In his 18th Century encyclical letter Non ambigimus, Pope Benedict XIV sought to encourage his brother bishops and the Church Universal to zealously keep the Lenten fast. Not only did he view it as a distinguishing mark of Catholic Christianity, but he also lamented that “the most sacred observance of the fast of Lent has … Continue reading Fasting in Lent
In the midst of his battle against the Arians, St. Athanasius once pithily said, “that which Christ did not assume, has not been healed.” The point that the Father of Orthodoxy was making was that Our Lord assumed the entirety of our human condition in order to redeem and renew us (2 Cor 5:17). He … Continue reading Christ Living in Me
In 1926, Our Lord appeared to the last surviving Fatima visionary, Sr. Lucia, in order to ask her to spread the First Saturday Devotion. In particular, He wanted the Faithful to fervently offer reparation for the blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Of special concern were blasphemies committed by those who “publicly implant … Continue reading Our Lady and Temptation
As Eve twisted the apple from its stem, little did she grasp that she was also twisting the desires of her progeny for all time. By mingling good and evil, their desires would no longer be the North Star that God intended them to be. For He had willed that man, in pursuing those things … Continue reading The Gateway Vice
In an age afflicted by ecclesial bar lowering, there is always a great danger that the inherent rhythm in the liturgical year will lose its meaning. This is perhaps most true when it comes to the season of Lent. Lent “officially” begins on Sunday, but Pope St. Gregory the Great added the four days between … Continue reading Make Lent Hard Again
On the first Saturday of Advent, the Church chooses as the gospel Matthew’s account of the commissioning of the Apostles. After taking to heart the lost souls around Him, He demands that His disciples beg God to send more laborers into the fields. He then empowers the Apostles and commands them to go out into … Continue reading Praying to the Lord of the Harvest
When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Cathedral, the Augustinian priest ignited a firewall that continues to separate Catholics and Protestants down to this day. At the heart of his question was the abuse of indulgences, but he ultimately attacked the firewall upon which the doctrine was built—Purgatory—in order to make his … Continue reading Taking Down the Firewall
In the opening chapter of his short book, Letter to a Suffering Church, Bishop Robert Barron calls the scandal within the Church “a diabolical masterpiece”. The Bishop’s point is that everything that has happened within the Church over the last half century has been clearly and methodically planned out such that the sulfuric stench cannot … Continue reading Jumpstarting Reform
If there is one virtue that plays an integral part of Lent, then it is perseverance. Forty days isn’t forever, but it is long enough that our ability to sustain spiritual intensity greatly determines how receptive we are to the graces of Lent. Perseverance is vital if we are to run all the way through … Continue reading On Getting Soft
In his message for Lent, Pope Francis exhorted the faith not to let “this season of grace pass in vain!” The Holy Father is echoing a sentiment that we have nearly all experienced. We have all had the experience of letting Lent pass us by and many of us, despite the best of intentions, will … Continue reading Self-Esteem and the Spirit of Penance
Culture, it has been said, is its own parent. It is like a feedback loop in that it forms its members who in turn form it. Many remain wholly ignorant of this aspect of culture and simply go with the flow. But even those who consider themselves as “counter-cultural” are not immune to its nascent … Continue reading Building the Culture of Life
“Lose weight without dieting!” In a culture that is obsessed with diet and weight loss, headlines like this immediately catch our eye. Most of these are fads, just like the diets they pledge to avoid, except for the latest trend—fasting. Fitness articles and health gurus are now proclaiming the power of fasting to help lose … Continue reading Losing the Weight of Vice without Dieting
LYFE is a catechesis and catechetical formation program designed with College Students and Young Adults in mind. The program teaches how to think like a Catholic and to live your life in accord with the TRUTH that comes only through an encounter with Jesus Christ and His Church. The goal of the program is to … Continue reading LYFE
In the battle against the Culture of Death, there is a certain gravity pulling towards two self-defeating tendencies, both of which equally plague those building a Culture of Life. The first is to treat evil as something abstract, a mere force or darkness that looms around us. No one ever won a battle against an … Continue reading The Devil in the New World
In his most celebrated and enduring work, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens tells the story of a miserable old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge. The protagonist is visited by three ghosts, each set on infusing into his heart the “Christmas spirit.” As frightful as the experience might be, many of us would wholeheartedly welcome the arrival … Continue reading The Waiting Game
In keeping with tradition, President Trump pardoned Drumstick, the thirty-six pound presidential turkey, yesterday and sent her to Gobblers Rest on the Virginia Tech campus. Millions of other turkeys will not be so fortunate however adorning the tables of Americans tomorrow gathering for the Thanksgiving Day feast. For a small, but increasing, number of those … Continue reading What’s for Dinner?
There is an unwritten rule in the Catholic blogosphere that if you want people to read your stuff, don’t include the word sin in the first twenty-two words. There is also a written rule that you should not lie, so I will admit that I made that up in order to avoid jumping right into … Continue reading The Great Sin
Soren Kierkegaard once remarked that envy was hidden and unconscious for most men. This might explain why we find the seeds of it scattered throughout our culture. There is the advertising industry for example which is built entirely on the goal to stir envy for things that we don’t really want except for the fact … Continue reading The Hidden Vice
Within Church tradition, Advent has been viewed as a “little” Lent. Lent, because it involved a prolonged period of preparation marked by the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. “Little,” because it was a shorter time period (4 weeks vs 40 days) and because it lacked some of the rigor normally associated with Lent. … Continue reading Running Through the Finish Line of Advent
During the Year of Mercy, the Church has placed great emphasis on not only our great need for forgiveness, but God’s desire to always welcome us into His loving arms. This necessarily leads to a discussion of repentance and penance. While most people understand the need for repentance, penance remains somewhat mysterious. Given that, a … Continue reading Why is Penance Needed?