Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Home » Our Catholic Faith » Recent Articles:

French Catholics Rally . . . Demand Return Of Public Masses

December 2, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on French Catholics Rally . . . Demand Return Of Public Masses

By JEANNE SMITS PARIS (LifeSiteNews) — The third Sunday without public Masses because of the current COVID-19 lockdown in France saw an increase in often prayerful demonstrations in towns and cities all over the country. Over 70 rallies were held, with many traditionalist Catholics but also “Novus Ordo” faithful, in an unaccustomed spirit of unity.Two emergency lawsuits had confirmed that it is illegal for the administrative authorities to ban a demonstration because of possible public prayers — the motive that was invoked a week earlier to condemn certain rallies and prohibit others, such as in Paris in front of Saint-Sulpice.While judiciary twists and turns prevented the lawsuits from being successful in allowing the organization of an open-air Mass as had…Continue Reading

God Calls Us To Repentance And Holiness

December 1, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on God Calls Us To Repentance And Holiness

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Second Sunday Of Advent (YR B) Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-112 Peter 3:8-14Mark 1:1-8 In the first reading the Lord tells the Prophet Isaiah to speak tenderly to Jerusalem and to speak words of comfort. At the time Isaiah was writing, the people were just coming back from exile. Unsure and confused, Isaiah is to comfort the people by telling them their service is at an end and their guilt is expiated; indeed, Jerusalem had received double for all her sins.I am not sure the Lord will be speaking words of comfort to us just yet. It seems we are only at the beginning of the time of paying for our sins. When we consider the sins…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Ecclesial Musings

November 30, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Ecclesial Musings

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK One of our local priests has fallen happily into the role of a convener of sorts in support of the social fraternity of other priests. He will text various priests with an invitation on Saturdays and Sundays for either of two locations and rotates the events, to encourage greater participation, one in the northern and the other in the southern end of our tri-county region.As I approach my 60s, I’ve grown to minimize time in the car, especially as I must travel regularly to help care for my parents. I know I will have to drive every other week to reach them and increasingly appreciate the time at home in the rectory otherwise.One becomes more…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

November 27, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: Are you interested in finding a Christmas gift for someone who has everything, except a knowledge of the Catholic faith? Why not give this person one or more of our books? The books available are Catholic Replies and Catholic Replies 2, All Generations Will Call Me Blessed, Who Do You Say That I Am?, Catholicism & Reason (Apologetics), Catholicism & Scripture (Salvation History), Catholicism & Society (Marriage and Family), Catholicism & Ethics (Medical/Moral Issues), and Catholicism & Life (Commandments and Sacraments). They range in price from $10.95 to $17.95, but may be purchased at a special Christmas discount of $5.00 each, plus $10 shipping for up to five books and $15 for more than five books.All orders must…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Shepherds vs. Sheep

November 26, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Shepherds vs. Sheep

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK “Feed my sheep.” Many of you will likely read this as you are basking in the gastronomical afterglow of the Thanksgiving feast. I wish you and yours a blessed one.All holiday-related excesses aside, eating is life. We give thanks this week each year in particular for the bounty God has provided through the blessing of this land. We remember the hardships of those who first came to settle the country and endured innumerable hardships and death to make prosperity possible for us.We properly offer prayers in a sacrifice of praise to make this occasion complete. Some very appropriately begin the day with Holy Mass, the perfect Thanksgiving because Christ is present as the Eucharist, God’s…Continue Reading

Catholic Family Life . . . The Answer To The Evils That Beset Us

November 25, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Family Life . . . The Answer To The Evils That Beset Us

By JAMES MONTI In Frank Capra’s classic 1939 movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, we are introduced to an idealistic young man, Jefferson Smith (played by Jimmy Stuart), who unwittingly finds himself propelled into a pitched David-and-Goliath battle with a cadre of corrupt politicians, businessmen, and journalists all determined to crush him and what he stands for.In the character of Jefferson Smith can be seen a metaphor of what we as Catholics are experiencing right now in our culture war against a seemingly invincible secularistic culture, the culture of death. There are even voices within this Godless culture that have expressed the malicious desire of crushing us one and all lest we ever dare again to have a voice in…Continue Reading

The Command To Watch

November 24, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Command To Watch

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Sunday Sermon for November 29, 2020First Sunday Of Advent (YR B) Readings: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b, 64:2-71 Cor. 1:3-9Mark 13:33-37 In the Gospel reading our Lord tells us something of great importance. Of course, since everything He said is the Word of God, it is all of great importance. However, the last line in the Gospel is not spoken only to those who believe. Indeed, our Lord says: “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”The Scriptures are meant for everyone, but not everyone will accept God, our Lord, or their holy Word. But this call to watch, rather, this command to watch is given to everyone whether they believe or not.For what are we…Continue Reading

Listen To The Gospel of Zacchaeus

November 23, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Listen To The Gospel of Zacchaeus

By FR. JAMES ALTMAN In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.Dear family, let it never be said that I don’t have a sense of humor! Every now and then something humorous comes along and I throw it into these meditations, so here you go:“I was going to tell you a COVID Joke, but there’s a 99.696 percent chance you won’t get it!”Dear family, as the saying goes, there’s some truth to the humor. As we brace for yet another left-wing lockdown — yet another attempt to undermine our democracy — yet another attempt to drive the final nail in the coffin of our freedom of religion, let us realize and confess…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

November 20, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. Have you ever heard of the “Apostolic Pardon”? I’ve heard of it lately, but no one seems to know about it. What is it? — G.P.M., via e-mail.A. It’s a shame that many Catholics do not know of this vitally important way of preparing for entry into Heaven at the end of one’s life. Please make the following information known to as many family and friends as you can.Once the Sacrament of Penance has been given to a dying person, says the Pastoral Care of the Sick (n. 201), “the priest may give the Apostolic Pardon for the dying, using one of the following:“ ‘Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments…Continue Reading

The McCarrick Report: “Power Corrupts”

November 19, 2020 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The McCarrick Report: “Power Corrupts”

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK “. . . The situation that Christians have to face today has more in common with that described by the author of the Apocalypse than with the age of St. Augustine. The world is strong and has evil masters. But these masters are not vicious autocrats like Nero and Domitian. They are the engineers of the mechanism of world power: a mechanism that is more formidable than anything the ancient world knew, because it is not confined to external means, like the despotism of the past, but uses all the resources of modern psychology to make the human soul the motor of its dynamic purpose.”Perhaps one example of Christopher Dawson’s above quote would be Catholics…Continue Reading