Commentary
Rule of St. Benedict—Ep. 1 | Foundations of Monastic Life
"And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord. In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But if a certain strictness results… do not be at once dismayed and fly from the way of salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow."
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5.8 St. Anselm of Canterbury: Doctor of the Atonement
St. Anselm (1033 - 1109 AD) was Abbot of the monastery of Bec, and later, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the first of the medieval scholastics, and the first real systematic theologian. In many ways, St. Anselm is the bridge between St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Easter volume released: Free ebook
The Easter volume of our ebook series for this liturgical year has been released in our ebooks download area. This fourth volume in the annual series covers the entire Easter season, from the Easter Vigil through Pentecost. It may be downloaded free of charge in the following formats: .mobi (Kindle), .epub (Nook and other standard ereaders), and .pdf (most computer devices).
Crucifixion darkness: Barabbas (1961)
Barabbas, a unique specimen of the midcentury Hollywood Biblical epic, stars Anthony Quinn as the criminal released by Pilate in place of Christ. It follows Barabbas through a long life in the shadow of the Cross, haunted and struggling to comprehend the meaning of having had his life exchanged for Christ’s. He becomes almost an archetype of human resistance to grace—but in the end, does he nonetheless surrender himself to what he doesn’t understand?
USCCB to Trump: You can’t fire me; I quit
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the USCCB president, said that the decision to end these programs was “heartbreaking.” But the bishops really didn’t have to make a choice at all; the decision had been made for them.
Groupthink Follies
We find groupthink throughout the Scriptures. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of unnatural and malignant groupthink. Groupthink during the Exodus rebelled against Moses and the Lord.
A word to the anti-Trump protesters and their media enablers
Whatever assumption of good faith might have been extended to your arguments against this or that Trump policy, there is going to be a heck of a lot less of it this time around.
Living in the end times does not give us a pass
For me the issue is to find more effective ways of evangelizing among Christians no longer used to evangelizing. Moreover, we must also understand that—while we should certainly engage in evangelization—some periods and places do seem to be largely impervious to the Gospel until there have been a good many martyrs. As Tertullian put it about 1800 years ago, the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church. Our Lord put this another way: “For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’”
Why young Catholics are rejecting feminism, Pt. 2
Catholic feminists are seldom willing to engage seriously with the full scope of Church teaching on their favorite issues, like authority in marriage and mothers working outside the home. Instead, they quote the same snippets of St. John Paul II, but do not read him carefully in continuity with prior popes. Thus they inevitably feel frustrated that young tradition-seeking Catholics aren’t getting with the feminist program.
Is Catholic Charities really Catholic? (Don’t ask the Supreme Court)
The state of Wisconsin found that the activities of the Catholic Charities Bureau are indistinguishable from those of any other secular charity. Is that true? The Supreme Court seemed disinclined to examine that question. Catholic donors might think differently.
Why Gen X Catholicism is a fighting faith
Most of our lifetime occurred during a brief sweet spot where it seemed like the post-Vatican II Church had stabilized and might even re-evangelize the West. Then it got weird again.
The Conundrum of Family Pastoral Care
The prodigal son needs to do some soul-searching. The elder son needs to learn the lesson from Cain. He is indeed his brother’s keeper. Dad needs to fine-tune the techniques of fatherly discipline.
The Catholic Role in the American Founding
If our Constitution is inadequate to the challenges of today, then— if the centrifugal forces unleashed by unlimited individual choice have torn that moral consensus asunder— maybe the fault lies not with the Constitution itself, but with the religious authorities who should have kept our moral foundations intact. Perhaps it is not the political, but the religious “sword” that needs sharpening.
Genuine courage: Not as the world gives
The scandal given by those among the Church’s ministers who either ignore or deny the teachings of Christ, as these teachings can be known definitively only through the Church He founded, has repeatedly gone uncorrected under the current pontificate, a situation which breeds confusion precisely among those Catholics who are most at risk—those who are eager for any opportunity to pretend that Christ has not established what He has established, and has not taught what He has taught.
193—On René Girard—Trevor Cribben Merrill
Mimetic desire, scapegoating: if you've been hearing these terms thrown around lately, it's because the French Catholic philosopher René Girard (1923-2015) is having a renaissance, with powerful people like J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel citing his influence on their thought. Trevor Cribben Merrill, producer of the new documentary Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard, joins the podcast to discuss Girard's principal ideas.
Fava Beans and St. Joseph Altars
March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the patron of the Universal Church. The St. Joseph Altar is a way to honor the saint. Virtual St. Joseph altar website and new children's book "Giovanni and the Fava Beans" by Joseph P. Ruli published by Word on Fire reviewed.
Flashback: The Empty Square
All through Rome—and soon, all around the world—Catholic churches had closed their doors. In a stunning development, without any precedent in the history of the Church, the faithful were prevented from attending the Mass, barred from the sacraments, not by secular persecutors but by the choice of their own bishops.
Has the American Experiment Failed?
Some tradition-minded Catholics seem to derive great satisfaction from the thought that America was always on the wrong path. That attitude, I contend, is not only un-American; it is also un-Catholic.
5.7 St. Peter Damian: Monitor of the Popes
St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) was an advisor to, and sometimes corrector of, Popes, Emperors, and Kings. Through his writings he was a reformer of the clergy, and the monasteries, especially calling out and confronting immorality among the clergy. He was a member of the first college of cardinals as we know it today, and took part in wrestling away from royals and nobles the power to appoint Popes, restoring the process of papal elections.
Why young Catholics are rejecting feminism, Pt. 1
Using Gordon as her foil allows Bachiochi to frame the Catholic debate over feminism as a conflict between Church teaching and online reactionaries, while ignoring legitimate challenges to feminism, including from the Church’s own recent magisterium. Many young Catholics who oppose feminism do not reject the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II on the equal dignity of women. They want to reappropriate the fulness of traditional Catholic teaching, reading recent teachings in light of the whole.
Intrinsically Evil Acts and Repentance
Indeed, there are many devout Muslims who, with God’s grace, would make faithful Catholics to replace us. (Are you listening, Western Civilization?)
Against the new antisemitism
If you are looking for a clear barometer of how fascist, or antifascist, either the left or the right are in the years ahead, I suggest you look at their treatment of the Jews. Both columns—Cardinal Dolan’s attacking antisemitism and Thomas Mirus’ clarifying the language with which we do so—are needed right now. There is an upsurge in antisemitism on both the left and the right.
The Vatican (still) isn’t listening
Who profited by forcing Milone’s resignation, and who profits now by scuttling his appeal? Who was responsible for quickly lifting Rupnik’s excommunication, and who profits now by promoting his work?
Fasting, Abstinence, and the Measure of Faith
Individual Catholics, then, must choose their own acts of self-denial according to their personal discernment. How should they choose? Following our Lord’s challenges to His disciples, whatever they do must show that they love Him more than the things of this world. Our willingness to keep these resolutions during the inevitable temptations to acquiesce is the real measure of our faith.
St. Dionysius the Areopagite—On Minding One’s Own Business
"For if the Word of God commands us to pursue just things justly... this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own fitness."
On “synodality”—and why the Hydra doesn’t run the Church
The substitution of continuous consultation for effective ministry will always be disastrous. Certainly one can never deny the benefit to a priest or religious of getting to know the problems of the people assigned to his care, but if he seeks to give them primarily what they think they want, in most cases he will not be giving them what they need. It is only those who are already deeply committed to Christ and the Church—indeed, those committed without exception—who even know what they need.
A holy fool: The Island (2006)
James and Thomas discuss a minor classic of religious cinema, the spiritually edifying (and humorous!) Russian film The Island, about a fictional Orthodox monk and "holy fool" who has special spiritual gifts, but remains racked with guilt over a terrible crime he committed in his youth.
When attacking antisemitism, don’t fudge Church teaching
Dual covenant theology, the idea that the Jews still have a separate covenant that remains valid for them, is condemned by the Church. The only way the Jews can be faithful to the irrevocable covenant is to become part of the Catholic Church, the new Israel. Ironically, dual covenant theology, while attempting to preserve good relations between Christians and Jews, actually destroys the fundamental basis of those relations, which is the fulfilment of the old covenants in Jesus Christ.
St. Patrick, meet the Synod on Synodality
No doubt the organizers of the Synod process—of whom there are many—will repeat their sincere desire that everyone should be involved. But the plain home truth is that few people want to be involved.
Changing the World with Pure (or Impure) Thoughts
Impure thoughts disfigure human relationships and entire societies just as Jesus said: “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The pandemic and Pope Francis
Twelve years after Pope Francis was elected and five years after the Covid lockdown, the author reflects on what has changed.
What to do when the conclave comes
We never know the motivations of the anonymous cardinals who leak the conclave’s secrets, but we know they are untrustworthy.
When Churchmen seek to rally earthly troops
It is not for priests or bishops or patriarchs (or even popes) to encourage mortal combat; their role is to proclaim the peace of Christ, and especially to minister to the souls under their jurisdictional care so that they may become more Christlike in all things.
5.6 St. Peter Damian: The Medieval Jerome
St. Peter Damian (1007 - 1072 AD) is another one of our lesser-known Doctors of the Church, and yet he was, in his time, a man who could give advice to the Popes, and call for reform in the clergy and in the monasteries. Known as a Catholic reformer (long before the Protestant Reformation), he confronted clergy immorality, simony and lay investiture, as well as corruption in the process of the election of Popes, and he was a member of the first college of cardinals, as we know it today.
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