Monday 27th September 2021

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A Leaven In The World… “Should I Go To The Reception?”

March 2, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… “Should I Go To The Reception?”

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Many of our Catholics will find themselves on the horns of a dilemma as we approach another “wedding season” with the coming of spring. Invitations, some of them to public celebrations of invalid marriages, whether a same-sex simulation ceremony or a Catholic remarrying outside the Church after divorce, force a decision upon the faithful Catholic. Honored as we rightfully are when our company is sought by friends at an important celebration of life and love, the invited must seek to please other human beings without betraying love for God. Catholics live what they believe: What we say in the Creed must have an effect through faith on what we do. Jesus Christ taught that “not…Continue Reading

Debunking The Sola Scriptura Myth… True Tradition And False “Tradition”

March 1, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Debunking The Sola Scriptura Myth… True Tradition And False “Tradition”

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 4 A classical objection: What Catholics call the “Apostolic Tradition” is just a human tradition, which Jesus clearly condemned in the Gospel, when He said to the Pharisees, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?…So, for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said, ‘this people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain they worship me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men’” (Matt. 15:3-9). This objection is a classic example of taking a text out of context and making it into a…Continue Reading

The Characteristics Of Faith

February 28, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Characteristics Of Faith

By DON FIER Part 3 Last week, we saw that faith and understanding go hand-in-hand. Although mankind does not possess the capacity to intellectually grasp many of God’s infinite mysteries and truths, he was created with a nature that aspires toward truth, beauty, and goodness. With regard to faith, the human person has a natural desire to seek to understand what he comes to believe through faith. This innate tendency is indeed good, for a more penetrating knowledge leads not only to deeper faith but also to a greater and more profound love of God. We saw also that faith and reason never contradict each other, that although faith is above reason there can never be a true discrepancy between…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

February 27, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. James Likoudis had an article in The Wanderer which indicated that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin was essentially accomplished by John Paul II in 1984. I think that you concurred with that belief in a previous column. My question is this: Did she not say that if the consecration was accomplished, there would be world peace? I don’t think that any sane person would state that we have had world peace at any time since 1984. Therefore, the only two conclusions that seem possible are: 1) that the consecration did not take place or 2) that the Virgin is a liar. We know that the Virgin cannot lie so it seems that…Continue Reading

Francis’ Dialogue With Engaged Couples . . . A Christian Celebration, Not A Worldly Celebration

February 26, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Francis’ Dialogue With Engaged Couples . . . A Christian Celebration, Not A Worldly Celebration

VATICAN CITY (ZENIT) — Here is a translation of Pope Francis’ remarks on February 14, when he met in St. Peter’s Square with some 20,000 young people engaged to be married. He responded to questions posed by three couples. ZENIT News Agency provided the text and did the translation. All rights reserved. +    +    + Question 1: The Fear Of The “Forever” Holiness, so many today think that to promise faithfulness for the whole of life is too difficult an enterprise; many feel that the challenge to live together forever is beautiful, fascinating, but too demanding, almost impossible. We ask you for your word to enlighten us on this. The Pope’s response: I am grateful for the testimony and for…Continue Reading

Simplicity And Humility Defeat The Devil

February 25, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Simplicity And Humility Defeat The Devil

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER First Sunday Of Lent (YR A) Readings: Gen. 2:7-9, 3:1-7 Romans 5:12-19 Matt. 4:1-11 Many times in these sermons I have mentioned the necessity of embracing the truth. The point is often made that God is truth and that the truth will set us free. We also know that the word of God is all true, as are the teachings of the Church. We also know that Satan is a liar and the Father of Lies. It has often been mentioned, however, that the best lie is nine parts truth to one part falsehood. I bring this up because the last thing we would expect out of the Enemy of our Souls is to be quoting…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Traditional Latin Mass: Benedict’s Gift And Francis’ Challenge

February 23, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Traditional Latin Mass: Benedict’s Gift And Francis’ Challenge

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Benedict XVI set the bar for papal humility very high. His resignation made very obvious the fact that he held the needs of the Church above his own. His willingness to step aside and give way for a Successor in order to allow for better meeting the physical and health challenges posed by shepherding the worldwide Church remains a wonderful and unusual example of selflessness for Christ and others. His historic choice will remain a light for others in the Church to follow for many years. Because comparisons are odious, we should certainly refrain from holding his example up against the current occupant of the Petrine chair. Every Vicar of Christ has his own personal…Continue Reading

Debunking The Myth… Sola Scriptura Is Unscriptural

February 22, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Debunking The Myth… Sola Scriptura Is Unscriptural

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 3 Evidently, Jesus did not stay with the apostles and disciples for long after the Resurrection. He founded a Church, His Church. Now, did He found it as a visible Church, with authority to guide, teach, and sanctify the people? Or didn’t He? Either He did or He didn’t. It is one or the other. And what is meant by a visible Church? Just a building upon a hill? Or a congregation sharing unity in one Lord, one faith, one Baptism (Eph. 4:5), under the same government, being taught the same truths, obeying the same Commandments, following the same moral laws, being sanctified by the same sacraments, in short, the one Church of God,…Continue Reading

The Characteristics Of Faith

February 21, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Characteristics Of Faith

By DON FIER Part 2 In last week’s installment, we began an examination of the characteristics of faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) first pointed toward the all-important truth that faith is a grace (see CCC, n. 153). Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, using the classic formulation of St. Thomas Aquinas, expresses it as follows: “Divine faith is an act of the intellect, assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace” (The Faith, p. 36). The Catechism then asserts that believing is “an authentically human act…[by which] the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace” (CCC, nn. 154-155). Next, we discussed motives of credibility — actions by which God “bore…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

February 20, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. How would you talk to children in grades four to six about such things as adultery, premarital sex, contraception, homosexuality, and similar topics? Is there a resource for catechists and parents of children in middle school and high school that would provide short answers to these and other hot-button issues? — S.H., Massachusetts. A. Catechists of young people face a dilemma when talking about sexuality. Do they ignore or gloss over this difficult topic, or do they give the children a truthful explanation that is appropriate for their age? The first point that must be emphasized, regardless of the age group, is that our sexuality is a gift from God that He expects us to use according to His…Continue Reading