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Catholic Replies

June 23, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. I have heard it said that homosexual behavior is one of the sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance. Is that true and, if so, what are the others? — T.S., Arizona. A. In Holy Scripture there are four sins in this category, so called because in each case the victims of these sins cried out to the Lord for help, and their cries were heard. Here are the sins and the relevant Bible passages: Willful murder — After Cain killed his brother Abel, “The Lord then said: ‘What have you done! Listen: Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your…Continue Reading

Whoever Receives You Receives Me

June 22, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Whoever Receives You Receives Me

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Thirteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR A) Readings: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a Romans 6:3-4, 8-12 Matt. 10:37-42 In the readings today we hear about our own dignity as Christian persons and also about the way we, as Christian people, are to treat others. We look first at the point of our own dignity. In the second reading St. Paul reminds us that we are baptized into Jesus Christ so we might live in newness of life. For this reason, he says, we are to consider ourselves dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. It is a great privilege to be a member of Jesus Christ. It means that we share in His divine…Continue Reading

The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum . . . The Wanderer Interviews Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ

June 21, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum . . . The Wanderer Interviews Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ

By CHRISTOPHER MANION (Editor’s Note: The Wanderer first published this article on Summorum Pontificum on July 19, 2007, and we are reprinting it here in view of the upcoming ten-year anniversary of Pope Benedict’s landmark motu proprio, which allowed priests to say the Traditional Rite of the Mass without asking for permission. (This interview appeared in two parts; we will publish part two in next week’s issue.) + + + Part 1 Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ, just celebrated his 36th anniversary as editor of Homiletic & Pastoral Review. He is a renowned theologian, and has closely followed events in the Church for decades. The Wanderer spoke with him just three days after the publication of Pope Benedict’s motu proprio, Summorum…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… “My Grace Is Sufficient,” But Not For You

June 19, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… “My Grace Is Sufficient,” But Not For You

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK As I prepare to retire from the military with 26 years of service with active and reserve in the Army and Navy, I come to discussions in the Church with a strong ecumenical background. Priests who serve in the military live in an ecumenical and interfaith world. Catholic military chaplains share many duties with Protestant Chaplains with the exception of leading services or celebrating sacraments for non-Catholics. They also rub shoulders with Jewish and Muslim chaplains as well. One area where military priests have experience not often possible in a typical parish is extensive interaction with former Catholics. Some Catholics want to be Protestant and we are not to proselytize them. Some Catholics go to…Continue Reading

Our Savior And Redeemer… The Resurrection!

June 18, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Our Savior And Redeemer… The Resurrection!

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 12 The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is not a belief that a Christian may take or leave. St. Paul makes it crystal clear that if Jesus were not risen from the dead, then our faith would be vain. Period. His Resurrection is a non-negotiable dogma we can never doubt or call into question if we wish to be a Christian. In previous articles we have dealt with the apologetics aspect of the Resurrection, and there is no need to repeat the argumentation here. I will instead deal with the condition of His Risen Body and the saving significance of the Resurrection. The point is that Jesus did not come simply to die,…Continue Reading

The History Of The Sacrament Of Penance

June 17, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The History Of The Sacrament Of Penance

By DON FIER It was on that first Easter Sunday night, as we saw last week, that our resurrected Lord gave to the Church one of her greatest gifts: He instituted the Sacrament of Penance by breathing upon the apostles in the Upper Room and pronouncing those wondrous words: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23). He thus offered baptized Christians who sever themselves from friendship with Jesus by falling into grave sin “a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], n. 1446). We also saw last week that the Sacrament…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

June 16, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. I have homosexual friends who are angry at the Church for describing them as “disordered” because of their homosexual inclinations. How should I respond to them? — M.K., Florida. A. By pointing out that it is their actions, not themselves, that the Church describes as “intrinsically disordered.” Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 2357) says: “Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity [cf. Gen. 19:1-29; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Cor. 6:10; 1 Tim. 1:10], tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered’ [CDF, Persona humana, n. 8]. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from…Continue Reading

Trust And Pray

June 15, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Trust And Pray

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twelfth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR A) Readings Jer. 20:10-13 Romans 5:12-15 Matt. 10:26-33 In the second reading today St. Paul teaches us that in the sin of Adam, all sinned. While original sin is not a personal sin of ours, we are still conceived and born with this sin on our souls. It is removed through Baptism, but the effects of the sin remain in us. Over the course of our lifetimes, we have all added many sins on top of the one we inherited from Adam. How each of has been affected by original sin varies in many ways. The darkening of the intellect and the weakening of the will affect us directly in…Continue Reading

The Alleluia Before The Gospel

June 14, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Alleluia Before The Gospel

By FR. EDWARD McNAMARA (Editor’s Note: In this Liturgy Q-and-A column from ZENIT News Agency, Fr. Edward McNamara says singing the Alleluia before the Gospel remains the ideal. (Legionary of Christ Fr. Edward McNamara is a professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university. (ZENIT News Agency is the publisher of Fr. McNamara’s column. All rights reserved. Visit www.zenit.org for more information.) + + + Q. In a follow-up to a 2007 article concerning the Alleluia and Versum ante Evangelium, you commented that “the Church’s intention is that whenever possible the Alleluia or other seasonal acclamation should always be sung.” Now, Musicam Sacram, in nn. 28-31, outlines the grades of Missa cantata. N. 29 says that…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Just Defense And Christianity Together Defeat Hate

June 12, 2017 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Just Defense And Christianity Together Defeat Hate

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK There never was a commandment that says: “Thou shalt not offend thy brother or sister.” One might be forgiven, however, for believing there may be a new and improved version of Christianity popularized as globalism or immigrant mania where all is sacrificed, even one’s own offspring, to assuage the needs of those overlords who, perhaps, refuse to have children of their own. Recently, Facebook temporarily suspended Fr. John Higgins for his retelling of the history of Islam’s onslaughts against the West. When the truth itself is considered offensive, all true Christians must be ready for martyrdom. These are the times that will expose Christians of convenience or cultural Catholicism for the superficiality which lurked beneath…Continue Reading