AsiaNews: “Dialogue needs meekness, not shouting. We must also think that the other person has something more than me, as did David : ‘ He is the anointed of the Lord, he is more important than me.’ Humility , meekness … … Continue reading
Category: Spiritual Life
The Vows and Oaths of Christendom
In a conversation with some of our conference speakers, who are also all contributors to this web site, the question “What is Christendom?” was presented for our consideration. The hope was expressed that these writers would each offer his thoughts … Continue reading
The Reign of the Holy Ghost
The Church’s calendar is soon to reach its dramatic terminus. We are yet in the lengthy last part of it, the Pentecost cycle, which, this year, began on Sunday, May 19. Since, liturgically, we are in the Reign of the … Continue reading
Today Begins Christ the King Novena
The Novena to Our Lord Jesus Christ the King begins today. In the traditional rite, the Feast of Christ is the last Sunday in October, which is the last Sunday before the Feast of All Saints, and also — for … Continue reading
Reflections on the End of Time
“In the revealed prophecy of the end of history a catastrophic end within history is foretold. Whoever believingly accepts this [apocalyptic] prophecy, that is to say, whoever takes it to be revelation, has no possibility of ignoring the fact that … Continue reading
What You Believe Matters
Reading the masterpiece of Catholic spirituality, The Interior Life Simplified and Reduced to its Fundamental Principle, I came across a passage that speaks eloquently of the importance of faith to one’s moral worth. (The passage may be viewed in context … Continue reading
The Book of Nature
In God Loves Mountains, reference was made to the “Book of Nature.” Brother Francis, in his profound little volume, The Challenge of Faith, has the following meditations on that subject under the heading, “The Book of Nature.” These products of … Continue reading
God’s Braveheart
There were natives in our New World when the missionaries came, who thought it a good idea to eat the heart and drink the blood of the enemy they killed, if that enemy showed exemplary courage. Like other pagans — … Continue reading
Mourning as an Act of Affirmation
In an unexpected way, my husband and I were recently led to a rather deep and deepening reflection on mourning (or mournfulness), and on its seeming incompatibility with human superficiality and human lukewarmness. We thereby also came to appreciate a … Continue reading
Life with the Trinity
Philosophers tell us that the essence of a relation is to be ad aliquid — “towards another.” In considering our own relationships, the most important ones we can speak of are those we have with the Holy Trinity and Our … Continue reading
Modern Noise and Man’s Ingrained Inattentiveness
This brief essay proposes to consider how two eloquent Catholic authors, Hilaire Belloc and Evelyn Waugh, describe and deal with the phenomenon of noise, an unmistakable mark of the intrusive modern world even in times of putative peace. The first … Continue reading
Divine Relationships
A fallen-away Catholic once told me, “I gave up that religion for a relationship.” What she was saying is that Catholicism, with all its ceremonies, doctrines, and other “formalities,” did not give her a relationship with Jesus, which is exactly … Continue reading
Pope Warns About Narcissism in the Church
CNA’s Elise Harris: In listening to the words of the Holy Father in his many different homilies, audiences and speeches since his election, there is one incredibly clear message he is sending to us: the Church is narcissistic. We are a … Continue reading
Pope Francis: To Be Ashamed Is To Be Humble
Vatican Radio: “But Jesus in the confessional is not a dry cleaner: it is an encounter with Jesus, but with this Jesus who waits for us, who waits for us just as we are. “But, Lord, look … this is … Continue reading
Evil and Control
These thoughts came to me this morning as I had in my mind the residue of a Gary Potter article I read last night (it will be published soon): Control that which was given to you to control. Where an … Continue reading
