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…
From The Friars: Live According to the Spirit Last week I spoke with a good friend of mine, Arleen. She was standing outside the Shrine Center waiting for a friend to pick her up. I was surprised to find out that Arleen, an elderly Irish lady (who uses a wheelchair), was going to a concert…
What is True Freedom? We all love freedom. It seems to be the highest value in our society. But what is true freedom? Freedom is often defined as “the ability to do whatever one wants, as long as no one else gets hurt”. Likewise, law, a great good, is seen as something opposed to freedom;…
From the Friars: Find Your Life The young man was full of joy at the thought of giving his life to God. But he knew that his father would not be happy about the idea. The family patriarch had worked very hard for years to build up a successful business and his dream was to…