Random stuff I find interesting and you may not.
“The unofficial anthem of secularism today is John Lennon’s ‘Imagine,’ in which we are encouraged to imagine a world without religion. We don’t have to imagine such a world; the 20th century has given us horrific examples of such worlds.” Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I. Cardinal George warns US secularization is more serious than elections … Read more
Various cultures—English, Turkish, Chinese—claim to have invented the maxim, “The fish rots from the head down” (a favorite in your nation’s capital during the unhappy years when the Redskins/Commanders were owned by Daniel Snyder). Applied to the Church, the idiom suggests that when theology is decadent, bad things will follow in the life of faith. … Read more
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Spain has accepted “with filial obedience” the recent doctrinal note by the country’s bishops on practices of “intergenerational healing” that are not in accord with the magisterium and tradition of the Catholic Church. In a statement published on its website, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Spain said it gratefully welcomes … Read more
Making a Good Confession Confessing the Same Sins Over and Over Again Step 1: Change Focus The first step is to have the right intention. Everything should stem from our relationship with Christ and our desire to grow closer to him. Step 2: Understand the True Meaning of Sin Sin is … Read more
One of the remarkable things about our political and cultural battles is how many of them are fought on behalf of other people. For instance, there are plenty of Americans with deeply personal investments in the plight of Israelis or Palestinians, due to familial or historical ties. But millions of Americans have no direct personal … Read more
Hoping to quell controversy over its practices, a local Temple of Moloch has announced plans to host a “family-friendly” child sacrifice event next weekend. Leaders at the temple hope that the addition of fun activities for kids will help the cult shed the unpleasant image that comes with slaughtering children as an act of worship. … Read more
I think the main reason we keep returning [to Confession] with the same list [of sins] is that we don’t understand what Christ wants to do in the confessional. We go simply wanting our sins forgiven, not realizing that He wants to do much more. He wants to heal us of the attitudes, disordered desires, … Read more
Our demographic picture is bleak not merely because people are having fewer babies than ever before. It is so bleak because the childless mostly do not want children, and the reasons they give do not seem terribly easy to overcome. Nearly two-thirds of childless women in a recent Harris poll said they have no desire … Read more
It’s perfectly normal to worry about sinning. But what happens if you worry TOO much about your sins? Remember what Padre Pio said: pray, hope, and don’t worry. A legendary mystic and stigmatic, above all Padre Pio was a great saint. Padre Pio was distinctly known for his devout prayer life, calling it the best … Read more
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly … Read more
He is enjoying a second act, as evident in his prominent role at Robert McElroy’s first mass as cardinal. San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy was elevated to cardinal last weekend, a significant snub to Jose Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, a much larger see than San Diego whose head typically receives a red hat. … Read more
A sculptor who wishes to carve a figure out of a block uses his chisel, first cutting away great chunks of marble, then smaller pieces, until he finally reaches a point where only a brush of hand is needed to reveal the figure. In the same way, the soul has to undergo tremendous mortifications at … Read more
Let us beware of complaints, resentments, and evil-speaking against those who are ill-disposed to us, discontented with us, or hostile to our plans and arrangements, or who even persecute us with injuries, insults, and calumnies. Rather let us go on treating them as cordially as at first, or more so, as far as possible showing … Read more
Suffering overwhelms you because you take it like a coward. Meet it bravely, with a Christian spirit: and you will regard it as a treasure. St. Josemaria Escriva Of all the divine attributes, only God’s omnipotence is named in the Creed: to confess this power has great bearing on our lives. We believe that his … Read more
What makes the journey of a Disciple of Christ successful is when they learn to transition from focusing on having a good quality of life to having a good quality of death. I just returned from an amazing Conference in Weston, Florida, called “Flourish Your Faith”. It is an ecumenical conference and I had the … Read more
Gossip: Why it’s SINFUL w/ Fr. Gregory Pine, OP Related PostsNever wrestle with pigs St. Joseph We must be careful who we label as saints and heroes and avoid cultism Lord, make haste to help me Can I baptize a baby on the sly? | Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
Everyone is ignoring why the magazine became so corrupt Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who died in 2017 at the age of ninety-one, is facing renewed allegations of sexual misconduct thanks to the new A&E documentary Secrets of Playboy. Former Playmates said they were subjected to cult-like conditions at the Playboy Mansion. Hefner reportedly plied them … Read more
God cannot cease to love me. That is the most startling fact that our doctrine reveals. Sinner or saint He loves and cannot well help Himself. Magdalen in her sin, Magdalen in her sainthood, was loved by God. The difference between her position made some difference also in the effect of that love on her, … Read more
In the wake of last fall’s disclosure that some biological females had been admitted to seminaries, Catholic formators, canonists and doctors discuss precautionary steps seminaries need to take. With a rise in social acceptance of “gender-reassignment” procedures, some U.S. seminaries have already been forced to deal with applicants who identify as men but are biologically … Read more
But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers. … Read more
St. Augustine says, that to prevent the sheep from seeking assistance by her cries, the wolf seizes her by the neck, and thus securely carries her away and devours her. The Devil acts in a similar manner with the sheep of Jesus Christ. After having induced them to yield to sin, he seizes them by … Read more
Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do … Read more
The experience of the Church and the saints demonstrates a general law: what comes from the Spirit of God brings with it joy, peace, tranquility of spirit, gentleness, simplicity, and light. On the other hand, what comes from the spirit of evil brings sadness, trouble, agitation, worry, confusion, and darkness. These marks of the good … Read more
Strong passions are the precious raw material of sanctity. Individuals who have carried their sinning to extremes should not despair or say, ‘I am too great a sinner to change,’ or ‘God would not want me.’ God will take anyone who is willing to love, not with an occasional gesture, but with a ‘passionless passion,’ … Read more
While out on an evening walk in a local park, I heard a fellow walker coming down the path behind me, talking on his phone. His tone was even-keeled and calm … but it seemed like every fifth word was an expletive, uttered in the same calm manner. I cite this incident not because it’s … Read more