From the Friars: Of Dogs and Children The readings for Mass today have a common theme of God’s plan of choosing one people as a first step towards a universal Kingdom. The Canaanites were the ancient enemies of Israel and it is a Canaanite woman that cries out to Jesus for help in the Gospel…
Article Clare fixed her Eyes on the Poor and Crucified Christ She puts it thus in one of her letters: “Look upon him who became contemptible for you, and follow him, making yourself contemptible in this world for him. Your Spouse, though more beautiful than the children of men, became for your salvation the lowest…
From the Friars: Listen to Him There is a very important prophecy in Deuteronomy where Moses says: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, … him you shall heed.” (Dt 18:15) Hence the Jewish people were expecting a prophet like Moses to appear. When the Jews…
Article A Humble Priest At my father’s wake in 2001, my uncle told me a story about how when he was a kid he had a sickness, a nervous disorder I believe, that the doctors were unable to cure. My grandmother, a devout Catholic, took him straight from the doctor’s office to the Capuchin monastery…
From the Friars: Lost and Found This Saturday, the Roman Calendar offers an optional memorial to be celebrated in honor of the dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the largest Marian Church in Rome, Italy. Formerly known as St. Mary of the Crib because it houses the relic of the original manger of…
Humanae Vitae #17 : Observing the Natural Law *** July 25th is the 55th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae. *** Selections from this important Encyclical of St. Paul VI. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences…
From the Friars: Pulling Weeds Those opposed to the Church for whatever reason often bring up different scandals, real or perceived, that have occurred over the centuries. The standard list includes the crusades or other wars of religion, the Galileo incident, immoral popes, the inquisition, and most recently, clergy sexual abuse. The point here is…
Humanae Vitae #11 : Observing the Natural Law *** July 25th is the 55th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae. *** For the next three weeks, we will have selections from this important Encyclical of St. Paul VI. The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, through which human…
From the Friars: Demons and Serpents “All creation is groaning” (Rom 8:22) says St. Paul in the second reading today. One of the arguments that atheists use against Christianity is the cruelty of the natural world. Animals, for example, live in a constant battle for survival. They are either prey for larger species or they…
Article – Humanae Vitae #9 : Married Love [Married] love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not…