I think it’s safe to say that in our lives there will be some difficult moments. There will be some suffering.
In this Gospel passage we hear our Lord telling St Peter that Our Lord is heading to the cross. (cf Mark 8:27-35)
Saint Peter reacts in a way that perhaps we react when we face suffering: he rebukes our Lord. (more…)
Recently I preached on the scandals that have caused searing pain in the Church. Not many people in the parish had spoken to me directly about the scandal, which worried me, because I knew that people were simmering. I asked around a bit and I could tell that people were upset. There was discontent, but perhaps they were afraid to tell their priest their fears and concerns. So to the people of my parish I spoke.
As a note, please see the image above this post. The parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Patton, PA is going to offer a Mass of Reparation and a penitential procession on September 24. It will be a beautiful and prayerful time to offer the Holy Sacrifice to atone for the sins of the clergy that we have heard about in the news recently and to pray for the victims.
In 1908 Pope Saint Pius X penned an exhortation to priests, called Haerent Animo. It should be required reading of any Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest.If you are a priest, go read this letter. If you are not, either email the link to your priest or print it out for him and hand it to him. May Pope Saint Pius X defend us against the snares and deceits of Modernism. (more…)
I am sure you have seen the news this week. To hear some of these cases reminds us: the devil is prowling around seeking the ruin of souls (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). A few things to keep in mind: God is merciful, but God is also just. There is a hell, and souls who do not repent and desire to live only for this world will be forever apart from God. At the second judgment, they will feel this suffering in their very bones. God’s mercy is not permissiveness, and how we live in this world does very much matter, and we will be judged on how faithful to our vocations we have been.
In 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, body and soul, he was basing this on a long held belief in the Church. Recently I was able to go to an art museum that had a depiction by Fra Angelico of the dormitory or the Assumption of Mary. He painted this painting in 1432. Clearly this was already a widely held belief in the Church.
Given the state of thing in the United States in the Church, this letter by Benedict XVI to the church in Ireland seemed appropriate. On this vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us beg her to crush the devil.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
According to the National Institutes of Health, Americans spend $37 billion on dietary supplements a year. According to the Boston Medical Center, Americans spend $33 billion on weight loss products. I think it’s safe to say we are pretty concerned with what it is we are putting into our bodies. That’s not a bad thing—God gave us our bodies and we need to do our best to try to take care of them.
Today in the readings we hear about bread from heaven that gives true life, that sustains us on our journey. (more…)
