A Treasure To Be Shared

Scripture tells us that when faced with trials, faithful Jews remembered their story and held on to their identity. Faithful Catholics know their story and retain their identity. Faithless Catholics forget their identity and attempt to manufacture limp narratives that differ little from absurd contemporary ideologies. Saint Stephen held the feet of those judging him to the fire of history and truth. And for that, he was stoned to death. Who is prepared to stand up to those who defy the law of God and accuse others of blasphemy for refusing to cooperate with deadly ideologies? In the first centuries, Romans targeted Christians who refused to burn as little as a single grain of incense to one of the pagan gods. Devotees of contemporary deities are no less determined than their ancient kin to persecute others who refuse to participate in today's dark rituals and sinister programs. In modern temples, policy is prayer, and procedure is ritual. Anyone who resists following inhumane polic...

  Host small informal home gatherings and mix in people who are well-versed in Tradition and the transcendentals -  truth, goodness, and beauty - and who can gently shape conversations toward living the Faith with integrity. Establish the Guild of Saint Stephen for altar servers at your parish. Altar servers can be the leaven that inspires reverent worship of God among parishioners.  https://www.guildofststephen.org/ Conduct Eucharistic processions (Corpus Christi, Marian processions)  to bring the light of faith into a surrounding neighbourhood, to give people permission to live the Faith and celebrate ways of living that are healthier and more beautiful than current societal norms dictate. Ensure the Sacrament of Penance is available every day, if even for only 30 minutes. Forgiveness and reconciliation gives people cause for peace and joy that spreads from one life to another. By purifying the faithful through challenging homilies and by making the Sacrament of Pe...

The light doth now return. 'Tis the season of the Incarnate Word accompanied by the promise of His Second Coming. Here is a brief commentary on three chapters from a work of the English Patrimony. The chapters offer guidance on prayer in the Logos, the Eternal Word, embracing a chosen word, and, trusting in the need for grace, giving that word complete focus and pouring into it genuine intention, to allow in one's heart and mind space for God to speak and act and transform us, guiding us according to His divine will. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. Sirach 35:17 Over the past few decades, many self-proclaimed gurus discovered the Cloud of Unknowing and have tried to reshape it into a Catholic take on Transcendental Meditation, such as Centering Prayer, or have infused it with elements of Buddhist mindfu...

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Thrones, also known as Ophanim (Hebrew: אוֹפַנִּים ʼōp̄annīm), meaning “wheels,” are described in Ezekiel’s vision of the merkabah (chariot) in Ezekiel 1:15–21. These wheels are connected to Daniel 7:9, where they are called galgal , often described as “the wheels of galgallin ” in a “fiery flame” and “burning fire.” They are shown as four eye-covered wheels, each formed from two nested wheels, moving together with the winged Cherubim beneath God’s throne. The wheels move in harmony with the Cherubim. The Celestial Hierarchy of Dionysius refers to the Thrones from the Old Testament description as the Third Order of the First Sphere, the other two superior orders being the First Order, the Seraphim, and the Second Order, the Cherubim. CHAPTER VII Of the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, and their first Hierarchy The name of the most glorious and exalted Thrones denotes that which is exempt from and untainted by any base and earthly thing, and the supermundane ascent up the steep. Fo...

The latest response to the document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF),  Mater Populi Fidelis (MPF), or perhaps the most significant response in terms of quantity of contributors and length of the text, is that of the International Marian Association Theological Commission (IMATC). Athanasius contra mundum? The IMATC response to MPF draws on a range of voices from the past and present. While quoting popes, saints, and theologians can be fitting, simply citing many sources doesn’t guarantee a strong defense—especially if those chosen mostly challenge the official stance, while supportive ones are downplayed or interpreted in ways that diminish their significance. Faith and Morals The significance of a pope’s statements depends on their nature, and while Catholics should take all papal remarks seriously—given the Pope’s role as the successor of Peter—not every decree, letter, or informal comment (e.g. one made during an airplane interview) carries the same weight. T...

The care cloth is regularly seen at Saint John Henry Newman Church, in Victoria, BC, a community of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. Young couples entering into Holy Matrimony at the Church appreciate the significance of such beautiful rituals that help them acknowledge the profound mystery into which they are entering. In time, perhaps, as more guests witness its use, the care cloth might seen in matrimonial celebrations of the Novus Ordo Mass. Hint, hint.  The nuptial veil, also known as the care cloth or wedding canopy, is an ancient Christian wedding tradition where a cloth is held over the bride and groom during the Nuptial Blessing. Representing the “marriage yoke” that unites them, it’s a rectangular linen or silk sheet, smaller than the Jewish Chuppah, usually white with a red pattern or cord. According to St. Isidore of Seville, the white stands for the purity of Christian and marital love, while the red symbolizes the continuation of the family bloodline. Bene...