Sunday 5th May 2024

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Least Of The Least

August 15, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Least Of The Least

BY FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR C) Readings: Isaiah 66:18-21Heb. 12:5-7, 11-13Luke 13:22-30 At the end of the Gospel reading today our Lord says something that is simultaneously hopeful and terrifying. He tells us that some who are first will be last and some who are last will be first. For those of us who more than resemble St. Paul’s teaching that God chooses the least, the lowborn, and those who are nothing, this statement of our Lord provides a great deal of hope.We are well aware that He could not have found anyone worse because, if there was someone worse, He would have chosen that person. However, we can reason, since He chose me for…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

August 12, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. The Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium (n. 36) says that Latin is to be preserved in the Roman Rite, and it goes on to say that the people should be taught to sing or say in Latin the parts of the Mass pertaining to them. So, is there anything wrong with softly saying those parts of the Mass in Latin as Vatican II called for as long as I am not disturbing anyone around me? After all, Latin is still the official language of the Church. – G.Y., Kansas.A. No, we don’t see any reason why you cannot sing or say the words quietly in Latin. But while Vatican II said that Latin should be preserved, it also said…Continue Reading

The Freedom To Be Catholic

August 11, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Freedom To Be Catholic

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK News of my parish’s imminent demise in the wake of the death-dealing Traditionis custodes has spread through the Internet and at least one Catholic video news source of the independent sort. Many of the so-called “official” sources like to pretend we don’t exist.One news outlet used a video of mine about a transgender children’s story hour a few years back and didn’t bother to credit me by name. That’s how much some forces in the Church like to avoid the uncomfortable truth that we exist.They’re all noticing us now. A prominent priest associated with directing the plans for providing the TLM at three new locations in the archdiocese admitted that “most” of the people attending…Continue Reading

You Can’t Take It With You… But You Can Send It On Ahead

August 10, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on You Can’t Take It With You… But You Can Send It On Ahead

By MSGR. CHARLES POPE Part 1 (Editor’s Note: Msgr. Charles Pope posted this essay on July 30 and it is reprinted here with permission. Because of the essay’s length, we are presenting it in two parts. The second part will appear in next week’s issue.) + + Five teachings on wealth from the Gospel of the 18th Sunday of the Year.The Gospel today is not merely a warning against greed, it is an instruction on income and wealth given by Jesus to help us root out greed. As the Gospel opens the problem of greed is presented, and then a prescribed perspective about wealth is offered. Let’s take a look at both parts of this Gospel.The Problem that is Portrayed…Continue Reading

Hearts On Fire

August 8, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Hearts On Fire

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twentieth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR C) Readings: Jer. 38:4-6, 8-10Heb. 12:1-4Luke 12:49-53 In the Gospel reading today, our Lord tells us He came to set the Earth on fire. This can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but I think the primary meaning can only be the fire of love. Since He is love Himself and, since we are made in the image and likeness of love, He came to set our hearts on fire with love for God and neighbor.It is interesting that our Lord adds that He wishes the fire were already blazing. That tells us that there was not a lot of love for God in the hearts of the people…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

August 5, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: This final article on Apologetics comes from the book Catholicism & Reason. Please feel free to use the series for high schoolers or adults. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well. You can send them either to the postal mailing address or to the email address below, and we will interrupt this series to answer them.Special Course On Catholicism And Reason (Chapter 23) Having examined the claims of various churches, we can see why Catholics should be proud of what their Church has accomplished over two millennia. We must remember, however, that these accomplishments can only be attributed to the grace of Jesus Christ, not to our own efforts. If the Catholic Church…Continue Reading

The Death Of A Parish

August 4, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Death Of A Parish

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK As of September 21, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) will be herded like prisoners of war into three officially designated camps.This while Pope Francis parades through Canada on an official apology tour for the Church’s role in doing virtually the same thing to the children of indigenous peoples in the residential schools.For the offense of choosing the wrong kind of worship, these recalcitrant miscreants must feel the pain of their poor decision-making. They may no longer worship in their home parish church.Soon the TLM recusants will need to shoehorn themselves in, before or after the existing schedule of the hosting mission church, 50 or more cars…Continue Reading

Don’t Think, Look!. . . A Meditation On The Need For The Mystical

August 3, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Don’t Think, Look!. . . A Meditation On The Need For The Mystical

By MSGR. CHARLES POPE (Editor’s Note: Msgr. Charles Pope posted this on July 26. It is reprinted here with permission.) + + Our intellect is our greatest strength and one of our greatest blessings, yet almost nothing gets us into as much trouble. Our strength is also our struggle. We think we know a few things, and indeed we do — a very few things.The greatest intellects, if they have wisdom and humility, know this. St. Thomas Aquinas famously said:In finem nostrae cognitionis Deum tamquam ignotum cognoscimus. (At the end of our knowledge we know God as unknown.) (In Boetium de Trinitate, q. 1, a. 2, ad 1um.)Henri De Lubac, a great intellect of the twentieth century, lamented:“There is probably…Continue Reading

The Realization Of What Is Hoped For

August 1, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Realization Of What Is Hoped For

BY FR. ROBERT ALTIER Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR C) Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19Luke 12:32-48 In the second reading, St. Paul says that “faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” The concept of faith has a variety of different meanings, but St. Paul makes it very practical. Saying it is practical, however, is not the same as saying it is easy. He speaks of the faith of Abraham as the example of what he means.Abraham was promised an inheritance of the Holy Land, but he did not know that was the promise. He left his homeland and even stayed in the Holy Land, still not knowing this was the land…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

July 29, 2022 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. WOW, your answer to my question about my 17-year-old granddaughter’s attire in Church really caused a rift in my family. Your answer was viewed by some as being uncharitable and un-Christlike. Her mother said her daughter cried and suffered some mental stress about being called a “hooker.” Her father said your advice to stay home from church is to commit a grave mortal sin by not attending Mass. I am caught in the middle of all this for having broached the question to you. Might you, upon reflection, have answered the question differently? – A.G., via e-mail.A. Okay, perhaps our reply was too strongly worded. But we’re tired of seeing people in church who have no apparent respect for…Continue Reading