Archive for June, 2008
« Previous EntriesThe Newest St. Louis Cardinal?
Monday, June 30th, 2008In today’s Gospel, Our Lord says to those who would follow Him that “foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head.” This verse carries more meaning to me today as I reflect upon the announcement last week that Archbishop Raymond Burke has [...]
The Heart of a Father
Friday, June 27th, 2008In the Church we have the beautiful feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the heart symbolizing the immense love of our Lord and His Blessed Mother for each one of us. As Catholic husbands and fathers, we might also consider meditating on the heart of St. Joseph, [...]
Taking Our Medicine
Thursday, June 26th, 2008All of us have had the experience of realizing that we have sinned. We understand that what we did was wrong, and we can readily discern the negative effects of our actions. We then sincerely ask the Lord for His mercy and we try to make things right with anyone we may have hurt. As [...]
Catechesis for Dummies
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008Since its publication in 2006, and even more so in recent months as I’ve grown increasingly accustomed to using it, I’ve thought the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a godsend to all who are involved in teaching (and learning) the Catholic faith. Of course, being a document of the Holy See [...]
Are We There Yet?
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008I doubt that there are any of us with children old enough to speak who haven’t heard (I daresay more than once) from the deep recesses of the car, “Are we there yet?” Rather than get annoyed by this persistent question, I usually seize the opportunity to tease them a little bit. I explain to [...]
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 [...]
The Conversion Value of Natural Family Planning
Friday, June 20th, 2008Ever since the publication of Humanae Vitae on July 25, 1968, a great fear has cast a sickly hue over the pastoral work of the Church. This malady is simple to diagnose but difficult to cure. It can be stated this way: “We fear that if we teach that it is immoral to use unnatural [...]
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 [...]
Parents as First Bible Study Leaders
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008One of my favorite sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is nos. 2221-31, which magnificently sets forth the duties of parents toward their children. I often mess things up in practice, but after prayerful reading of the Catechism there should be little doubt as to the theory: As parents we are called to [...]
Christian, I Presume?
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008When I was in law school, I had a classmate named Barry (not his real name). At the time, I was not practicing the faith and by no means was a paragon of virtuous living. Despite my own low standards, I thought Barry’s carousing lifestyle crossed the bounds of propriety. He even confided to me [...]
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