I once heard the sacrament of marriage compared to a tree. At first glance, I barely took notice of this because the concept of a “family tree” is familiar to most of us. Upon reflection, however, I discovered a depth and richness to this analogy that surpassed any notion of ancestral lineage. I’d like to…
God often takes things from us for His own good reasons. Our task is to seek the purpose. Much like everyone else, I have suffered many losses throughout my life. Some major, like the death of my father and my brother. Some minor, like a girl I was very much in love with, who decided…
The Deadly Sin of Anger Anger, or wrath, or rage, is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus identified anger as a violation of the 5th Commandment and as endangering one’s eternal soul: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill;…
The volume and scope of the analysis by Church scholars, theologians, and other Catholic writers on the topic of Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (AL), is little short of staggering. But in recent weeks, since the pope’s brazen approval of the Argentine Bishops’ letter making clear that there is “no other interpretation” than that AL chapter…
I am a 38-year-old priest. Most of my priesthood has been spent with university students and young families. Every week, I end up in some conversation on the phone with someone who is enduring unspeakable suffering within their family. I know that every age of history has suffering, but something is different about this year.…
After the German publisher Droemer Verlag first released it on 9 September 2016, much has already been deeply discussed and variously reported about Benedict XVI’s new interview-book, Benedikt XVI. Letzte Gespräche (Benedict XVI – Last Conversations) which so far has only been published in the German language. It has been shown, for example, how the…
Puritan’s Empire Charles A. Coulombe Tumblar House 624 pages $35.95 Puritan’s Empire by Charles A. Coulombe is a unique tour de force of American history from a Catholic high traditionalist perspective, spanning the colonial period to the modern day. Although some sections are dry, the colorful and controversial personal analysis undergirding the volume’s rationale will keep the…
Today is the Feast of St. Matthew. The following is excerpted from the book “Who is Jesus Christ? Unlocking the Mystery in the Gospel of Matthew” by 1P5 contributor Eric Sammons. Stories of personal conversion comprise one of the most powerful genres of religious literature. St. Augustine’s Confessions, a classic example of this type of…
Those who attend the Traditional Mass regularly are deeply familiar with, and deeply appreciative of, the recitation of the Prologue of the Gospel of John at the very end of Mass. It has always struck me, and I have no doubt it strikes many others, as a beautifully appropriate moment of meditation, a long-drawn breath…
How Can I Help the Team? This summer, I coached my oldest son’s baseball team. These seven- and eight-year-old boys were very much still learning the game; so in addition to teaching them basic skills of hitting, catching, and throwing, one of my main tasks was teaching them mental focus. That is, I couldn’t have…
Many of us are suffering right now. It’s recent and sudden, and happening in ways we never anticipated or imagined. Steve Skojec has heroically shared with us his incomprehensible crosses. The family discord, this falling away between family members and among otherwise close friends, the many cancers, diseases, catastrophic accidents and job losses, the persecutions, both…
