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Preparing A Way

November 27, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Preparing A Way

By FR ROBERT ALTIER Second Sunday Of Advent (YR B) Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8 In the first reading today God speaks to Isaiah telling him to give comfort to His people. This message comes at the end of a long period of suffering for the people of Israel during which their sins were expiated. Now as the call to comfort the people is given, it is clear that there is still a bit more suffering that will occur because we are told that the valleys will filled in and the mountains will be brought low. However, in doing this, God is preparing a way in the desert. There are a couple of things we need…Continue Reading

Pope Francis’ Address At Colloquium . . . Complementary Is At The Root Of Marriage And Family

November 26, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Pope Francis’ Address At Colloquium . . . Complementary Is At The Root Of Marriage And Family

VATICAN CITY (ZENIT) — Here is the translation of Pope Francis’ address in the Vatican at the opening of the “Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman,” November 17-19. In his talk, the Holy Father stated: “Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity.” + + + Dear sisters and brothers, I warmly greet you. I thank [Gerhard] Cardinal Müller [prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith] for his words with which he introduced our meeting. I would like to begin by sharing with you a reflection on the title of your colloquium. You must…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World . . . Some Bishops Are Beginning To Find Their Voice

November 24, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World . . . Some Bishops Are Beginning To Find Their Voice

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK In recent weeks the Pope hosted the “Humanum” conference in Rome. In his remarks of welcome he clearly reiterated his commitment to the right of children to have both a mother and a father while stating that marriages and families cannot be redefined by or subject to manipulation by ideologies. (See p. 4B of this week’s Wanderer for the full text.) Interestingly, those who have attempted to co-opt him for an alien agenda are beginning to bristle with displeasure. In response to Pope Francis’ “Humanum” comments, Franco Grillini, the head of “Gaynet,” responded, according to Alessandro Gisotti of Vatican Radio, with the withering comment that the Pope is “a false progressive” because he affirms as…Continue Reading

Is The Rosary A Prayer Of “Vain Repetitions”?

November 23, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Is The Rosary A Prayer Of “Vain Repetitions”?

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM Part 3 The visit I received from two Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs, for short) gave me the opportunity to demonstrate that repetitive prayer — especially the rosary — is entirely in line with Sacred Scripture. When they walked into my living room and did not miss the sight of my rosary on the mantelpiece, I knew only too well that they were itching to say something about it. And, as sure as death and taxes, one of them asked me if I was aware that prayer of repetition was “condemned by Jesus in the Bible.” In this article I’d like to provide more information I trust will be useful to Wanderer readers to use in their…Continue Reading

Reading And Interpreting Scripture

November 22, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Reading And Interpreting Scripture

By DON FIER We ended last week’s installment by launching into a discussion on a question of critical importance: “How is Sacred Scripture to be read and interpreted?” The significance and the relevance of this question become apparent if one examines findings outlined in the 2012 “Status of Global Mission” report, a publication of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research which has been issued annually for the past 28 years. The report tells us that by mid-2012 there will be approximately 2.3 billion Christians in the world, comprising about one-third of the global population. Of these, approximately 1.2 billion profess to be Roman Catholic. What about the remaining 1.1 billion Christians? A telling statistic in the report is the number…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

November 21, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. We recently celebrated the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Why does the Church celebrate a church building in Rome? — P.R., Massachusetts. A. Because the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the oldest church in Christendom and is the church of the Pope, not St. Peter’s Basilica. The Lateran Basilica was built in the fourth century and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324, just 11 years after Roman Emperor Constantine granted Christians religious freedom. He gave the former palace of the Laterani family to Pope Miltiades, and the Popes resided there for a thousand years. We honor this sacred building as a way of expressing love and veneration for the Church of Rome, which St.…Continue Reading

Be Watchful And Alert

November 20, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Be Watchful And Alert

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER First Sunday Of Advent (YR B) Readings: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b, 64:2-7 1 Cor. 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-17 In the first reading today we hear of the conflict that has tormented humanity from the very beginning. The problem is that we blame God for everything. Isaiah cries out to God in a lament, “Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants.” There is the clear acknowledgment that we have wandered from the Lord and that we have hardened our hearts against Him, but then the blame is placed squarely on the Lord for allowing it to happen in…Continue Reading

In The Footsteps Of St. Paul… Bishop Conley’s Pilgrimage Teaches About Evangelizing Culture

November 19, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on In The Footsteps Of St. Paul… Bishop Conley’s Pilgrimage Teaches About Evangelizing Culture

(Editor’s Note: Below is the latest column by Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Neb., for the Southern Nebraska Register. Bishop Conley, in conjunction with Spirit Catholic Radio and others, went on an October 31 to November 9 St. Paul Mediterranean Pilgrimage Cruise. (ZENIT News Agency provided the text. All rights reserved.) + + + The ancient Christian writer and theologian Tertullian once asked the Church, “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?” He asked the question as Christianity spread from Israel into the Greek world; and as Greek intellectuals looked for deeper insight into the Christian mystery. Tertullian was asking whether pagan Greek culture — philosophy, poetry, the arts, history, and literature — had anything of value for those…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… Social Kingship Of Christ And Religious Freedom

November 17, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… Social Kingship Of Christ And Religious Freedom

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.” The first reading from First Corinthians proclaimed in all our churches on Sunday, November 23, proclaims that Christ reigns as “king” because He demands complete obedience of intellect and will on the part of all who love Him as Savior and God. Archbishop William Lori, chairman of the Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, in his remarks to the annual meeting of…Continue Reading

Is The Rosary A Prayer Of “Vain Repetitions”?

November 16, 2014 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Is The Rosary A Prayer Of “Vain Repetitions”?

By Raymond de Souza, KM Part 2 Last week I told the story of the visit of two Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW for short) to my house, and I showed to them that Jesus was in favor of repetitive prayer, because He gave us a prayer to repeat, the Our Father. I left a question unanswered. The younger JW had asked me, “So, are you saying that your rosary is inspired in the Bible?” “Actually, yes,” I answered. “The rosary is simply a way of keeping order, dividing the prayers in distinct sections. Let me give you another example, straight from the Bible. Take Psalm 119 (119, depending on the version). It is the longest psalm in the Bible, having 176…Continue Reading