Saints

6 05, 2021

The Near-Martyrdom of St. John the Apostle
The Near-Martyrdom of St. John the Apostle

The Near-Martyrdom of St. John the Apostle

By Father David Nix|2021-05-05T00:22:23+00:00May 6th, 2021|Theology|

As most of you know, the only apostle not martyred was St. John the Beloved (also called St. John the Theologian.) But as seen in the FSSP Ordo today (the 6th of May) there is an optional 4th class feast of St. John's near-martyrdom in boiling oil at the Latin Gate that is even celebrated in red (R) by the priest (if he can find it at the back of his '62 Missal!) Here's the Roman Calendar as produced by the FSSP: As the definitive and ancient Roman Martyrology reads on the 6th of May, "In Rome, the feast of St. John before the Latin Gate. Being bound and brought [...]

26 01, 2021

How Our Age of Church History Is Different From All Others in the Past
How Our Age of Church History Is Different From All Others in the Past

How Our Age of Church History Is Different From All Others in the Past

By Father David Nix|2021-01-26T01:08:16+00:00January 26th, 2021|Theology|

As I finished up Vespers tonight for the Conversion of St. Paul and got my ribbons ready for tomorrow on my old-school Divine Office for the third-class feast of St. Polycarp, I realized something tonight: Whereas St. Paul probably prayed all 150 Psalms by memory in Hebrew every day or every week, and whereas St. Paul probably asked for intercession for the people he killed before his own conversion and perhaps even asked intercession for all those he names in his letter to the Hebrews (ch. 11-13) there is something St. Paul and St. Polycarp did not have: 2000 years of saints and martyrs in the Catholic calendar and roll-call [...]

12 01, 2021

“When You Say It, Don’t Hide”—Bl. Jacinta Marto
“When You Say It, Don’t Hide”—Bl. Jacinta Marto

“When You Say It, Don’t Hide”—Bl. Jacinta Marto

By Father David Nix|2021-01-12T15:54:46+00:00January 12th, 2021|Theology|

Usually when I bring the beginnings of repentance for my sins to prayer, I sense a deeper call to repentance. (In other words, when I begin to repent in prayer, I find I'm not repenting nearly enough.) Lately, I have been trying to bring to prayer the shame I have that I come to such radically different conclusions than almost all other priests online on the issues of 2021. Going to prayer, I expect to feel more shame for these differences of opinion I have with most of the hierarchy. But amazingly (and I realize what we sense in prayer is by no means infallible and probably shouldn't even go [...]

13 10, 2020

Myth Busting: St. Francis of Assisi and Private Property
Myth Busting: St. Francis of Assisi and Private Property

Myth Busting: St. Francis of Assisi and Private Property

By Father David Nix|2020-10-13T13:37:10+00:00October 13th, 2020|Theology|

St. Francis of Assisi (one of my favorite saints) is again being twisted into a communist and a pacifist. To dispel this, you can read the gold-standard biography by St. Bonaventure called The Life of St. Francis of Assisi. In the 20th century, GK Chesterton wrote St. Francis of Assisi. He recounts this unusual interaction: "The good Bishop of Assisi expressed a sort of horror at the hard life which the Little Brothers lived at the Portiuncula, without comforts, without possessions, eating anything they could get and sleeping anyhow on the ground. St. Francis answered him with that curious and almost stunning shrewdness which the unworldly can sometimes wield like a club [...]

7 09, 2020

The French Revolution and the American-Catholic Today
The French Revolution and the American-Catholic Today

The French Revolution and the American-Catholic Today

By Father David Nix|2020-09-07T19:13:55+00:00September 7th, 2020|Theology|

Art by Gloria Thomas. I'm 98% sure my history text book in Catholic grade school portrayed the French Revolution as a good thing. We learned the aristocrats were against “fraternity, equality and liberty" and that is apparently all we needed to know as 7th graders in a Catholic grade school in Denver. But the reality is that the French Revolution was a mass martyrdom of Catholics. Though done in the name of dis-empowering aristocrats (only 30 of the 1400 executed in the initial “Terror” in Paris were aristocrats) this bloody revolution was nothing short of a revolt against God and an overturning of all social order. There is a Catholic [...]

11 07, 2020

Why Mother Cabrini Would Not Want Herself to Replace Columbus on the Colorado Calendar
Why Mother Cabrini Would Not Want Herself to Replace Columbus on the Colorado Calendar

Why Mother Cabrini Would Not Want Herself to Replace Columbus on the Colorado Calendar

By Father David Nix|2020-07-11T02:59:45+00:00July 11th, 2020|Theology|

CNN recently reported, “Colorado passed legislation Tuesday to replace Columbus Day with Cabrini Day because bill sponsors say it doesn't represent their community members. The first Monday of October will now honor Frances Xavier Cabrini, who according to the bill, is the woman responsible for creating 67 schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the United States and South and Central America throughout her lifetime. Sen. Chris Hansen, one of the bill's sponsors, told CNN that Cabrini is a local Colorado hero because of the work that she did. Chicago and New York join Colorado in honoring Cabrini with a shrine dedicated to her, Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, another one of the bill's [...]

30 06, 2020

Earthly Things: Part 1
Earthly Things: Part 1

Earthly Things: Part 1

By Father David Nix|2020-06-30T22:52:36+00:00June 30th, 2020|Theology|

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz8wXNUdMO8 Consider four current issues of "debated" truth: 1) In the above video, Sean Hannity names numerous racist things that Joe Biden said starting at minute 3:30. This includes terms like "racial jungle" and "predators on our streets." Biden even describes South Asians as having a "slight Indian Accent..at 7-11 or Dunkin' Donuts." This is not to mention Biden's newest goof of telling a black radio host that unless he vote for him, "You ain't black." Of course, President Trump has never said anything remotely close to this racist (before or during his presidency. ) 2) In the below tweet, I mention a medical fact that many young women in first [...]

30 04, 2020

Catholics Facing a Police-State
Catholics Facing a Police-State

Catholics Facing a Police-State

By Father David Nix|2020-04-30T16:37:24+00:00April 30th, 2020|Theology|

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJgRk1p8ktY In the above 10 minute Fox News segment from this week (April 2020) Tucker Carlson says: "People in power abuse their power. That may be the lesson here. The arrival of a terrifying new virus from China gave our leaders more power than anyone has had in the history of this country. Six weeks ago, America was something resembling an imperfect democracy...But suddenly everything has changed. Now, this is an oligarchy managed by bureaucrats and tech-moguls, none of whom are accountable to voters. Our leaders are making decisions that will affect your family forever with no oversight or accountability. And of course they love it. We shouldn't be surprised [...]

13 03, 2020

St. Mary of Egypt (Audio Version)
St. Mary of Egypt (Audio Version)

St. Mary of Egypt (Audio Version)

By Father David Nix|2024-03-17T20:58:13+00:00March 13th, 2020|Podcasts, Sermons, Talks|

St. Mary of Egypt went from sex-addict to canonized saint in the fourth century. Tonight's podcast is the verbatim account of another 4th century saint describing her life in 40 minutes. His full written account of St. Mary of Egypt can be found on my blog, here. Thanks also to Fairuz' Good Friday Lebanese Catholic song “Kamat Mariyam” as the music bumpers found here.

10 10, 2019

University Talk on the Saints
University Talk on the Saints

University Talk on the Saints

By Father David Nix|2019-10-09T21:01:12+00:00October 10th, 2019|Podcasts, Sermons, Talks|

Today’s talk was given at a Catholic University in California to incoming freshmen who are studying movie production and movie directing. The thrust of the talk is that to make inspirational Catholic movies, you must live an inspirational life. Time stamp 0-23 min is the talk. 23' to 32' is Q/A with University students.