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Catholic Replies

December 16, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: Many years ago, we read a column about some of the people alive at the time of Jesus’ birth who missed out on that first Christmas because they were preoccupied with other things. We can’t recall who wrote the column or we would give them credit for the idea. But we would like to share some of the insights that we can remember since they have just as much relevance today. Those Who Missed Out On Christmas There is no story in human history more familiar to us than the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. In the Scripture readings at Christmas, we will hear once again the details of this long-awaited and anxiously anticipated event,…Continue Reading

The Solemnity Of Christmas

December 15, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Solemnity Of Christmas

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10 Heb. 1:1-6 John 1:1-18 May Christ’s Light Fill Our Hearts Today is the celebration of the greatest joy. A baby is born into the world, but it is not the usual kind of birth. We all know the story of the angels rejoicing. This is, in part, because what they had accepted from before time began when the angels were tested has now come to pass: The eternal, infinite, omnipotent God has become a weak human baby born in time with a finite nature. A virgin is a mother; the Creator is created; the Baby is born in a miraculous manner without the normal opening of the womb. There is much to marvel…Continue Reading

Under Francis, Has The “Theology Of Dissent” Triumphed?

December 14, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Under Francis, Has The “Theology Of Dissent” Triumphed?

By FR. PETER MITCHELL (Editor’s Note: Fr. Peter Mitchell, H.E.D., is a priest of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wis. He received his doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2009. He is the author of The Coup at Catholic University: The 1968 Revolution in American Catholic Education [Ignatius Press: 2015]. (LifeSiteNews.com published this article on December 1. All rights reserved.) + + + (LifeSiteNews) — I am a parish priest, a pastor of a typical suburban American parish who tries, as kindly and patiently as I can, to help people who often have not been well-formed in their Catholic faith to understand what the Church teaches and why. My repeated experience is that people are grateful…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… The Strength That Comes From God

December 12, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… The Strength That Comes From God

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK “We don’t need you guys anymore.” Dick Cheney’s devastating comment to CNN’s Barbara Starr on the sidelining of old, conventional media like TV and newspapers brought the house down on a recent televised interview. He was referring to Donald Trump’s penchant for firing off Twitter commentary on political issues and public events, enabling him to go around the filtering and outright deceit of the “mainstream” media and communicate with his supporters directly. “ ‘I think one of the reasons people get so concerned about the tweets is it’s sort of a way around the press,’ he said. ‘It’s modern era, modern technology. He’s at the point where we don’t need you guys anymore’.” (Source: rawstory.com.)…Continue Reading

What Is Faith?… God’s Creation And Purpose

December 11, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on What Is Faith?… God’s Creation And Purpose

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA Part 15 I think of the word “gullible” whenever I hear the words “Big Bang” mentioned to explain the origin of the universe. We are supposed to believe that in the beginning there was nothing and then, somehow or other, a huge condensed solid mass of matter came out of the nothing, and without anybody doing anything it exploded and the billions of fragments scattered all over the place and gradually gave origin to stars and planets and seaweeds, frogs, chimpanzees, and finally atheistic scientists. You’ve got to be very gullible indeed, to believe that from a huge explosion things came out in order after a while! When has anybody seen order coming out of disorder,…Continue Reading

Gifts Of The Holy Spirit — Fortitude

December 10, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Gifts Of The Holy Spirit — Fortitude

By DON FIER An underlying principle that sums up why the gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary for the attainment of eternal life is that the natural instincts of mind and will — even elevated by the infused theological and moral virtues — cannot always cope with critical situations or problems that present themselves during life’s journey. As expressed by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, “They do not, by themselves, so perfect a man on the road to heaven that he has no further need of being moved by the yet higher promptings of the Holy Spirit” (The Catholic Catechism [TCC], p. 200). It is only through an immediate, consensual response to the illuminations and impulses of the Holy…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

December 9, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: Regarding a recent question about omission of the Epistle and Gospel at a Latin Mass, M.C. of Michigan sent the following by e-mail: “I have been going to Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form with some regularity ever since Pope St. John Paul issued his indult, both in my home state of Michigan and on trips to at least nine other states, and have never seen either the Epistle or Gospel omitted. What I have seen (very rarely) is the omission of the reading of those parts of the Mass in English. That is, I think, sometimes standard practice when a daily Mass is offered, but not normally on Sunday. Usually, the priest reads both readings twice —…Continue Reading

The Obedience Of Faith

December 8, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Obedience Of Faith

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Fourth Sunday Of Advent (YR A) Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matt. 1:18-24 In the second reading today St. Paul says that he was made an apostle in order to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of the Name of Jesus. It is this obedience to which every single person on Earth is called. However, we must make an important distinction: Obedience is not mere subjection or submission. This is the Muslim idea of obedience: Just submit and do not ask questions. This is because they see themselves as slaves, in the negative sense of that word, to a God who can make any demand and they must carry it out. As Christians…Continue Reading

Advent As A Liturgical Season

December 7, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Advent As A Liturgical Season

By FR. EDWARD McNAMARA, LC (Editor’s Note: Below is a ZENIT column by Legionary of Christ Fr. Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum University. ZENIT News Agency published the column. All rights reserved.) + + + Q. May you help me on the issue of Advent season, since we are approaching it? What is its formation and its theology? — D.K., Harare, Zimbabwe. A. This is a vast question and it is not easy to respond briefly. However, we will attempt to give at least some basic ideas. Our present system of organizing the liturgical cycle begins with Advent. This is perfectly logical as everything in the Church begins with the coming of Christ.…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Advent: Running To Meet The Lord

December 5, 2016 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Advent: Running To Meet The Lord

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK The Word Incarnate is the One we receive at Christmas and for whom we prepare in Advent, running in love to meet Him. Words are the means by which we grow in intimacy with the Lord in prayer and worship. Although an increasing number of Catholics are less enamored of English in the liturgy, the argument is predictably offered that any language can certainly help any of us connect personally with God; even English. When I once commented that English is not a sacred language, a priest on Facebook barked back at me that English is a sacred language because any language in which we speak to God is sacred. Except there’s the Church. Any…Continue Reading