Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office of Our Lady’s Nativity: Fámulis tuis, quǽsumus, Dómine, cæléstis grátiæ munus impertíre: ut, quibus beátæ Vírginis partus éxstitit salútis exórdium; Nativitátis eius votíva solémnitas pacis tríbuat increméntum. … Continue reading
A sermon by St. Robert Bellarmine, read by Charles Coulombe. Like a splash of cold water on the face, this is a wake-up call describing our skewed perspective of reality. Despite the enormous stakes of either Heaven or eternal torment, … Continue reading
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Ecclésiam tuam, Dómine, miserátio continuáta mundet et múniat: et quia sine te non potest salva consístere; tuo semper múnere gubernétur. Here … Continue reading
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office of Saint Stephen of Hungary (1038): Concéde, quǽsumus, Ecclésiæ tuæ, omnípotens Deus: ut beátum Stéphanum Confessórem tuum, quem regnántem in terris propagatórem hábuit, propugnatórem habére mereátur gloriósum … Continue reading
Here is the artful oration that the Church prays for the Mass and Office of Saint Raymond Nonnatus: Deus, qui in liberándis fidélibus tuis ab impiórum captivitáte beátum Raymúndum Confessórem tuum mirábilem effecísti: eius nobis intercessióne concéde; ut, a peccatórum … Continue reading
The Church’s orations are often packed with doctrinal content, as well as moral edification and linguistic beauty. All that, and — in the case of the collects, anyway — the Church is asking for something quite specific. How the Church … Continue reading
“Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10). So goes the eighth Beatitude, which is the only one of the eight followed up by an inspired “footnote” at the end: … Continue reading
In this third and last installment of my mini-series on Prudentia according to Josef Pieper, I will focus on one chapter from the fine book, The Four Cardinal Virtues, the title of which I borrow for this Ad Rem: “Prudence … Continue reading
Last week, I began what I intend to be a three-part study of the cardinal virtue of prudence using the insights of the German Catholic philosopher, Dr. Josef Pieper, with an eye to current events. There is a lot of … Continue reading
Have you ever paused on the edge of a life-changing decision, one in which you contemplated an irreversible choice that would separate you forever from everything that you know and love? Maybe you traveled to a new country, knowing you … Continue reading
German Catholic philosopher, Josef Pieper, had very much to say about the theological and moral virtues in a number of his writings. Of interest here are chapters in his 1964 collection of previously written studies, The Four Cardinal Virtues, wherein … Continue reading
Over eight centuries before Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated his “Four Freedoms,” a shorter and much better list of freedoms was elucidated by the young abbot of the new monastery of Clairvaux, one Bernard by name. In his work On Grace … Continue reading
The collect for today’s feast of Saint John Baptiste de la Salle is a beautiful one: Deus, qui, ad christiánam páuperum eruditiónem et ad iuvéntam in via veritátis firmándam, sanctum Ioánnem Baptístam Confessórem excitásti, et novam per eum in Ecclésia … Continue reading
“Are you saved, brother?” That question, often asked by a certain kind of “reformed” Protestant, can be answered in different ways, depending on the precise meaning given to the word “saved.” We might answer, “No, I’m not dead yet,” or, … Continue reading
There is a joke I have been telling people in the last few weeks. Not a joke, really, more of a jocular quip. I mentioned to a few friends and correspondents that I have to find out who the patron … Continue reading
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