I just discovered that I have an unexpected Name Day on May 19th. Catholics celebrate their Name Day as another birthday in honor of the patron saints on feast days of the one after whom they are named. There are a few St. Roberts, with Bellarmine being the most famous, Read more…
On this day of Pope Francis’s funeral, first of all we pray for the repose of his soul. Everyone would acknowledge, no matter the side on which they would land, that Francis’s Pontificate was controversial and divisive, particularly in matters of doctrine and liturgy. I don’t find any need to Read more…
I was struck by a line from the Psalms: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14). The great covenants have been revealed through the Patriarchs and Prophets, culminating in the New Covenant given to us by Read more…
I’ve heard many times that since Sundays commemorate the Resurrection we pause Lent on Sunday and should celebrate a little Easter. I was even taught when I was young that you could have the thing you gave up for Lent on Sunday, breaking out candy bars to celebrate the day. Read more…
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us “Our God is a consuming fire” (11:29). Fire consumes its fuel while it generates heat and light, with the ability to purify and destroy. On a cold winter night, it brings consolation. If that fire spreads, however, from the hearth to the house, Read more…
I have two great spiritual loves that, on the surface, may not seem compatible: Byzantine liturgy and Benedictine monasticism. When you look deeply, however, surprising connections emerge between them. Here are some major ones. St. Benedict is revered as a saint by the Orthodox who celebrate his feast on March Read more…
Today is the feast of St. Isidore, a peasant farmer on the outskirts of Madrid. He lived from about 1070 to 1130, and Mardid was liberated from Muslim rule when he was a boy. With his saintly wife, Maria Toribia, he had one son. He was known for the miraculous Read more…
The purpose of human life is to give glory to God. Everything else should be judged by this standard. The Mass most directly helps us to achieve our purpose in life, drawing us into Christ’s perfect glorification of the Father. Catholics have some of the most profound treasures in our Read more…
Is Joe Biden just a cafeteria Catholic like most Catholics in the United States? Is he just following JFK’s political “heresy” of keeping faith private and apart from public responsibilities? Or is there something worse going on? Pope Francis often speaks of abortion as hiring a hitman. Is Biden a Read more…
The Vatican’s new document, Dignitas Infinitas, published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) begins, “Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter.” I believe Read more…