Russia today is vengefully returning to international politics after temporarily receding after the collapse of the Soviet empire. Moscow is lashing out with tenacious diplomatic and military support for the brutal regime in Syria that has butchered more than one hundred thousand Syrians to crush a civil war. Moscow too is militarily dismembering neighboring Ukraine…
Clare Short, author of the Catholic blog Faith in Our Families, has published an open letter to Pope Francis. She writes: I have supported you and defended you many times this year. Even when I was unsure of exactly what it was you were saying – I always gave you the benefit of the doubt and…
Men’s faith formation has been a pet project of mine for the last half of my 26 years as a priest. Among many things, I ‘ve wanted us men to rediscover the treasury of Catholic devotions. If men are going to be the spiritual leaders of their own domestic church, we simply must explore these…
The Rorate Mass takes its name from the opening words of the Introit, which comes to us from Isaiah 45:8: “Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.” “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a…
On today’s episode: Advent – you’ve heard that it’s penitential, but why? Do you pay it any attention? Also: the connection between the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of the new one, and the way Advent prepares us not just for Christ’s Incarnation, but the coming of the Antichrist and the…
[powerpress] On today’s episode: Advent – you’ve heard that it’s penitential, but why? Do you pay it any attention? Also: the connection between the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of the new one, and the way Advent prepares us not just for Christ’s Incarnation, but the coming of the Antichrist and…
“It is vital that we return our focus to the things that cannot change, and to bring Christ again to the center. We must remember how to evangelize, and how to draw those seeking conversion into the depths of sacramental mystery…we must promote the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, raising up artisans and writers…
About three and half years ago, I was on my way to spend Easter break on the beach with some friends. I had with me three books: , by Bl. Cardinal Newman, , by William Walsh, and , by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange. I was also a Calvinist. Or, rather, I was in that confused middle place…
Wednesday within the Octave of Black Friday is traditionally known as “Wachet Auf Wednesday,” a day to spend posting YouTube videos of Bach’s “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” to Catholic Music websites. Because I’ll be celebrating Wachet Auf Wednesday all day today, I do not have time to post here on OnePeterFive. Instead, in…
I began life in the broad mainstream of American Evangelicalism, a tradition quite similar in many respects to the Baptists, the notable differences being the contemporary worship style of my denomination and the greater freedom of theological speculation enjoyed by local communities. Later in life and late in my search for more authentic religion, which…
According to the traditional reckoning, on years when Black Friday falls on a Friday, the Tuesday following is known as Giving Tuesday. Customary devotionals for Giving Tuesday include avoiding Turkey sandwiches, complaining about “all this Christmas stuff during Advent,” and donating money to charitable organizations that reinforce your sense of religious identity while providing a…
