The apparitions of Our Lady to a poor shepherdess, Benoîte Rencurel (1664-1718) in Laus, France are special. They involve the simplicity of a young woman and the attitude of Our Lady regarding virtue. At a young age, Benoîte already showed great virtue. Her childhood is filled with extraordinary supernatural episodes. One day, … Read more
All this is very beautiful, but there is something even more beautiful that they asked me to make explicit. But what can I say? Infinite things are ineffable. The pulchrum [beauty] of an ideal is reflected in the soul of the one who fights for it. Take, for example, Saint Joan of … Read more
It is Christmas time, and the world stops for a brief moment. It does not stop long because there are too many important things to be done to waste on festive and unproductive folly. It can only be a short pause on Christmas day before the world must almost immediately return to … Read more
Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help … Read more
The medal of Our Lady of Graces, more commonly known as the Miraculous Medal, is undoubtedly the most widespread medal of all times. It originated in France in 1830, having been revealed directly by Our Lady to Saint Catherine Labouré while yet a young religious. The Miraculous Medal is oval. On one … Read more
In this age of complete relativism, some uphold the “right” to practice any aberration not only in the moral order but also in the spiritual sphere. Thus, they advocate the supposed “right” of atheists and unbelievers—and even Satan worshipers!—to ostensibly display their hatred of Christianity. To many, such hateful displays are harmless … Read more
One of the most earthshaking decisions of our country in 2015 occurred on December 3, when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter declared that all combat jobs would become open to women with “no exceptions.” While it is horrible enough that women will be exposed to the horrors of war, the shock waves … Read more
It is Christmas and we all think back on Christmases past not without a bit of nostalgia for what the feast represents. We think back on Christmas trees, manger scenes and midnight Masses. We recall family dinners, marveling children and Christmas carols. Such memories fill us with joys in a brutal world … Read more
Magnificent medieval stained glass windows have sometimes been referred to as a “catechism in glass” because of the richness of the faith which their imagery conveyed. We could say the statues of this time period aptly captured the virtues of the holy personages. When done well they are, in their turn, truly … Read more
Claude Newman was a twenty-year-old African-American who, in 1943, awaited execution in a prison in Mississippi. His crime was that of ambushing and shooting a man named Sid Cook, his beloved grandmother’s abusive second husband. One day, noticing a medal hanging around the neck of a fellow prisoner, Claude asked the young … Read more