Updated July 7, 2018. On July 25, the feast of Saint James the Apostle, the Church observes the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life), by Pope Paul VI. The Sexual Revolution The context of the encyclical letter was the Sexual Revolution of the mid-sixties. Fashion, … Read more
At Lourdes, Divine Providence takes two different attitudes towards human suffering. The first is more sensational and thus catches our attention more. It is when Our Lady, as a compassionate mother, heals the sick and lame and thus proves the veracity of the Faith. This, in turn, shows her mercy for wayward … Read more
“We will take to the streets right now, we will de-legitimize Bush, discredit him, do whatever it takes, but never accept him.” As Jesse Jackson’s words ripped through the agitated crowd, the bow of racial tension was once again stretched taut. “And indeed African-Americans were targeted,” Mr. Jackson continued, “80 percent of … Read more
On the right, we have the Servant of God Maria Clotilda de Savoy Napoleon (1843-1911), outstanding for her birth, her grand personal distinction, as well as for her virtue. She will probably be elevated to the honors of the altars, since the cause of her beatification is already under way. By … Read more
It is six o’clock in the evening. The toil of the day has come to an end. The noble tranquility of the atmosphere envelops the vastitude of the fields, inviting one to repose and meditation. Nature is transfigured by a golden twilight, making everything glow with a remote and suave reflection of … Read more
According to Church teaching, love and fear of God are virtues. Since neither antagonism nor contradiction can exist among the virtues, love does not exclude fear and fear does not exclude love. Furthermore, both of these virtues are essential for salvation. If we cannot envision a saint without love of God, likewise … Read more
On the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost, Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On the following day the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Since this devotion is of vital importance, we transcribe below an excerpt from an article … Read more
The Church teaches that true and complete sanctity is the heroism of virtue. The honor of the altars is not granted to weak, hypersensitive souls that flee from profound thoughts, from acute suffering, from the fight, in short, from the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mindful of the words of … Read more
This scene is from the island of Ischia, in Italy, after a storm. Nature has recovered her cheerful appearance and an elderly peasant woman accompanied by her children – perhaps her grandchildren – walks up a hillside. The road is not made of asphalt, nor is it lined with movie theaters, cafes, … Read more
It is natural to have expectations when traveling. I, for one, use my expectations to gauge the success of a trip. That is why when returning from a recent trip to Portugal and Spain, I began reflecting on whether it had lived up to my expectations. However, to answer this question, I … Read more