Padre Peregrino – Page 63 – Theology from a wandering priest

2 09, 2015

Trust or Virtue?

By Father David Nix|2015-09-02T23:53:05+00:00September 2nd, 2015|Theology|

Salvation is a free gift that we receive from God at our baptism (1 Pt 3:21.) However, for salvation to be realized, we must cooperate in a life of virtue (Mt 24:13). Maybe we ask the question: Does virtue come from God or from me? Even the gift of virtue or discipline comes from God. While some Catholics try to earn their way to heaven without any trust in Jesus Christ, other Catholics commit the opposite heresy of “once saved always saved,” which usually leads to a life of laziness. This post is not a Scriptural apologetic for the Catholic view of salvation. It’s a short writing where I look [...]

29 08, 2015

Marriage Defenders: Part 2 of 2

By Father David Nix|2015-08-31T19:13:37+00:00August 29th, 2015|Theology|

A friend of mine who is a beautiful wife and mother of seven children was in a supermarket this week. A 50 year old man stopped her and then sarcastically asked her if she knew what "caused" having seven kids. She texted me about this and then added her and her husband's thoughts on this: Some days the world just wears you down and a part of you starts to feel like maybe you are a freak. Not just about having a lot of kids, but about everything. And then you realize you need to spend some time in adoration and start to once again see life through Jesus' eyes [...]

27 08, 2015

Marriage Defenders: Part 1 of 2

By Father David Nix|2015-09-20T00:47:17+00:00August 27th, 2015|Theology|

The reason why the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox hesitantly accept divorce and remarriage today can be traced back to a 9th century synod, where Greece had a pre-emptive episode of England’s Henry VIII’s libido issues. In fact, the Greek bishops of the 9th century held a synod to recognize the legitimacy of the emperor Constantine’s second marriage. A Greek monk, St. Theodore, stood alone in the breach, calling this synod the “Adultery-Synod,” moecho-synodus in Greek. Like history that would be repeated seven hundred years later in England with Henry VIII versus St. Thomas More, the Greek bishops and the emperor stood behind the synod of adultery, not behind the saint. St. [...]

16 08, 2015

Planned Parenthood and Priests

By Father David Nix|2015-09-21T01:20:17+00:00August 16th, 2015|Theology|

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

By Father David Nix|2015-08-15T19:26:21+00:00August 15th, 2015|Theology|

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

By Father David Nix|2015-08-13T20:29:57+00:00August 12th, 2015|Theology|

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

By Father David Nix|2015-10-12T01:46:26+00:00August 4th, 2015|Theology|

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 [...]

30 07, 2015

ET (Extra-Terrestrial)

By Father David Nix|2015-10-29T14:44:58+00:00July 30th, 2015|Theology|

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

By Father David Nix|2015-10-12T01:48:21+00:00July 25th, 2015|Theology|

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

By Father David Nix|2015-10-12T01:47:48+00:00July 22nd, 2015|Theology|

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 [...]