Every year, as a teacher, when Halloween approaches, I have struggled to thoroughly answer the question, “What do you think of Halloween?” Every year, then, I would research the traditions and history of Halloween and get closer to providing a more complete answer. My wayward youth of enjoying Halloween for evil purposes, which was tied to…
Holy Communion is the Bread of Life, the Medicine of Immortality, the eternal pledge of God’s Infinite Love. The whole visible creation is as nothing at all compared to Jesus’ Real Presence among us in His Eucharist, which is truly and substantially His Body and His Blood, united to His Soul and His Divinity. Holy Communion is the Fruit of the Tree…
Rebuilding Christendom is all about the children. Besides Christmas, Halloween is probably the most well-loved holiday for your average kid, Catholic or not (at least in the nation I live in). The reason is obvious to any child of ten years or less: candy. Every year thousands of kids have fun dressing up and getting…
Last month a couple of the nuns of the Fairfield Carmel were seen attending Mass at the FSSP apostolate, our parish in the ancient centre, Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini. These are the sisters who have become famous throughout the Traditional Catholic world for their attempt to live the Teresian Discalced Carmelite life in the most…
In discussions of whether or not the pope has the authority to radically change the Church’s liturgy, the claim has been made that “if he can modify the bread from leavened to unleavened and limit reception to one species—which pertain even to the substance of the sacrament!—then of course he can do anything else.” I…
Editor’s note: the following Novena is being prayed by certain Latin Mass communities for the intention of preserving the ancient Roman Rite at their parish. We invite readers to join in this Novena, starting this Friday, for the sake of all our brethren facing a struggle to preserve the rite of our fathers. Options •…
Of all religions, Buddhism claims the 4th largest number of adherents worldwide. This religion, oftentimes described as a “way of life,” is also gaining some level of traction amongst people of the West who have thrown off the sweet yoke of Christ. Since a serious question deserves a serious reply, let us first consider some…
I am one of those “aging boomer” priests that, according to the stereotype, is supposed to cherish Saint Louis Jesuit music, liturgical dance and the like. Only I don’t and even in my exclusively Novus Ordo days never really did. I was spiritually and temperamentally prepared for my Bishop asking me to help with the…
Flashback to July of this year. My wife, four kids, and I climbed up a high mountain while on vacation. We sat in a glorious subalpine meadow, overlooking a massive glacier, and debated whether or not we wanted to go back down the mountain. We had climbed the mountain for one reason: to escape. Setting…
Collect: Keep Thy household, O Lord, with continual loving-kindness, that by Thy protection it may be free from all adversities and devoted to Thy name in well-doing. Epistle: Ephesians vi. 10-17 Gospel: Matthew xviii. 23-35 An image of the torments of Hell attributed to spiritual writers of note, in particular St. Augustine of Hippo (+430), caught…
I’m rather fond of one of my brother’s expressions. In reference to a snack I once offered him, it went something like this: “That’s not salsa, it’s tomato paste, lying about being salsa.” In his book, “12 Rules for Life,” Jordan Peterson makes a valid point: you can never go wrong by telling the truth.…
