Carlos Beltramo also contributed to this article. Some thought that Benedict XVI, already old when elected, would be merely a transitional figure, a caretaker who would serve for a few years and then hand over the Church that he inherited from the Blessed John Paul II to a younger man. But neither the Church nor […]
In January, Catholic Lane shared the story of two young men from Bismarck, ND visiting Kenya for the first time with their adopted AIDS orphan brother. It was a story that had come full-circle, of an AIDS orphan growing up and returning home to help other orphans. Here is part II. We wake up early […]
We understand the sacraments as “visible signs of an invisible reality.” While this is true, it really doesn’t tell us much about the sacraments. A visible sign of what? What is the reality? The questions (and answers!) contemporary Catholicism provides are clearly not satisfying.
There is an old adage in homeschooling that says not to make any life-altering educational decisions in February. This time of year is the homeschooler’s valley of tears. A little more than halfway through the school year, stuck in the house most of the time, feeling painfully inadequate to the task at hand, it is […]
God does not call the equipped, he equips those he calls. That is, if they answer his call. Mother Angelica used to say that any dodo will do—those not worried about their lack of ability, but willing to say yes to God. She was just such a dodo who volunteered to serve him. In spite […]
ST. PETER DAMIAN was born in 988, and lost both parents at an early age. His eldest brother, in whose hands he was left, treated him so cruelly that a younger brother, a priest, moved by his piteous state, sent him to the University of Parma, where he acquired great distinction. His studies were sanctified […]
My uncle died a couple of years ago. At the time of his death, I had cause to go back to a particularly beautiful chant piece for funeral Masses called the “In Paradisum” (IP). The Latin text (with my own rough English translation beneath) is as follows: In Paradisum deducant te Angeli; (May the Angels […]
Question: What is purgatory, and why is it necessary? Purgatory is the state, place, or process by which a soul is purified for entrance into heaven. Conversion as a Process When we are converted to Christ and baptized, we are given grace which allows us to recognize our sins, and which begins to cleanse us […]
“No exceptions. No compromise.” That is the goal of every true pro-life citizen when it comes to abortion legislation. Rape, incest, and the life/health of the mother have been wedge issues that have been used to establish the principle for acceptable/legal abortion that have led to the more liberalized laws accounting for 55+ Million abortions […]
“And so I take (my wife) not for any lustful motive, but I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to…bring us to old age together.” Tobit 8:7 “..Now, gird up your loins and arise…” Jer: 1:17 Which scripture verse more accurately describes how a couple should prepare for the conjugal embrace? Praying […]
“Why do you bring God into every conversation?” This simple question was posed to me recently by someone I love dearly. Let me attempt to explain. How do you not bring the Author of Life into life itself? How can I speak of the reason for my joy, my hope, my strength without naming its […]
“[A]nd on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18. When we hear these words, we often think of the Church as a fortress whose foundation is sunk into bedrock. We imagine enormous waves of evil buffeting the walls, but always falling back, dissipated […]
Therapy to help people change unwanted same sex attraction should be banned and labeled a human rights violation, according to a panel of advocates at the Church Center, a gathering place of left-wing groups near the UN. Although the event was advertised as “the first ever UN discussion on the legalities, ethics, and science behind […]
In most Catholic communities, “discernment” is a buzz word. Normally when I hear this word, my mind automatically connects it with another word: vocation. To be honest, this word used to frighten me. Every time I would hear the word at Mass or at another gathering, anxiety would soon follow. The following thoughts would stream […]
It is an ongoing dilemma, is it not? America’s young people don’t measure up to the academic standards of other nations, but when it comes to sex they are right up there in the top two or three. Take the example of New York City as a case in point. Recently New York City’s Mayor […]
We’re a peculiar bunch, we humans. Most of us never seem to be satisfied with our lot in life. No matter how good or how bad, we instinctively reach out for something more. As someone who wears many different hats in a 24-hour period, I hate to admit it but I am guilty as charged. […]
Communion with Christ in the eucharist is the greatest privilege and sweetest joy of Catholic life. However, we must not allow this heavenly banquet to displace the other feast to which we are called: that of the Word. The Scriptures are, in their own way, heavenly food, and we must relish them with all due […]
It’s the first Monday of this 40 Days for Life, and Monday is the day when we report to you on lives that have been saved from abortion thus far during this campaign. But first I have a special surprise for you! You can instantly download the “Day 6? chapter of the brand-new 40 Days for […]
A retail-store owner called and asked me to look at his website. I always try to find something nice to say about a prospect’s website, but this one was pretty challenging. It looked like it had been done in the early 1990s. It was slapped together, with glaring colors, strange navigation, and too much bold […]
The Second Vatican Council taught us that the Eucharist is the “Source and Summit” of the Christian life. Yet we must keep in mind that the same council makes clear that the Eucharist is not the sum total of the Christian life. In fact, the Eucharist and all the other sacraments are memorials of a […]
Second Sunday of Lent Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Genesis 15:5-12,17-18; Psalm 27:1,7-9,13-14; Philippians 3:17–4:1; Luke 9:28-36) Knowing Who We are in Christ “My joy and crown … stand firm in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1). Not only was St. Paul passionate about his faith, he was also highly educated. He was well […]
He insisted for three decades that slavery was a moral evil.
In his inaugural address on Monday, January 21, Barack Obama called for Americans to embrace same-sex marriage, saying: Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law–for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal […]
