Sunday 15th September 2019

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Catholic Replies

August 9, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Q. A recent Mass reading talks about Abram’s interaction with Melchizedek, the king of Salem. What do we know about Melchizedek? — F.A., via e-mail. A. Melchizedek was a king and priest who lived at the time of Abram (later Abraham). When Abram learned that a group of kings had seized all the food and possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and had taken his nephew Lot prisoner, he mustered more than 300 men, defeated the kings in battle, and rescued Lot. When he returned from his victory, Abram was greeted by Melchizedek, the king of Salem, who brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram with these words: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, / the creator of heaven…Continue Reading

What Is A True Scandal?… No One Has A Right To The Holy Eucharist

August 7, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on What Is A True Scandal?… No One Has A Right To The Holy Eucharist

By BISHOP ATHANASIUS SCHNEIDER Part 2 (Editor’s Note: Here is the second half of Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s commentary on the working document of the Amazon Synod. That synod is set to take place in Rome from October 6-27, with most of the synod fathers stemming from the Amazon region. Bishop Schneider is the auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan. (The first half of the Schneider commentary appeared in last week’s issue. (Bishop Schneider joins a growing list of episcopal critics of the working document, or Instrumentum Laboris, of the October synod.) + + + St. Irenaeus is already a witness in the second century for the unity of the Faith and of discipline in the Church, and to be such among…Continue Reading

The Faith Of Abraham

August 6, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Faith Of Abraham

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Sunday Sermon for August 11, 2019 Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR C) Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9 Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19 Luke 12:32-48 In the readings today we hear about faith, its necessity and its reward. St. Paul speaks of faith as “the realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” He goes on to talk about Abraham, the Father of the Jewish Faith and of our Faith. Abraham left his homeland after being called by God. This was already an act of faith, but it was even greater since he did not even know where he was going. God did not even tell him to go south or east; He just promised…Continue Reading

Catholics In Hong Kong . . . Caught Up In Protests Against China

August 5, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholics In Hong Kong . . . Caught Up In Protests Against China

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Fr. Vincent Woo is a native of Hong Kong. I met him recently during his stay in the United States for the purpose of studying at Catholic University. He will return to his diocese after earning a canon law degree. He is unsure about the future of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, which has historically been as one in union with Rome. The Patriotic Church created by the Communist Party never took root in Hong Kong. The attempt to grab judicial power in Hong Kong is related to the experience of the Church in China. The so-called Patriotic Church, for joining which Pope Francis has given the green light to Chinese clergy, is still…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

August 2, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: From time to time, we have quoted from William Kilpatrick, former college professor, author of several books, including Christianity, Islam, and Atheism, and frequent contributor to Catholic publications. You should visit his site turningpointproject.com if you are seeking information about the threat to our Church and our country from the forces of Islam. Kilpatrick argues that a major problem facing us is “stealth jihad,” which is “a long-term campaign to spread Islamic law and culture by influencing and eventually co-opting key social institutions.” He says that “stealth jihadists have also been at work for decades in the U.S., burrowing into government, schools, the media, and even churches. After decades of multicultural conditioning about the benefits of diversity, many…Continue Reading

What Is A True Scandal? . . . No One Has A Right To The Holy Eucharist

July 31, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on What Is A True Scandal? . . . No One Has A Right To The Holy Eucharist

By BISHOP ATHANASIUS SCHNEIDER Part 1 (Editor’s Note: As stated with the page one article by Maike Hickson, here is the first half of Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s commentary on the working document of the Amazon Synod. That synod is set to take place in Rome from October 6-27, with most of the synod fathers stemming from the Amazon region. Bishop Schneider is the auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan. (The second half of the Schneider commentary will appear in next week’s issue. (Bishop Schneider joins a growing list of episcopal critics of the working document, or Instrumentum Laboris, of the October synod.) + + + (LifeSiteNews) — In his July 14 interview with ORF [an Austrian national public service broadcaster], Bishop…Continue Reading

Treasures In Heaven

July 30, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Treasures In Heaven

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR C) Readings: Eccl. 1:2; 2:21-23 Col. 3:1-5, 9-11 Luke 12:13-21 Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! This is one of the most famous lines in all of Scripture. However, when one considers the number of pursuits Qoheleth describes as vanity, many in our world today would strongly disagree. In the passage we have today he speaks about a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill to obtain his material possessions, but must now leave these worldly treasures to someone who has not labored over them. Most parents want to be able to leave something for their children, but the wise man calls this vanity. Why? Because he…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World… A Priesthood Crucified On The Cross Of Celibacy

July 29, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World… A Priesthood Crucified On The Cross Of Celibacy

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Yes, Fr. Peter Daly, the priesthood is indeed “being crucified on the cross of celibacy,” as your piece recently published in the National Catholic Reporter claims, but not for the reasons you think. And not in a way that supports your agenda as you would hope. Fr. Daly garnered attention lately for the latest in a long string of attempts to lobby for changing the Church. He represents a dying breed: those who erroneously think the faith does not exist to change those of us who believe but to be constantly adapted to the demands of those who don’t. Among the absurd and emotionally driven claims in his column, Fr. Daly says that “real” fatherhood,…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

July 26, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: More wisdom from the weekly bulletin column of Fr. George Rutler, pastor of the Church of St. Michael in New York City: “There is dark humor in counting the number of ‘motivational speakers’ who flood public television stations, and go as quickly as they come, just like the profitable ‘self-help’ books of the type that counsel: ‘God wants you to be happy.’ In some churches, there is a tendency to replicate this kind of ‘snowflake’ Gospel that shortchanges people out of the truth. . . . “There are those who would reduce Christ to a glorified motivational speaker. Thomas Jefferson edited the New Testament so that the Resurrection and Pentecost were irrelevant, making the Sermon on the Mount…Continue Reading

The Blessings Of “Ordinary Children”

July 24, 2019 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Blessings Of “Ordinary Children”

By FR. SHENAN BOQUET (Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted with permission of Human Life International, www.hli.org. It first appeared at www.hli.org on July 15, 2019. Fr. Boquet is the president of HLI.) + + + A Sign Of Hope “In its most profound reality, love is essentially a gift; and conjugal love, while leading the spouses to the reciprocal ‘knowledge’ which makes them ‘one flesh,’ does not end with the couple, because it makes them capable of the greatest possible gift, the gift by which they become cooperators with God for giving life to a new human person. “Thus the couple, while giving themselves to one another, give not just themselves but also the reality of children, who are…Continue Reading