St. Augustine said that our good merits are God’s gifts.
Category: Advent
The Fear of Hell is the Beginning of Wisdom
Advent Reflections from the Master of Thomism Part I: On Death Part II: On Judgment Part III: On Heaven Hell. If there is one doctrine that is most offensive to the ears of fallen man and in particular modern …
On Heaven
Advent Reflections from the Master of Thomism Part I: On Death Part II: On Judgment Heaven. Oh, what a place that will be! It is a place that millions of dreamed about. A place of peace, joy, and charity. …
The Demanding Glory of Advent’s Ember Saturday
Above: Greek icon depicting Christ with the Winnowing Fan from an Orthodox monastery in Arizona, United States. Photo by Fr. Lawrence, OP. This coming Saturday will be the third of the Advent Ember Days in the Roman Rite. (As …
3rd Sunday of Advent: Let nothing disturb thee
In the movie Bridge of Spies, set in the depths of the Cold War, Tom Hanks’ character is a lawyer assigned to defend an accused and obviously guilty Russian spy. Meeting in prison for the first time, Hanks explains to …
2nd Sunday of Advent: Living in the Unity of Faith
For this 2nd Sunday of Advent the Roman Station church is the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem where the wooden beams of the Cross and relics of the Passion brought to Rome by the Empress Helena were deposited …
Two Saints at the Start of Advent: Bibiana and Francis Xavier
In the traditional calendar, December 2 is the feast of St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr. Having been imprisoned for her faith, she refused the sexual advances of her jailer, and was beaten to death with lead-loaded thongs. The Collect for …
On Death
Death. It’s something we all experience, something that will always come. It is unavoidable, uncharitable, unalterable. When man reaches the end of his life, and his soul is torn from his body to its judgment, death not only takes place …
Here We Are at the End
It’s not a coincidence that the shortening days of a coming winter coincide with the last days of the Church year. It’s here, at the dark end of the year, that we reflect on the dark end of the world. …
1st Sunday of Advent: Our Savior expects to find us ready
In 589 Deacon Aigulf trekked home to Tours with relics he had collected in Rome. St. Gregory of Tours relates in his Historia Francorum that Aigulf saw with his own eyes the disasters that struck Rome that year. The Tiber …