12° Sunday After Pentecost
The Good Samaritan through the eyes of some old Church Fathers and a new saint's aphorism: "You did it to Me."
Transfiguration and the Song of Songs
—Written by one of my spiritual directees who entered women's religious life. The Song of Songs illustrates the journey of the Bride, a journey toward love. A journey involves a process, a traveling toward something which one desires but has not yet attained. Highly susceptible to losing his way on a long journey, a pilgrim often encounters numerous and varied obstacles. The Bride in the Song of Songs is no exception. One’s first outlook on the Song of Songs may circulate around the book as brimming over with vibrant images and profound expressions between two lovers. Although this description definitely defines the Song of Songs, it does not include every aspect of this unique book of scripture. The Beloved’s incessant tones of love reach out to a struggling and wounded Bride who displays throughout the book her journey from exile [...]
11th Sunday After Pentecost
How and Why does God answer our prayers? (Intro/Outro is the Lorica of St. Patrick by the Benedictines of Mary, Gower, Missouri.)
Capitalizing “He” for Jesus
When I first read “Lord of the Rings” in high school, I skipped over all the elf and orc songs. I had no intention of ever learning elvish like a total weirdo, so I thought it wasn’t vital to the plotline. A few years later in University, I was doing my undergraduate at Boston College, and Dr. Peter Kreeft pointed out something I had never realized: For Tolkien, the elvish language was a Tolkienesque way of speaking in tongues. It turns out the Elf and Orc songs are among the most important parts of the entire book, for the songs were to communicate the unspoken essence of the race. This is because Tolkien saw language as a cultural (but not relativistic) reflection of the Divine Word. For Tolkien, language was real, but alive. It communicated something to a foreigner, even when a transliteration [...]
10th Sunday After Pentecost: The Gift of Tears
An ancient view of the gift of tears in light of today's Gospel, the Pharisee and the Publican.
Women Saints’ Problems
I'm not sure who originally compiled this, but it is encouraging to know: You're not alone in your struggles. These are the women of the school of Christ crucified. (After writing this blog post last night, I woke up and realized I needed to add an important Nota Bene: The below listing of saints is not a green-light for women to be doormats. Most of these women tried to preserve their lives and even live normal lives. The list below is simply a way to push against the Calvinist idea that suffering is a sign of divine disfavor.) Abusive or Unfaithful Husbands Physical Abuse St. Rita of Cascia Verbal Abuse Bl. Anna Maria Taigi St. Godelieve St. Monica Infidelity St. Elizabeth of Portugal Bl. Margaret d'Youville Bl. Paola Gambera-Costa Battered by Relatives or Others (Martyrs not listed here) St. Adelaide Bl. [...]
9th Sunday after Pentecost: The Cleansing of the Temple
Does the end justify the means? A homily on the moral theology of the Catholic Church. (These images look excellent on iPhone with app called "Podcruncher," but anything should work fine.)
St. Joseph versus Child-Sex-Trafficking
When it comes to triumph over unjust suffering, there are few saints more inspiring than the Apostle Paul: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.” (Col 1:24) But in the Old Testament, the gold medal of joy amidst suffering must go to Joseph of Egypt. When we consider that Joseph was betrayed by his family and sold into slavery, we begin to meditate on the plight of the millions of children sold into slavery today. When Potiphar’s wife unsuccessfully tries to seduce him, she falsely accuses him to be the aggressor and lands him in prison. "And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and [...]
8th Sunday after Pentecost
How important is charity for the traditional Catholic? (Sorry I spoke too close to the mike. I'll avoid this next time.)
Padre Fortea
https://youtu.be/9pehy_fNNNs