9+1 Little Lepers
Homily from the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, 2015, Traditional Latin Mass calendar:
23
08, 2015
22
08, 2015
When Darkness Becomes Light
What about children conceived in rape or incest? What about fetal deformity? What about threats to the life or health of the mother? These are the abortion exceptions produced by my friend, Kevin Williams. Even if you can't watch the full hour, just watch the first 10 minutes of this delicate and beautiful video: https://youtu.be/IrYOj3iwskk Won't you please forward this to anyone who needs to hear this message of life? This is an important story to share with those who have been raped or abused, and especially anyone who is in a hard situation, thinking about abortion. Let them see in this gentle video that life is worth living and that God can turn darkness [...]
16
08, 2015
Planned Parenthood and Priests
When I was sidewalk counseling at an abortion clinic last Friday, it hit me that it's good that there's actually a few priests and bishops speaking out against Planned Parenthood, but there’s still something worse than abortion. "For no crime is there heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreligious use [of the Holy Eucharist.]”—Council of Trent, De Euch v.i., 16th century. This could either refer to sacrilegious Masses or sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion. Of course, the interior state of a person who is receiving Holy Communion can never be judged by another, especially based on exterior indications. However, a priest or a bishop who publicly tramples the rubrics of his [...]
15
08, 2015
Immaculata Dedication
I petition the intercession of the following two saints as I consecrate this blog to St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Holy Mother of God, aka the Holy Theotokos, the Immaculata, Mary Most Holy..."Mamma Mary!" as all the Philippina women at my parish lovingly call our mother. I also dedicate it to all the guardian angels of the entire world, and especially the angels of any people the Eternal Father has destined to read my mediocre but true blog. May I suggest St. Maximilian Kolbe's consecration prayer to the Mother of God? I believe St. John Paul II prayed this every day: O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners [...]
12
08, 2015
Mercy Killing of Consciences
Today, many Catholics believe that "mercy" consists in remaining silent before someone's sinful lifestyle, so as to let that individual’s gasping conscience, well, die in peace. I think this is the “mercy” that the media is begging the bishops to invoke over those who have fallen into gravely sinful lifestyles: Leave them alone, so they can go on living in peace. And both parties' consciences are alive. barely. Here's my proof that America still has a conscience: The media does not attack Mormons or Muslims for jaw-dropping beliefs like the reception of a pile of women for every man in the afterlife (a strange overlap of Islam and Mormonism.) Why doesn’t the media attack such [...]
4
08, 2015
Under the Table and Dreaming
I’m biased, but I think my little sister is the best writer I know. Before I knew what one was, she had a blog. Talking on the phone to her last night, I started thinking a lot about Mark chapter 7: And from there [Jesus] arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet He could not be hid. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell down at His feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she [...]
2
08, 2015
The Pharisee and the Publican
10th Sunday after Pentecost, old calendar
30
07, 2015
ET (Extra-Terrestrial)
Like most kids growing up in Denver in the 1980s, the only thing that could slow me down was sickness or a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. My brother and sister and I were always spellbound. We didn't like to re-watch most movies, but his we could watch over and over and over. Spielberg, clearly Jewish by his name, had a better mystical understanding of the Old and New Testament than many Catholics. For example, I don't remember a single homily growing up on worthy reception of Holy Communion as the Apostle Paul warns the lukewarm Corinthians: Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty [...]
25
07, 2015
St. Mary Magdalene Part 2 of 2
The above picture is taken from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. It is clear in this movie, and in most private revelations, that Mary (the Mother of Jesus) knew Mary Magdalene long before the crucifixion. Granted, Scripturally I know of no other time when Mary and Mary are found in the same place, except John 19:25 (the three Mary's at the crucifixion.) So my theory can't be proved from Scripture. However, using common sense, we can be very sure that Mary and Mary didn't simply introduce oneself to each the other at the foot of the cross. It can be assumed that this would be an inappropriate time for introductions; [...]
22
07, 2015
St. Mary Magdalene Part 1 of 2
Before I was a priest, I was a paramedic. I remember running a call with the SWAT team in Southwest Denver. It was a midnight drug-bust and we had to accompany the police in the event that someone become wounded in the raid. We entered minutes after the SWAT team...and it had a pretty anticlimactic ending. The police arrested only two people. The young man and woman were caught in a compromised position, so to speak…and it smelled filthy. I was surprised at the stench, and it wasn’t the smell of drugs that was off-putting. Later in seminary, I remember reading on my own about how certain saints (like St. Christina the Astonishing) could smell impurity [...]