Archive for May, 2008
« Previous EntriesBlessed Among Women
Friday, May 30th, 2008“A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to [Jesus], ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it’” (Lk. 11:27-28).
At first glance, this passage can be a little troubling for us as […]
Imperfect Legislation, Candidates, Catholics
Thursday, May 29th, 2008As we prepare to make the prudential judgment as to how to vote this election season, we must first distinguish between candidates and issues. Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae was very clear when it comes to a law permitting abortion or euthanasia. He said that it is “never licit to obey it, or to take […]
Catechizing for Conversion
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008While the situation is improving, I still frequently hear about problems with catechesis along with complaints that many Catholics are ignorant of the faith. We rightly examine the various factors that contribute to this phenomenon, from defective catechetical materials to lackluster teaching and a lack of parental support. There seems to be plenty of blame to go around.
While all of the above […]
Living Vicariously
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008We’re all accustomed to referring to the Pope as the Vicar of Christ. After all, it was Peter who received the keys, and as Catholics we recognize the Pope’s role as Christ’s chosen representative to rule and guide the Universal Church until the end of time.
But one teaching that sometimes gets overlooked today is that […]
Love for the Church
Monday, May 26th, 2008Nearly 50 years ago, Blessed John XIII issued an encyclical letter entitled Mater et Magistra, or “Mother and Teacher,” on Christianity and social progress. The words “Mother” and “Teacher” were aptly used by the Holy Father to describe the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ.
Certainly the Church is our Teacher, and the Church’s teaching mission […]
The Health Case against Unnatural Birth Control
Friday, May 23rd, 2008There are many good reasons not to use unnatural forms of birth control, and this column will focus on some of the health reasons. Such reasons are so strong, however, that once they are seen they can overshadow the primary, religious reason to eschew contraceptive behavior. The “problem” with health reasons is that some folks […]
Just Do It!
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008During this month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with May crownings and last week’s celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima still fresh on our mind, I thought I would take this occasion to call all of us to renew our desire to pray the Rosary frequently and with much fervor and devotion.
I’m not necessarily talking about […]
Archbishop Chaput on “Proportionate Reasons”
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008In a previous post, I explored the issue of what would constitute a “proportionate reason” to support the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, who as of last night claims to have enough delegates to prevail at the Democratic Convention this summer.
Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Denver recently addressed a similar issue in his archdiocesan paper. […]
Temporary Amnesia
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008In the decades immediately following the close of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), we witnessed an alarming deemphasis of doctrinal teaching in religious education in favor of an overly experiential approach. The result of this catechetical malfeasance was a generation–make that two generations–of poorly formed Catholics.
So while the feminists burned their bras and draft-dodgers burned their flags, […]
Of Miters and Men
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008There’s an adage that says “the clothes make the man.” Of course we know that that’s not the case. However, I think a brief look at the symbolism of some of the bishop’s vestments and accoutrements provide some important insights regarding the role of the bishop as servant of the Gospel.
First, there’s the bishop’s ring, […]