Pray for the fragile daughter, And the frail, infant son, Whom, at the font, the baptismal water I pour upon.
Category: Articles
The Better Part: The Religious or Priestly Vocation
(This was written in preparation for a series of conferences on vocations and states in life that I gave at Saint Benedict Center in the Spring of 2005. Please see the end of this piece for a small table of … Continue reading
But Some Doubted
The Gospel for Trinity Sunday is bursting with theological mystery. Its three verses, which complete Saint Matthew’s Gospel, are a revelation that is radically foundational to our holy Faith, the Church, and its mission. The setting for the revelation was … Continue reading
On the Feast of the Holy Trinity
The British author and translator of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Dorothy Sayers, once wrote a spoof catechism based upon what most people really know of their Faith. When she came to the doctrine of the Trinity she has this question and … Continue reading
Courtship and Marriage
Anyone who is contemplating marriage has a lot to think about, indeed. However, there is one modern trend that should be avoided once you have determined that marriage is your vocation. To explain this pitfall and how to overcome it, … Continue reading
Giuseppi
He was probably in his 70s, a frail little man, maybe five feet-four inches tall or so. Always wore a suit and tie, he did — the same suit coat, every day, the shoulders overlapping his own, the sleeves ending … Continue reading
The Root of Evil
Brought up as we American Catholics are in Protestant traditions, surrounded on every side by Protestant culture, compelled to approve and applaud Protestant values, any attempt on our part to resist being engulfed by this flood-tide will appear insanely anti-social. … Continue reading
O Doctor Optime
In this day of confusion and false prophets where shall we look to find the Truth which will set us free, the sure teachings of the Faith? Who will teach us Christ? As in past ages the true Christian will … Continue reading
A Note on History
One of the few things on which most Americans will agree is that dates are not worth remembering. A typical conversation might run like this: “Oh! You’re going to college?”
Monseigneur Saint Michel
Two feasts every year. One a double major, the other a double of the first class!
Dear Infant Jesus of Prague
You came down amongst us as a Light shining in the darkness, as a sign for men of good will, that they might become part of Your Flock, guided by Your Vicar on earth, and as a contradiction to those … Continue reading
How Do Liberal Catholics Talk
Since the Reformation, back in the dawn of modern times, the heresies which it ushered into the world have always been fought by the Church. In spite of that, some Catholics have been intoxicated by the political consequences that naturally … Continue reading
Intellectualism and Intelligence
An intellectual, in the popular sense of the term, is one who prides himself on possessing much knowledge, one who delights in knowing facts just for the sake of knowing facts. An intelligent person is one who makes proper use … Continue reading
On Dragon Slaying and Stable Cleaning: A Look at the Lay Apostolate
(This was originally given as a talk at the annual Saint Benedict Center Conference. Originally entitled “Living as a Third Order Member in the World,” its name was changed because, while it has particular relevance to members of our Third … Continue reading
Saint Ignatius Loyola
In the sixteenth century the University of Paris was a fair-sized town. It had fifty colleges and schools and some sixteen thousand students thronged its numerous buildings. They were divided into four “nations”: the French, Picards, Normans, and Germans. The … Continue reading
