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The Sacrament Of Confession… Devotional Confession

September 30, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Sacrament Of Confession… Devotional Confession

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 6 It is a common scene in any devout Catholic parish to have people going to Confession once a month, and others once a week, even though they may not have any mortal sins on their conscience. Venial sins, strictly speaking, do not demand Confession, and a good and sincere act of contrition may secure the forgiveness. If so, why should anyone go to Confession if they have nothing serious for which to seek forgiveness? This pious and most praiseworthy custom is called “Devotional Confession” or “Optional Confession.” It is the Sacrament of Penance as received by those who have only venial sins to confess, or sins already forgiven in a previous Confession. This…Continue Reading

The Cardinal Virtues — Justice

September 29, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Cardinal Virtues — Justice

By DON FIER As has been emphasized over the past two weeks, the cardinal virtue of prudence is the first and most necessary of all the moral virtues. Its primary function, as articulated by Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP, “is precisely to point out and command the just mean or measure in regard to any and all human actions” (Spiritual Theology [SpT], pp. 276-277). It is the virtue that “disposes reason to discern in every circumstance our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 380). Supernaturally infused prudence “operates under reason enlightened by faith and informed with charity” (SpT, p. 276); it assists one in guarding against excess…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

September 28, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. I was surprised to read in one of your recent columns that there are different levels of Heaven. Does praying for those deceased who are perhaps already in Heaven elevate their position or status in Heaven? What is the Church’s position on that? — A.C., Tennessee. A. The Church’s position is that of St. Paul, whom we quoted as having said that the quality of one’s spiritual life on Earth will determine the level of happiness one will enjoy in Heaven. While praying for the deceased can get them out of Purgatory into Heaven, we don’t think that our prayers can change one’s status in Heaven since that was decided by the kind of life they led on Earth.…Continue Reading

Pope John Paul II: Message For The Cologne World Youth Day “We Have Come To Worship Him”

September 26, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Pope John Paul II: Message For The Cologne World Youth Day “We Have Come To Worship Him”

(Editor’s Note: In view of the upcoming Synod on Youth, we revisit Pope John Paul II’s Message to the Youth of the World for the 20th World Youth Day, held in Cologne, August 2005. John Paul’s message was dated August 6, 2004. He died on April 2, 2005. The Cologne World Youth Day was the first for Pope Benedict XVI.) + + + “We have come to worship him” (Matt. 2:2) + + + My dear young people! This year we have celebrated the 19th World Youth Day, meditating on the desire expressed by some Greeks who had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover: “We wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). And here we are now, making our way to…Continue Reading

Being Transformed Into Jesus

September 25, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Being Transformed Into Jesus

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-Sixth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR B) Readings: Numb. 11:25-29 James 5:1-6 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 During His time on Earth our Lord was not very popular among the powers that be. While that has not changed, He is becoming less popular among the common people in our day. Unfortunately, some of this includes those who claim to believe in Him and even to love Him, but they do not accept some of His teachings. Among these people are a growing number of Catholics who have bought the lie that no one goes to Hell. Their rationalization for this is because God loves us and, therefore, would never allow anyone to be condemned. Obviously, these people…Continue Reading

Leaven In This World “As for Me and My Household, We Will Serve the Lord”

September 24, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Leaven In This World “As for Me and My Household, We Will Serve the Lord”

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK “But if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, you have your choice: choose this day that which pleaseth you, whom you would rather serve, whether the gods which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24, 15 I recently had occasion to think about the rebuilding and renewal of our holy Church that is indeed underway, in so many places, at the same time that so much bad news about our Faith floods the airwaves, finds its way into headlines and is abundant online. For two years I have spent…Continue Reading

The Sacrament Of Confession… More Testimony From The Early Christians

September 23, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Sacrament Of Confession… More Testimony From The Early Christians

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 5 A few more quotations from the Early Fathers of the Church will conclude our list of testimonies. If our Wanderer readers feel I have quoted too many of them, I am glad, because it proves ad nauseam that the Early Christians believed and practiced the Sacrament of Confession since the very beginning of the Church in the world. They were Catholics. St. Cyprian of Carthage, Letter to His Clergy (AD 250): Speaking of giving Communion to sinners who, in times of persecution, did not go to Confession and did not receive absolution: “They are being admitted to Communion, and the offering is made in their name. And, not yet having made a confession…Continue Reading

The Integral Parts Of Prudence

September 22, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Integral Parts Of Prudence

By DON FIER Prudence, the first of the four cardinal virtues scrutinized by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), is defined in its Glossary as “the virtue which disposes a person to discern the good and choose the correct means to accomplish it.” It is designated as the charioteer of all the virtues in that “it guides [them] by setting rule and measure” (CCC, n. 1806). As articulated by Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP, in Spiritual Theology (SpT), “Prudence is the most necessary of all the moral virtues because its function is precisely to point out and command the just mean or measure in regard to any and all human actions. It enables us to judge accurately what is the…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

September 21, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. It’s been several years since a Vatican commission was appointed to investigate the legitimacy of the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje. What is the status of that investigation? — M.K., South Carolina. A. In 2014, the commission concluded a four-year study of the Medjugorje phenomenon and sent a report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The CDF is to prepare a document on the reported apparitions and send it to the Pope for his final decision. That has not happened yet as far as we know. Pope Francis did send a special envoy to Medjugorje last year, but his role, said retired Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland, is “exclusively pastoral.” He said that…Continue Reading

HLI’s Mission To Mongolia… There Are Setbacks, But The Church Continues

September 19, 2018 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on HLI’s Mission To Mongolia… There Are Setbacks, But The Church Continues

By FR. SHENAN BOQUET (Editor’s Note: Fr. Shenan Boquet is the president of Human Life International. This commentary first appeared September 3 at HLI.org and was reprinted by LifeSiteNews.com. All rights reserved.) + + + “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:18). These words of the Divine Master are exemplified in the energy, passion, and heroic work of the Church in Mongolia, whose history dates to the golden era of the Mongol empire in the thirteenth century. My recent mission to the “Land of the Eternal…Continue Reading