on January 23. Its placement in the calendar toward the end of Christmastide is appropriate as we have already celebrated Christmas, the … Continue reading
Saint Benedict Center Mourns Pope Benedict XVI
The Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are mourning the death of Pope Benedict XVI, who departed this life on December 31st. Pope Benedict was a fatherly prelate and and a dedicated pontiff, whose … Continue reading
Charlene Richard, ‘the Little Cajun Saint’
Many saints have been canonized through the official process of beatification and canonization of the Catholic Church; however, there are many saintly men and women whose causes have not found their way to the Pope despite the awe and veneration … Continue reading
The New Year: 1923 Versus 2023
Despite December 25th having passed, the season is still very much with us — and even secular folk usually keep up their trees and so forth until New Year’s Day. But what a difference for most of that week makes! … Continue reading
Short Commentaries on the ‘O Antiphons’
Having introduced the subject of the O Antiphons elsewhere on this site, I would like to produce the text of each of them here, followed by some comments illustrating how rich these antiphons are in scriptural content and meaning. Note … Continue reading
Reflections on the Second Elizabethan Age
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and the Accession of King Charles III, much has, and will be, written and discussed about the profound, far-reaching, and wide-ranging changes, both societal and geopolitical, which marked the seven decades of the … Continue reading
Civilization and the Liberal World Order
Once upon a time the terms Western civilization and Christian civilization were interchangeable. Very often they were abbreviated. That is, men simply said “the West” and everybody knew what was meant: lands and peoples whose laws as well as customs … Continue reading
The Long Defeat: Christendom and Its Defenders, 1789 to the Present. Part 6: France
Since it was in France, “the Oldest Daughter of the Church,” that the Revolution began in 1789, it should be no surprise that it was in France that the Counter-Revolution began. In the Vendee, Brittany, Normandy, Auvergne, and throughout the … Continue reading
