A Treasure To Be Shared

There have likely been times when one has liked or loathed the behaviour of pastors. These days, it seems, there is a widening gap between priests one could described as by-the-book and reverent, and those who, for whatever reason, enjoy acting in a manner that is practically comedic and strange. Strange, as in: 1) habitually oriented to serving someone and something other than Jesus Christ and His Sacred Liturgy; and 2) liturgically inappropriate. The following list might contain content that is familiar to you, dear Reader. Depending on your own experience(s), you might wince or wink. Father Morpheus... whose monotone voice could put even a college student jacked up on energy drinks into a coma for a week. Father Bakkenforth... who often brings his dog to Mass and wanders about the nave during the sermon so he can play fetch with his dog... for reasons known only to dog lovers. Father Juan A.B. Celebrity... sees himself as the centre of the universe, the Mass, the parish, the city, p...

Holy Communion | Photo by D. Duchesne [ 7 minute read ] Who or what is Liturgical Man? Man's soul is fashioned in the image of God. The angels who love God love us, too! Baltimore Catechism  Q. Why did God make us? A. God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven. Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 The angels desire our good, our well being, because God loves us. The angels love God and love all that God loves. What about evil spirits? Do they will our good? No, not at all. Liturgical Man, i.e., male and female, in the Age of the Holy Spirit, prays for and lives by the grace that God offers to live according to the New Commandment in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God: St John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will...

Evil works... . to create familiarity, and by subtly exploiting weaknesses  stirs up temptations ( see below ), raises doubts and undermines trust in others and in oneself, then capitalizes on confusion by offering a cheap sympathy through false allies to coax dependence,  fueling crisis and chaos, meanwhile feeding despair and fomenting self destruction and death. Before the start of His mission, the Lord Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness. The devil, i.e., Satan, sought to appropriate the very identity, power, and mission of Jesus by assaulting Him with three temptations. Satan challenged Jesus to: turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger jump from the temple and misuse his power seize the kingdoms of the world by force The devil's temptations follow three approaches: The first temptation of Jesus is the lust of the flesh (St Matthew 4:3–4). Our Lord is hungry, and the devil tempts Him to turn stones into bread, but Jesus responds with Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3...

What is the mark of a Christian? It is to watch daily and hourly and to stand prepared in that state of total responsiveness pleasing to God, knowing that the Lord will come at an hour that he does not expect. -  St. Basil A true Christian is vigilant, meaning he is ready to hear God’s word and to respond accordingly. - Carl E. Olson (CWR) You are a faithful Catholic when... . You can recognize truth and live by the truth . You are capable of discerning between fact and fiction by constantly relying on Church teaching to inform your thinking (Zechariah 8:16) and to form your conscience. Furthermore, you know that the phrase 'my truth' is a mental evasion and a lie. You know that love is defined by the example of Jesus , not by the strange words and actions of an errant teacher or some misguided social media influencer (St John 13:34-35; 2 Timothy 4:3). You pray often - every day, morning, noon and night - and pray with a sincere heart to intercede for others, and to dispose y...