On a dreary New Hampshire winter afternoon, as I was preparing myself for a philosophy discussion on the subject of Ontology by attentively taking in a recorded lecture by Brother Francis, I was given one of those moments of joy … Continue reading
Category: Spiritual Life
The Language of Gesture
Your author dedicates this essay to his mentor and beloved friend, the valiant Baron Arnaud de Lassus, renowned leader of traditional Catholics in France, organizer of the Chartres Pilgrimage, editor of the magazine Action Familiale et Scolaire and author of … Continue reading
Candles
On February 2, forty days after Christmas, the Latin Rite celebrates the feast of the Purification. It is also called Candlemas because on this day Christ, the Light of the World, entered the holy temple nestled in the arms of … Continue reading
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The twelve days of Christmas take us from the Nativity to the Epiphany. The first to adore the Christ Child were His Mother and Saint Joseph. After them and with them, although unseen, were the angels: Let all the angels … Continue reading
Saint John the Baptist and Our Times
Saint John the Baptist is our guide, along with Isaias the Prophet, through the season of Advent. He helps us to prepare for the coming of Christ, in His mystically renewed first coming in mercy (the mystery of the Nativity), … Continue reading
From the Dung Beetle Learn a Parable
As some high-profile scatalogical comments are garnering attention in the Catholic world and beyond, the following paragraph met my gaze this morning, from a book of meditations written nine-hundred years ago: The Meditations of Guigo I, Prior of the Charterhouse. When a … Continue reading
Dealing with Evil
With the Fall of Adam sin entered the world, and with sin, death. Worse than physical death is the “second death” (Apoc. 20:14) of eternal damnation. It is from this death, and from sin that leads to it, that Christ … Continue reading
Purgatory
A Commentary On Father Schouppe’s Purgatory Explained Alas! We do not sufficiently remember our dear departed, their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells. Saint Francis de Sales Have pity on me, have pity on me, … Continue reading
My Morning Cup Of Joe – Part IV
Since we are on the subject of getting old — we were talking about that, weren’t we? — or is my mind slipping into two months feeling like it was two years ago. Time, oh time, it goes so fast … Continue reading
God is Here
There is a Latin rhyme that goes like this: Ora et labora, Deus adest sine mora. In English, we can translate it this way, keeping the rhyme: “Work and pray; God is here without delay.” Ora et labora is well … Continue reading
Saint Thomas’ Five Remedies Against Sadness
Carlo de Marchi, Opus Dei: On certain days we have all been sad, days when we have been unable to overcome an inner torpor or depression that weighs down on us and makes it difficult to interact with others. Is … Continue reading
Anger Issues
Anger is a vice that seems to be on the increase, with the country splitting at the seams of religion, class, race, party, and ideology. Pat Buchanan refers to this as the “balkanization” of America. At the opposite moral extreme … Continue reading
My Morning Cup Of Joe — Part III
The previous two articles in this series highlighted my morning woes, my inability to rise and shine as quickly as I should, and my difficulty in adorning my apparel. There is a reason for this: I am simply getting older. … Continue reading
Are the Works of Mercy a Matter of Justice?
Continuing the general subject of the last Ad Rem, I would like to reply to this second question about Mercy. We are, after all, in the “Year of Mercy,” and some things should be gotten straight about this gravely misunderstood … Continue reading
Faith and Miracles
What is faith? The Baltimore Catechism gives a very simple definition of faith as the first of the three theological virtues: “Faith is a Divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which God has revealed on the authority … Continue reading
