Christian Living
« Previous EntriesAre Children’s Masses Appropriate?
Friday, October 3rd, 2008According to a recent Catholic World News story, the “Vatican intends to remove the Eucharistic Prayers for Children from the authorized prayers of the Roman Missal.”
The article continues:
Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, New Jersey, the chairman of the US bishops’ liturgy committee, has disclosed the Vatican plans in a letter to the American bishops. He […]
Virtue on the Mount
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008In contemplating Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) in recent weeks, one section that has really struck me is the part known as the “Six Antitheses”–the series of six statements by Our Lord that begin “You have heard it said . . .” followed by “I say to you . . .” These statements […]
Time for Confession
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008I’m frequently asked how often Catholics should go to Confession. Many people just want to know the minimum requirement. In that regard, the Church provides that all Catholics who have reached the age of discretion (approximately the age of seven) are required to confess their mortal sins once a year. In addition, if one has […]
Claiming the High Ground
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008Recent popes have emphasized that youth won’t even listen to teachers unless they are first and foremost witnesses. And yet, at the same time, our society has a perverse desire to see good people fall from grace. Take the moral high ground and you become a target.
Our zeal for the truth of Jesus Christ impels […]
Spiritual Cataracts
Monday, June 23rd, 2008Today’s Gospel is the familiar passage from Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, in which He advises us to remove the large beams from our own eyes before trying to remove the tiny specks from our neighbor’s eye. This lesson has long been a source of fruitful meditation for me.
After Mass a few years in […]
Setting the Agenda
Thursday, June 19th, 2008It’s said that one who sets the agenda has already begun to influence the result. That’s one reason why it’s so important that we as Christians influence the agenda in matters affecting the good of society. Secularist forces–especially a large segment of the media–are well aware of this principle and try to keep Christians out […]
Pacifism Is Hell
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008The documents of Vatican II frequently refer to the Church on earth as the “pilgrim Church.” This image emphasizes the truth that we are a people who are on a journey to our true home. We need the supernatural virtue of hope–the virtue of the pilgrim–to remain faithful to the Lord, trusting in His infinite […]
Gold-Medal Catholics
Friday, June 6th, 2008At Mass this week we have been treated to selections from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy. Today, for example, we heard the famous passage from chapter three regarding the inspiration of Sacred Scripture: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching . . .” such that believers may be “equipped […]
Hall of Faith
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008Last week I asked some of the regular readers of this blog for suggestions as to what I should write about in future posts. One friend suggested a top-ten list of the most influential books in my life. I thought that was an excellent idea, and it plays into my Lettermanian predilection for top-ten lists. […]
Persevering with the Pope
Monday, May 12th, 2008For the next two weeks, the reading for the weekday Masses will be taken from the Letter of St. James. Today we hear the first eleven verses of the opening chapter. The verse that really stands out for me today as I hear this passage anew is verse 3: “for you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
This […]