A Treasure To Be Shared

When the Sacred Liturgy is celebrated reverently and beautifully, it "respirates" in much the same way a living body breathes. There is a rhythmic exchange between heaven and earth, God and His people, gift and response. One might say that the Sacred Liturgy has two lungs: 1) the inhalation of divine grace and 2) the exhalation of human worship. In the Liturgy, God first breathes upon His people. Through the proclamation of Scripture, the sacramental signs, the prayers of the Church, and supremely through the Holy Eucharist, divine life is communicated to the faithful. The assembly receives. It listens, adores, wonders, repents, and is nourished. Then the Church exhales. She offers praise, thanksgiving, sacrifice, song, intercession, and self-oblation to the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Having received God's gifts, she returns them transformed into worship. When liturgy is celebrated carelessly, this rhythm becomes constricted, like shallow breathing. The act...

Becoming more literate in Christian mystery is somewhat different from becoming knowledgeable about a subject. It involves learning, certainly, but also learning how to contemplate. The mysteries of Christianity are not puzzles to be solved so much as realities that can be entered into ever more deeply. A few practices help: Read Scripture slowly and repeatedly Read entire books for context, but also linger over individual passages. Ask not only "What happened?" but "What does this reveal about God?" The ancient practice of lectio divina is particularly valuable: read, meditate, pray, and contemplate. Learn the language of symbol and typology Christian mystery is often expressed through images, patterns, and correspondences. The Passover lamb points toward Christ. The Ark points toward Mary. The Temple points toward Christ and the Church. Learning these connections greatly enriches one's perception of Scripture and Liturgy. Attend closely to the Liturgy The Chu...

Divine Worship, the liturgical expression of the Ordinariates, is a profound gift to the Church, grounded in the spiritual, literary, and musical heritage of the English Christian tradition. Through its reverent language, scriptural richness, and deeply prayerful ceremonial, it fosters confidence, charity, and wisdom among the faithful, equipping them to live with steadfast faith in a world often marked by uncertainty. The Ordinariate Liturgy complements and enriches the Church’s other liturgical rites, through which Catholics offer worship to God. O put thy trust in God; for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43 (The Prayers of Preparation / Prayers at the Foot) First, the Ordinariate Liturgy fosters confidence by directing hearts and minds toward the sovereignty of God. Its prayers are marked by a serene certainty that God governs all things according to His providence. The faithful repeatedly hear and pray texts that proclaim divine m...

One of the challenges facing many contemporary democracies is the increasing polarization of political life. When public debate becomes dominated by ideological camps that view one another with suspicion or hostility, society loses the capacity for reasoned dialogue and compromise. Citizens are encouraged to choose sides rather than seek truth, and opponents are too often treated as enemies rather than fellow participants in a common political community. Polarized politics can serve society insofar as it highlights important disagreements and brings competing values into public discussion. Vigorous debate is a normal and healthy feature of a free society. However, polarization serves the common good only partially when it hardens into tribalism, reducing complex issues to simplistic slogans and discouraging genuine understanding. A healthier society requires the classical liberal commitment to open inquiry and freedom of expression alongside the conservative appreciation for social coh...

Yes to Virtue; No to Sin The history of salvation is the drama of two opposing kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Every soul must choose between them. There is no neutrality in the spiritual life. Our Lord Jesus Christ calls His disciples to reject sin and pursue holiness, declaring, "No man can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24). The Christian life is therefore a continual and deliberate "yes" to virtue and a steadfast "no" to sin. Virtue is the beauty of a soul conformed to God. It is not merely the performance of isolated good actions but a stable disposition to choose the good with readiness and joy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines virtue as "a habitual and firm disposition to do the good."¹ St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that virtue perfects the powers of the soul, enabling man to act according to right reason illumined by grace.² Through the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, the Christian particip...

The Christian life is fundamentally a participation in the light of Christ. Throughout Sacred Scripture, light symbolizes truth, holiness, and communion with God, while darkness signifies sin, error, and separation from Him. Because Christ is the Light of the World, those who follow Him cannot persist in a lifestyle of sin without contradicting their identity as His disciples. Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). This statement presents not merely a comforting promise but a moral challenge. To follow Christ is to leave behind the darkness of sin and to walk in the illumination of divine grace. Just as physical light dispels darkness, the presence of Christ transforms the soul and calls believers to conversion. St. John develops this theme even more strongly: “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He continues by warning that anyone who claims fellowship with God wh...

Have you noticed that during recitations of the Rosary, or during prayers at the end of Low or Said Mass, there’s often a difference in how the Hail! Mary is spoken among parishioners? If you haven’t observed a variation in translation, this little lesson might not resonate. This exploration may seem nitpicky, but for those who value precision, grammar matters, and a refinement of meaning and understanding could deepen understanding and prayer. In the phrase nunc et in hora mortis nostrae ("now and at the hour of our death"), the more natural English translation is: "now and at the hour of our death." The Latin preposition in with the ablative hora can mean "in," "at," or "during," depending on context. Here it refers to a specific moment in time, not an extended period. English idiom therefore favors "at the hour" rather than "in the hour." Compare: in hora mortis → at the hour of death (the moment when death comes...

St John the Evangelist Church, Calgary AB The saying, “Without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the clergy are merely bureaucrats,” is intentionally provocative, but it expresses an important truth about the nature of the Church and the priesthood. At its heart lies the conviction that the Church is not fundamentally an institution of administration, but a sacramental communion whose life flows from the Eucharistic sacrifice. The priest certainly has many responsibilities beyond the altar. He teaches the faith, preaches the Gospel, cares for souls, comforts the suffering, and guides the Christian community. These are not bureaucratic tasks but genuine expressions of pastoral and spiritual fatherhood. Yet all of these ministries find their deepest meaning in their relationship to the Eucharist, which the Church calls the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC 1324). When the Mass is forgotten or marginalized, the remaining administrative duties of the clergy can easily come to domi...

APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION ANGLICANORUM COETIBUS III. (T)he Ordinariate has the faculty to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical celebrations according to the liturgical books proper to the Anglican tradition, which have been approved by the Holy See, so as to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared. Opus Dei and the Ordinariates are both “personal” jurisdictions within the Church, yet they reflect distinct ecclesial orientations. Opus Dei focuses on sanctification in everyday life, particularly through professional work and personal formation, whereas the Ordinariates serve as centers for preserving and sharing a unique spiritual and liturgical heritage within full Catholic communion that enables both individual Christian discipleship and interpersonal...