6 years ago in Lifestyle
Cardinal Newman's Description of a Gentleman
Blessed John Henry Newman was a consummate Catholic gentleman. Reviled by many of his closest friends for converting to Catholicism, he bore insults and attacks on his character with patience and charity. Here is his description of a gentleman taken from his work The Idea of a University, published in 1854. Keep in mind that Newman is here describing a secular gentleman of his...
7 years ago in Faith, Family, Fathers
The Three Munera, Part 1: The Father as Prophet
In the introduction to this series, I wrote about how each father is entrusted with three duties, or munera in Latin, and that these three duties are modeled by Christ himself. While traditionally associated with the ordained priesthood, these duties just as much apply to the fathers of families, who also share in a priestly role, albeit not a sacramental one. The...
7 years ago in Fathers
The Three Munera of Fatherhood
There are few roles as mocked and derided as that of the father. Watch any TV show or movie made in the last 40 years or so, and you will see fathers portrayed variously as buffoons, domineering jerks, or at best, good-hearted but clueless simpletons. What you'll never see is a father portrayed as loving and wise, patient and strong. In...
7 years ago in Announcements
Today: Prayer Rally for Purity
Of all the problems faced in today's culture, one of the most devastating is rampant impurity. Pornography is ubiquitous, children are sexually active, TV and movies are filled with explicit scenes, the contraceptive mentality reigns, and the list goes on. And despite popular opinion to the contrary, these sins are never private. How we think about sex affects every human relationship we have---for if...
7 years ago in Feasts, Liturgical Year, Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart and the Three Loves of Jesus
In his encyclical, Haurietis Aquas, issued in 1956 on the centenary of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Pius XII offers us several metaphors for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's the "mystical ladder" which we climb to "embrace God Our Savior." It's also a "most precious shrine" which contains the "unlimited treasures of His merits." The encyclical itself takes its...
7 years ago in Beer
5 Patron Saints of Beer
"From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world." - St. Arnulf of Metz Ah, beer. This blessed brew is one of life's great enjoyments and an incontrovertible sign of God's great love for us. Brewed by monks for centuries, beer has always had a close relationship to Catholicism. In fact, Holy Mother Church has proven her love for this beverage by enshrining of an...
7 years ago in Gentleman Saints
Gentleman Saint: Saint Damien of Molokai
"I was sick and ye visited me." - J. Damien de Veuster (Inscription of St. Damien in the Bible of a visitor to the island) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - Jesus Christ Imagine an island where people are sent to die of a horrific, flesh rotting disease. They...
7 years ago in Devotions, Prayers
7 Ways to Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus
"Behold this heart which has so loved men." - Jesus Christ "Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of its very nature, is a worship of the love with which God, through Jesus, loved us, and at the same time, an exercise of our own love by which we are related to God and to other men." - Pope Pius XII...
7 years ago in Purity, Sin
Custody of the Eyes: What it is and How to Practice It
Oh! how many are lost by indulging their sight! - St. Alphonsus de Ligouri If your eye offends you, pluck it out. - Jesus We live in a hyper-sexualized, even pornified culture, and if you're a man who wants to be pure, you're going to be involved in a constant warfare against lust. Everything from toothpaste commercials to weight loss ads have some sort...
7 years ago in Faith, Mary
Lose Yourself: Finding Freedom in Mary's Risky Yes
Did she really say that? Did she really mean it? I keep turning back to Luke 1:38, "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.'" I take a few minutes to present myself before God in silence. When my mind wanders, I return to the spirit of Mary's words....
A Marked Man: Should Catholics Get Tattoos?
From small ankle tattoos to tattooed sleeves, I am seeing tattoos on men and women more and more frequently. In fact, an estimated 40 million Americans have at least one tattoo, and tattoo parlors are one of the fastest growing businesses in the U.S. With the increased popularity of tattoos comes the question of their morality. After all, a tattoo is...
7 years ago in Faith, Worship
What is the Goal of the Catholic Church?
Why did Christ establish one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church? Why did the eternal Son of God become incarnate of the Virgin Mary, call the Twelve, establish them on the rock that is Peter, give them the power to proclaim his Kingdom and even to absolve sins, and empower them with the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth?...