A Treasure To Be Shared

There is a disturbing trend among some Catholic influencers. They heap negative criticism upon popes and prelates for meeting with those who are in most need of God's mercy. That hostile trend has been growing for some time, now aided by various technologies. It’s true that some members of the clergy act in ways that go against Catholic virtue and deserve to be called out. More on that later. There are Catholic influencers who are angry at the optics of a pope meeting with a female (Anglican) "archbishop." People assume that meeting with someone is part of a conspiracy that includes acceptance of heterodox teaching and practice. Optics - really?! Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman. St John 4:1-42 Jesus protects a woman caught in adultery by challenging her accusers and offering her mercy instead of condemnation. St John 8:1-11 Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners at Matthew's house. St Matthew 9:10-13, St Mark 2:15-17, and St Luke 5:29-32 "What was Jesus th...

Excerpt from Architects of Communion  Guide for Parish Development The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter files.ecatholic.com/3059/documents/2016/6/160531_Guide_to_Parish_Development.pdf?t=1465586849000 Introduction "The clergy and faithful of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter are called to be architects of communion, simultaneously preserving the distinctiveness and integrity of their communities while demonstrating commitment to act in communion with the broader Church. One of the means to demonstrate a commitment to communion is through the careful development of Ordinariate parishes and parochial communities. "The parish has at its basis and center the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, from which all education in the Spirit originates and from which flows various works of charity, mutual help, missionary activity, and different forms of Christian witness. The organization of the Catholic Church known as its hierarchical constitution is understood as f...

The Church recently celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. How many were paying attention to Christ's teaching? Addressing the Jewish teachers, Jesus told aspiring leaders, or shepherds, that they had forfeited their position. John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Those are some sobering words for clergy. Obedience in Catholic teaching is not merely “doing what you’re told.” It is a faithful, loving alignment of your will with God’s will, expressed concretely through lawful authority, especially in the forms God has establi...

The good news about many converting to the Faith deserves a heartfelt 'thanks and praise be to God.' Despite the weak practice of the Faith in many places, sanctuaries being turned into spectacles by some clergy and laity, and false teachers spreading half-truths—such as Father James Martin, who on April 16 was recorded trying to normalize sinful practices contrary to Catholic teaching—people are successfully finding their way home to the Church that Christ established. Fr James Martin exposed:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2-EgkkFC9Y&t=9s Despite several decades of timid efforts to promote the Faith in most North American and European nations, people are converting. It seems that, given the weak witness of Catholics of the developed nations, the Holy Ghost has stepped in to reach people through, among additional ways unknown in their totality, social media influencers who are for the most part lay men and women on fire for the communion with Jesus that is found in the ...

"What do vampires and socialists have in common? Both are lifeless bloodsucking monsters that fear the light." Bloodthirsty undead feed on the innocent, all while reveling in the very systems that sustain their grim mission. Vampires inhabit the shadows of society. A vampire will even destroy another to protect its dominance. Vampire culture is parasitic, distorting elements of Christian culture: hospitality transforms into enabling illness, charity transforms into lust and indulgence, and hope transforms into confusion and despair. Vampire culture is fueled by an obsession with gaining and using power to control others and to push corrupt beliefs. The Vampire Slayer Key Principles of Justice in Catholic Social Teaching Dignity of the Human Person. At the heart of Catholic social teaching is the belief that every human life is sacred and possesses inherent dignity. This principle asserts that all individuals deserve respect and protection, which forms the foundation for justi...

Truth, beauty and goodness calling. Is anyone listening? To some, the title of this meditation might come across as a bit pretentious or condescending, but even yours truly, a simple Catholic layman, am not exempt from considering the preceding question. The situation seems somewhat obvious given growing evidence of God's movement drawing people into communion, and yet some (many?) seem deaf to what's happening. If repetition is any indication, then the amount of information - not heterodox thinking, mind you - presented in and through diverse forums heralding truth, goodness and beauty, might be worth taking seriously. There are internet forums wherein self-proclaimed progressive prophets cuddle or where hyper-ultra-trads huddle, but schism-adjacent and alter-magisterium forums aren’t the focus here. Griping and scheming and doing little or nothing but complain that the Church or the Liturgy is not fashioned in our own traddy or faddy image is a waste of time and effort. Rathe...