This article is the fifteenth part of a series about Purgatory, a topic that is rarely discussed today. A knowledge of Purgatory is essential if souls are to avoid the pains of this place of expiation. The previous article can be found here. * * * As he begins the second part of his … Read more
The signs are everywhere; on front lawns, in coffee-shop windows, on the doors of campus ministry offices. “All Are Welcome.” “Hate Has No Home Here.” “Love is love.” These are catchy phrases that often prove false. These slogans don’t apply the moment a young man in a red sash unfurls a banner … Read more
The day before a significant feast is known as a vigil or eve. Such days have historically been a time for spiritual preparation, reflection, and occasionally fasting and penance prior to the feast’s celebration. October 31 is the eve of All Saints’ Day, making it an ideal moment to prepare for the … Read more
“The habit doesn’t make the monk,” but it definitely helps. The soldier’s uniform, the priest’s cassock, or the schoolboy’s uniform does not make them who they are. It does, however, influence the way a person thinks and acts. It identifies him to the public. A man is made up of both body … Read more
Cluny, the famous abbey in Burgundy, led the monastic reform of the High Middle Ages. Academic studies about Cluny have multiplied, and the monastery’s prestige has grown accordingly. Its glorious history, now better known, arouses an ever-increasing interest and even enthusiasm among researchers. Cluny began when Blessed Berno (850-927) founded a small … Read more
Families have the obligation to maintain their social standing and family name at all levels in society. They have a duty of honor to themselves never to lower their standards, except when necessary to avoid sin. Therefore, families have a duty to save money, work and keep themselves at a level that … Read more
Among all the figures in the Passion of Our Lord, Simon of Cyrene stands out for his simplicity. He is neither an apostle nor a well-known disciple, but an ordinary man. This outsider from North Africa comes to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. He is taken from the crowd and unexpectedly thrust … Read more
“Another petition! What’s the point?” This objection comes up often. A signature alone can’t repeal a law, force a bureaucrat to back down, stop a movie or immediately change a political decision. However, such an attitude toward a petition fails to address its true purpose. If petitions were truly useless, governments, lawmakers, … Read more
Today, October 21, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of Blessed Charles I of Austria, also known as Charles Habsburg. Curiously, we celebrate his feast day on the day he got married, not on the day of his death. He unexpectedly became Emperor of Austria-Hungary, witnessed the collapse of his empire, … Read more
When in need of special graces, I visit Lourdes. I go to the blessed Grotto where Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Millions of pilgrims like me gather there every year to seek out grace, favors, and peace. I have never returned unsatisfied or been “left unaided.” Thus, I … Read more