In the Summa I-II Question 5, St. Thomas writes "On the contrary, It is written (Job 14:1): 'Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.' But Happiness excludes misery.  Therefore man cannot be happy in this life."  We're going to see why this is actually good news by looking at quotes from that part of the Summa. If you only read my X profile, you might think I'm a dark pessimist.  But only a couple friends and family members know the deepest part of my soul:  I am actually a hopeless optimist who has trusted too many people who betrayed me and the [...]

Editor's Note: This piece is from Mike, a husband, father and convert to the Catholic faith. Mike is a retired SEAL officer who spent many years at SEAL Team Six. He attends the Traditional Latin Mass. On a Sunday night in October, 1989, Hell Week began. Gunfire, flash-bangs, yelling, confusion: all designed to induce the maximum stress and chaos among us SEAL trainees. It continued non-stop for the next 4-1/2 days. Attrition was about 70%: a typical rate. I was a 22 year old Navy ensign leading a “boat crew” of six fellow trainees. About 48 hours into Hell Week (it was Tuesday evening), we paddled our inflatable rubber boats [...]

Today, we're going to look at St. Thomas Aquinas on why God allows temptations.  Below in black italics will be quotes from St. Thomas' Summa, part one, Question 114.  As usual, my commentary will be in orange below. St. Thomas:  I answer that, Two things may be considered in the assault of the demons---the assault itself, and the ordering thereof. The assault itself is due to the malice of the demons, who through envy endeavor to hinder man's progress; and through pride usurp a semblance of Divine power, by deputing certain ministers to assail man, as the angels of God in their various offices minister to man's salvation. Nix:  The [...]

When you see "a Theology of Attachment" as the title of this article, you probably think I'm going to tell you what to give up for Lent.  It's too late for that.  Rather, I'm simply going to compare that which Satan clung to and that which Mary clung to.  (And yes, I know I just ended a sentence in a preposition, but remember what GK Chesterton wrote: "A preposition, I may remark in passing, is about the best thing in the world to end a sentence with.") Satan's Attachments: St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:  "But [satan] desired resemblance with God in this respect---by desiring, as his last end of beatitude, something [...]

Part One: Respect of Egos was about St. Thomas Aquinas' warnings against "respect of persons" which I consider to be an avoidance of "Respect of Egos." This leads into today's article on having fortitude of character. Many of you are probably familiar with the Milgram experiment in 1961 where normal Americans involved in a psychological experiment were pressured into delivering lethal doses of electricity to other Americans involved in that experiment.  At least, they believed these were lethal doses of electricity... but they were not.  The experiment (linked above) was rather a test on the would-be electrocuters to determine how many people would deliver a lethal dose of 250 volts [...]

This is a two part series on the "Respect of Egos." It is easy to misunderstand St. Thomas Aquinas' condemnation of "respect of persons." The notion we are to avoid "respect of persons" obviously does not mean we should disrespect anyone.  Nor does it mean that we are supposed to treat everyone the exact same.  Rather, in his section on Respect of Persons, St. Thomas Aquinas essentially teaches that the true Christian is to honor his neighbor in proportion to his level of virtuous living, not his social status. In the above link, St. Thomas Aquinas writes about how we are indeed permitted to prefer one person over another.  The [...]

Although I have written and podcasted many times about St. Ignatius’ rules of discernment, I have never listed all of his rules without commentary. They are quite digestible as you can see from the length of this short article. Thousands of books have been written on his rules. But taken alone, the following list is just the "raw-materials" of all discernment.  (Discernment is simply the telling of good from bad, and making decisions in life.)  Although dry at first glance, these bullet points have become the most pure “raw materials” of the interior life. Notwithstanding what the modernist Jesuits have done with them, keep in mind that the old-school Popes [...]

Update: The Catholic CEO mentioned below dropped the pro-abort from his audio line-up shortly after the production of this article. Divinations and omens and dreams are folly, and like a woman with labor pains the mind has fancies. Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation, do not give your mind to them. For dreams have deceived many, and those who put their hope in them have failed.—Sir 34:5-7. Recently I saw some news: A large Catholic company hired a rabid pro-abort to do some voice-overs.  When the Catholic CEO was challenged on this decision by mainstream Catholic media, the CEO said publicly, “It’s something we have [...]

One who trusts others too quickly is lightminded, and one who sins does wrong to himself. One who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned, and for one who hates gossip evil is lessened. Never repeat a conversation, and you will lose nothing at all. With friend or foe do not report it, and unless it would be a sin for you, do not disclose it; for some one has heard you and watched you, and when the time comes he will hate you.—Sir 19:4-9. Let's consider a few lines passage from the Sirach 19 (a book found on in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, not Protestant ones) and see what [...]

Many good Catholics today are striving for an increase in purity by both prayer and mortification.  This is extremely commendable.  But did you know the virtue of purity is directly connected to supernatural hope?  And the virtue of supernatural hope is directly connected to gratitude?  I found this while studying Scripture: Gratitude increases hope: The hope of an ungrateful man will melt like wintry frost and flow away like waste water.—Wis 16:29. ... and hope increases purity: And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure.—1 John 3:3. Therefore, real gratitude increases both supernatural hope and purity.  Purity of heart is not only something in regards [...]