A Treasure To Be Shared

Against the Empire of Lies When lies spread through a community, workplace, family, or church, the damage extends far beyond the false statements themselves. Lies distort reality, erode trust, and place innocent people in conflict with one another. Confronting lies and liars, therefore, is not merely a matter of defending one's reputation; it is an act of defending truth and preserving healthy relationships. The first principle in confronting dishonesty is to remain anchored in facts. Anger may be understandable, but emotional reactions often create more confusion. A calm statement such as, “That is not what happened,” is usually more effective than a heated accusation. Truth has a quiet strength of its own and does not require exaggeration or retaliation. When possible, it is wise to document important communications and verify information before responding. Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight. At the same time, confronti...

The ministry of exorcism itself inhabits a delicate space within the life of the Church: it deals with extraordinary phenomena that naturally attract public attention, yet it is intended to direct attention away from itself and toward Christ. While formal restrictions on exorcists are relatively uncommon, the Church has intervened when exorcists acquire an unusually high public profile. Fr. Chad Ripperger (United States). In 2026, Archbishop James Golka of Denver requested that Fr. Ripperger undertake a year-long withdrawal from public speaking and interviews. Reports also indicate that restrictions had previously been imposed concerning his public statements on mental health and psychiatry. Whatever the underlying reasons, this is one of the clearest modern examples of a bishop limiting the public profile of a well-known exorcist. Msgr. Stephen Rossetti (Archdiocese of Washington). Cardinal Robert McElroy removed Rossetti from his role as exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington in ...

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...

One of the quiet strengths of Divine Worship, the Mass of the Ordinariates, is precisely its preservation of a kind of liturgical literacy through gesture. Many contemporary Christians can read words on a page, but fewer can "read" the language of worship enacted by the body. The Ordinariate tradition tends to retain a richer grammar of bodily signs than is commonly encountered in many parishes. By "literacy with gestures" is meant the ability of the faithful to recognize and understand actions such as: making the sign of the cross in acknowledgement and adoration at particular moments, e.g., as the Body of Christ is elevated and when the Precious Blood (chalice) is elevated bowing at the Holy Name of Jesus bowing in reverence toward the cross (the sign of our salvation) and priest (who acts in the person of Christ, in persona Christi ) as the procession passes striking the breast in humility during the Confiteor,  Agnus Dei, and the Domine, non sum dignus genuflect...

The Ordinariate Witness: Order, Beauty, and Freedom Divine Worship in the Ordinariates offers a profound lesson: authentic freedom is not the absence of form, but the flourishing that comes through rightly ordered form. Contemporary culture often assumes a progression like this:  Rules → Constraint → Resentment → Liberation through self-expression.  But Divine Worship suggests a very different path:  Form → Formation → Virtue → Freedom. The Liturgy's carefully structured language, inherited ceremonial patterns, and disciplined beauty do not suppress individuality. Rather, they help free the worshipper from the tyranny of impulse, distraction, and self-preoccupation. The result is not less freedom but more. 1. Freedom Requires a Shape A river without banks is not freer than a river with banks. It becomes a flood. Likewise, human beings do not become free by rejecting all structure. We become free when our energies are directed toward their proper end. The Ordinariate Litur...

Let’s be honest, dragging a cheese grater over one's thigh sounds almost appealing compared to enduring those mind-numbing situations foisted upon us by people eagerly awaiting their next chance to be offended. I wish I could be abducted by space aliens before tomorrow's staff meeting. I’d prefer a chaotic audit by rabid raccoons over sitting through yet another speech that starts with, “As we reimagine the paradigm moving forward…”. I'd rather navigate rush-hour traffic using only a treasure map than sit through another committee meeting about creating a committee. I'd rather read the terms and conditions for every app on my phone than hear another sermon that mistakes partisan talking points for divine revelation. I'd rather be stranded at sea with a karaoke machine stuck on The Chipmunk Song than endure another lecture where every disagreement is treated as a full-blown crisis. I'd rather watch Joanie Loves Chachi episodes while folding fitted sheets than a...

St Mary the Virgin Parish, Arlington, TX At the Mass we discover that friendship is not something we manufacture for ourselves. Rather, it is a gift received while seeking God together. In an age marked by loneliness and fleeting connections, many people long for genuine friendship. Social media promises constant contact, yet countless hearts remain isolated. True friendship requires more than shared interests or casual conversation. It is founded upon a common pursuit of what is good, true, and beautiful. For Christians, there is no greater place to discover such friendship than in the Holy Mass. We come not to socialize but to worship Almighty God. The focus is not on ourselves but upon the sacred mysteries unfolding at the altar. Yet it is precisely this common orientation toward God that creates the deepest form of human fellowship. The liturgy teaches us that we are not isolated individuals approaching God alone. We gather as members of Christ's Body. Together we confess our s...

The Catholic Church is called to welcome every person because every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Christ Himself demonstrated this hospitality throughout His earthly ministry. He dined with tax collectors, spoke with sinners, touched lepers, and welcomed those whom society had rejected. The Church, as the Body of Christ, is therefore called to extend the same invitation to all people without exception. Authentic hospitality begins with recognizing the inherent dignity of every person. Regardless of background, past mistakes, social status, beliefs, or personal struggles, each individual is loved by God and is invited into a relationship with Him. A parish community should be a place where newcomers are greeted warmly, where questions may be asked without fear, and where people can encounter the mercy and truth of the Gospel. Jesus welcomed sinners, but He also called them to conversion. At the same time, genuine Christian hospitality is not mere acceptance o...

The voice of God in Holy Scripture is never a mere sound; it is the living self‑communication of the Lord who speaks to His people in order to create, judge, redeem, and sanctify. Across the canon, God’s voice is portrayed as both transcendent and intimate—majestic in power yet directed personally to the human heart. The Voice that Creates and Commands From the opening lines of Genesis, God’s voice is the medium of creation: “And God said…” (Gen 1). Divine speech is performative; it brings reality into being. Scripture thus presents the world not as a random emergence but as the ordered result of God’s articulate will. The same creative voice later gives the Law at Sinai (Exod 19–20), revealing that the One who speaks worlds into existence also speaks covenantal commands that shape human life. The Voice that Reveals and Interprets The prophets repeatedly describe their vocation as hearing and transmitting the word of the LORD (Jer 1:4–10; Isa 6). God’s voice is revelatory: it discloses...

In the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, the September Ember Days are the traditional Autumn Ember Days, observed on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). They remain part of the Ordinariate's liturgical patrimony and are specifically encouraged for prayer, fasting, repentance, thanksgiving for the harvest, and prayers for vocations. For 2026, those days (Embertide) fall on: Wednesday, September 16 Friday, September 18 Saturday, September 19 The Ordinariate explains that the September Ember Days are associated with the grape harvest, directing our gratitude toward the wine that becomes the Precious Blood in the Holy Eucharist. They are also traditional times to pray for priests, deacons, and future vocations. Discipline Regarding discipline, the Ordinariate notes that Ember Friday is a day of obligatory abstinence from meat. The faithful are also encouraged to undertake additional fasting, prayer...