To whet the appetites of our readers for our conference theme, I present here a small chunk of my own talk, which is the “title cut” of the conference, since it has the same name: “Total Consecration to Mary: The … Continue reading
Category: Spiritual Life
The Faith of Mary
The other day I was speaking to a priest about the challenges of the apostolate today. In the bleak modern landscape, where so much militates against revealed religion (and even common sense), “You have to have the faith of Abraham and the … Continue reading
Perseverance: a Graduation Speech
The following is a brief introductory speech I gave at IHM School’s graduation this past Sunday. Readers should know that our school in rural southern New Hampshire is very small. We had one graduate this year — a fine young man who … Continue reading
To the Men
On Saturday, April 25, I was one of three speakers at the Napa Valley Catholic Men’s Conference. My two talks were entitled “Religious Liberty vs. Religious Right” and “Montfortian Masculinity” (those links will take you to our store site, where … Continue reading
The Drama of Holy Week
Contrary to custom, I’m reposting/resending this piece I wrote for Holy Week four years ago. A blessed Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter to all our readers! If the Church’s liturgical calendar were a temple of time consecrated to God, what we are … Continue reading
Votive Mass for Peace on Sanguinary ‘Roe’ Anniversary
The Mass propers we prayed here at Saint Benedict Center this morning were not those for the martyr saint of today, Saint Vincent; nor were they for that other Saint Vincent whose feast falls today: Saint Vincent Pallotti. They instead … Continue reading
Looking on Jesus, the Prince of Peace
Far from being what the world thinks it is, namely, the shopping season between Black Friday and Christmas Day, Advent is the Church’s time of penitential preparation for the feast of the Nativity. More than that, Advent prepares us for … Continue reading
Sanctity: Our Counterrevolutionary Grand Strategy
Here is the text of my talk from our recent Saint Benedict Center Conference. I. Introduction My talk today will be a brief elucidation of the following thesis: “The comprehensive and adequate grand strategy for today’s Catholic Counterrevolutionary is the … Continue reading
Salvation Here and Now
Our holy Faith forbids us to say that our salvation is entirely assured in this life and that we cannot fall from grace before we come to our particular judgment and accordingly be damned. The Council of Trent labels such … Continue reading
Transfiguration and Theosis
The Ad Rem just posted today was intended to be up in time for yesterday’s feast of the Transiguration. Circumstances forbad that. I’m posting here something of a “coda” to it. For your consideration of the great mysteries of Our Lord’s … Continue reading
How to Become Divine
Satan lied to Eve, but his lie had a couple of grains of truth to it. He said that the reason God did not want Adam and her to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was because, … Continue reading
Lessons from the Charterhouse
Due to the kindness of a benefactor, the Brothers recently came into possession of the book, The Prayer of Love and Silence, which Father David Phillipson had recommended from our pulpit some weeks previously. Its author is “A Carthusian,” so … Continue reading
Identity
This Ad Rem is a brief introductory speech I gave at IHM School’s graduation on Trinity Sunday. As Prior, I am expected to say something; mine is not the main feature. Readers should know that our school in rural southern New … Continue reading
On Being Violent
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away. (St. Matthew 11:12) I love it that nothing of the words of our Blessed Lord has the mark of mediocrity. It’s … Continue reading
Good Advice: Stay Awake, Say the Rosary, for Our Lady
Patti Maguire Armstrong blog: When I was around ten years old, my parents decided to pray a family rosary one evening. It was the first time ever. We knelt together in the living room and began. But before finishing the … Continue reading
