Two Sons, One Mother

Intellectual laziness and moral inattentiveness are twin sons of a single mother. Her name is "Indifference". Her motto, "Whatever".

Simultaneously bold and meek!

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;...
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";
and when he said this, he fell asleep.
~ Acts 7:51 & 60

Is it not curious that we often hear sermons extolling the virtue of Stephen's boldness or that of his humility, but rarely of his bold meekness? The real mystery of this instance of capital punishment is that the one who incited the violence is one and the same as the one who implored the Divine forbearance.

O that we would imitate Saint Stephen and be both bold and meek in the same moment.

Is politics doomed to godlessness?

Today's Psalm puts the lie to the inevitability of the wedding of politics and godlessness:

Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
~ Psalm 119:23

Politicians are subject to the temptations common to all men and women. Our elected officials may choose to confront these assaults on virtue with the same arsenal as we do. They are free also to neglect these tools.

That many politicians are ensnared by power is no more a testimony to the inevitability of godlessness than our moral failures are to the inevitability of sin. The lives of Blessed Theresa of Calcutta and Saint Thomas More make clear that holiness is possible for the powerless and the powerful alike.

There remains no excuse for the moral cowardice of those who name the name of Christ when they are in the quest for the vote, yet abandon the command of Christ when they take counsel regarding the health of the nation.

Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
~ Psalm 119:24

Church precepts and healthy marriages...

Have you ever noticed the uncanny similarity between the five precepts of the Church and the rudiments of a healthy marriage?

Precept 1: You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
Rudiment 1: Healthy marriages are built upon a foundation of consistent, well-spent time, punctuated by days of celebration.

Precept 2: You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
Rudiment 2: Healthy marriages are restored and sustained by frequent confession ("I'm sorry, please forgive me."). Wise couples do it daily, weekly and annually.

Precept 3: You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.
Rudiment 3: Healthy marriages recognize that there's only one thing better than fessing-up, and that's making-up. Marital intimacy is the Eucharist of healthy marriages.

Precept 4: You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
Rudiment 4: Healthy marriages are marked by frequent sacrifices that show a husband's love for his wife and a wife's love for her husband.

Precept 5: You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
Rudiment 5: Healthy marriages are built upon the tireless efforts of husband's and wive's to secure a better life for one another.

One more thing: The precepts outline the very necessary minimum for growth in our love for God. In the same way, the health of a marriage is intimately connected to the frequency and care with which the rudiments are put into practice.

Immensity and madness

It is not the immensity of the universe, but of human pride that drives men to unbelief. It is palpable madness for any creature to decry against the gods.

Scandal, folly or power?

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son (John 3). The ancients got it right! The notion that the Creator would die so that the creature might live is either a scandal, folly or saving power. So...what do you say it is?

The death of peer pressure

We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). This conviction undergirds and animates Christian integrity. It is the death of peer pressure.

Troublesome grace

Grace is costly to the Savior and the saved alike. Free is not a synonym for easy. Many are the troubles of the just (Psalm 34).

The fearlessness of the godly

Why ought the godly not cower? "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them" (Psalm 34).

Wonder and yawning

Nicodemus speaks with Jesus and is caught up in wonder, "How can this happen?" (John 3). We witness baptismal and Eucharistic miracles and yawn. You tell me, "Who is closer to the truth?"

The Gospel's persistent embrace

"There was no needy person among them" (Acts 4:34). Something tells me that there is more of me to be embraced by the Gospel than I let on.

Fists, laughter and courage

Heaven laughs when the powerful raise their fists in protest against it (Psalm 2). God's amusement is the font of Christian courage.

Threats of boldness...

O that we might be like the Apostles and pray for evangelistic boldness in the face of the threats of powerful men (Acts 4:23ff).

Getting to what and why.

Get the "what" of human existence wrong, and you will never understand it's "why". Ontology reveals teleology.

Love and obedience...

Those who think it strange that love is revealed in obedience understand neither obedience nor love. Jesus said, If you love me, you will...

Love and time...

It has been said that to love is to will the good of another. But, is it possible that to love is to will the good of another over time.

Longing for humility

May I always know the humility of the Apostles: "Why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?"

Coming and staying home

Nine years ago, Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church welcomed my family home. It was good to come home. Its good to remain.

The heart of a mystery.

The Resurrection is the Christian mystery's heart. Our understanding of God, ourselves and the world is meaningless apart from the empty tomb!

Two Sides

The One who loves us is the One who will judge us. The One who can crush is the One who has come to save.

Maundy Mystery

The mystery of Holy Thursday hinges upon the reality of the power and the legitimacy of the authority of the One who dons the servant's robe.

True/False?

Allah is the same God Jews and Christians worship.