St. Thomas on the Resurrection of the Body
I only recently discovered a treasure from St. Thomas Aquinas called the Compendium of Theology. I first wrote a commentary on his book here a month ago. St. Thomas continues the richness of his teaching today on the resurrection of the body in chapters 151-168. I was going to comment on it like last time, but the teaching of the Angelic Doctor will stand alone today. This is what you and I have to look forward to in both body and soul if we make it to heaven: CHAPTER 151 REUNION WITH THE BODY REQUISITE FOR THE SOUL’S PERFECT HAPPINESS We should note that the disquiet of the will cannot be wholely overcome unless natural desire is completely satisfied. Elements that are by nature destined for union, naturally desire to be united to each other; for any being seeks what is [...]
Why Do Rad-Trads Keep “Guessing” Everything Right?
Why do trads keep guessing the outcomes correctly in nearly every issue happening in current events? I usually point out that conservatives and traditionalists understand truth better than liberals and leftists because we put evidence ahead of identity politics. I still think that’s the main reason why we keep “getting it” on so many current events in Church and State. But today, I want to explore some additional reasons. After talking to many traditional Catholics over the past three years, I can say with confidence that over well over 90% of them refused the COVID vaccine. That number may be above 95%. The vaccine is just one of a dozen issues of current events where I trust conservative and traditional voices. Even though one day mocked as "prophets of doom," we were almost always exonerated in cold-cut statistics the next [...]
VLX 139: Mt 23:13-36. “Whitewashed Tombs.”
All about parallels between the 1st century and 21st century hierarchies.
QuickPod: With Gaza Refugees
Streamed from a Greek island with Franciscans serving migrants from Gaza and Syria.
Miracles and Saints of the Catholic Church
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”—John 4:48. This line is typically seen as a reproach from Our Lord Jesus Christ, but perhaps it is a pledge, namely, that we weak human creatures need to see miracles to believe. The following is a brief but powerful compilation of [mostly] modern miracles and saints that gives great evidence to the Catholic Faith. It was put together by my brother's godfather. Miraculous, visible proof; events not explainable by science; A miracle is a sensibly perceptible effect, surpassing at least the powers of visible nature, produced by God to witness to some truth or to testify to someone's sanctity. Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth about 14 feet long and three feet wide, venerated for centuries by many as the burial cloth of Christ, is [...]
RCT 28: The Goal of the Resurrection.
The Roman Catechism of Trent (RCT) p. 73-75 The Creed, Article V, Section D Donate: https://www.padreperegrino.org/donate/
Nuchurch’s “Counter-Syllabus” of Errors.
With providential foresight, Pope Pius IX (top left) saw in the 19th century the heresies that would come upon the Church in the 20th century. So, in 1864, he wrote the Syllabus of Errors. Over one hundred years later, Cardinal Ratzinger (top right, before he was Pope) unfortunately admitted that Vatican II was "a Counter-Syllabus" of Errors. By this, he meant Vatican II was good and the Syllabus' condemnation of heresies was bad, or at least outdated. This is found in his book Principles of Catholic Theology. More specifically, Cardinal Ratzinger said Gaudium Et Spes was a Counter-Syllabus. He meant Catholics needed to get with the times in making peace with the world instead of being heresy-hunters. My translation of the above from his book in French reads: "If one looks with a global diagnostic upon the text, one can [...]
USA: The Country the Mother of God Called “Wild.”
Unless you are a practicing Catholic living in the Great Lakes region of the USA, you probably do not know that an approved Marian apparition happened in the 19th century in Wisconsin. The name of this apparition is Our Lady of Champion, and it was deemed “Worthy of Belief” by the Authority of the Catholic Church and also in 2016 by Bishop Ricken of Green Bay, WI. Adele Brise was a girl born in Belgium in 1831. As a young girl, she lost her sight in her right eye due to an accident. Later, her family moved to Wisconsin with other Belgian settlers. When she was walking through the forest in Wisconsin as a 28 year old, the above linked website explains "Adele saw a lady dressed in white, standing between two trees believed to be a maple and hemlock." [...]
TCE #53: Objective Standards for Modesty.
In TCE (Theology and Current Events) #53 I read from a small booklet called “The Marylike Modesty Handbook,” linked here: https://www.stjeromelibrary.org/product/the-marylike-modesty-handbook-of-the-purity-crusade-of-mary-immaculate/1112
Synod: Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves
As I have written before, narcissism is more than just vanity. For example, the male models in the comedy movie Zoolander are vain. But alas, Derek Zoolander is not smart enough to be a narcissist. (I don't suggest anyone watch a movie as immoral as that, but it was a young-adult favorite of my friends and me.) True narcissism includes much more than the silly vanity of a Hansel McDonald. Due to low self-esteem, the real narcissist begins to manipulate those in his life with calculated gaslighting. Gaslighting is also an over-used term today. It doesn't mean simply winning a debate using evidence. (Evidence is always the pathway to the truth, even if it hurts feelings.) Rather, gaslighting happens when a narcissist attempts to get his opponent to doubt reality. Whether successful or not, the gaslighter sometimes seeks to convince [...]