The Passion of Jesus
This is a talk I gave to the North Shore Latin Mass Society. It considers the historical, mystical and theological perspectives of the five sorrows of the Rosary.
29
03, 2017
20
03, 2017
5 Things You Might Not Know About St. Joseph
I’m going to write on five surprising things of St. Joseph in celebration of his feast day today. 1) St. Joseph was probably born without original sin. I know this one sounds heretical, but follow me here. A nun in Ohio received private revelations from Mary and Joseph in 1956, all of which were approved by Cardinal Burke in his letter to the USCCB in 1997. These apparitions are known as “Our Lady of America.” St. Joseph said the following about himself in this apparition: “It is true, my daughter, that immediately after my conception I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of [...]
10
03, 2017
40 Martyrs of Sebaste
Today is the Memorial of the 40 Roman Soldiers who banded together in modern day Armenia, refusing to renounce Christ. St. Basil writes of their glorious and manly martyrdom: These holy martyrs suffered at Sebaste, in the Lesser Armenia, under the Emperor Licinius, in 320. They were of different countries, but enrolled in the same troop; all in the flower of their age, comely, brave, and robust, and were become considerable for their services. St. Gregory of Nyssa and Procopius say they were of the Thundering Legion, so famous under Marcus Aurelius for the miraculous rain and victory obtained by their prayers. This was the twelfth legion, and then quartered [...]
8
01, 2017
Holy Family (St. Joseph)
This homily is mostly about St. Joseph. Song bookending homily is Te Ioseph Celebrent (courtesy of the Benedictine Nuns of Ephesus.)
26
12, 2016
St. Stephen and Rogue One
Spoiler alert on Rogue One for the second half of this blog post. Today is the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Catholic Church. His martyrdom is found in Acts chapter 7 and it contains the jarring testimony of a young deacon who chooses God’s religion over man’s intertwined religious games. Although engaging the high-powered Jewish religious leaders of Christ’s own time, St. Stephen is fearless in proclaiming how Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all the Hebrew Scriptures. Before being stoned to death, Stephen recounts to the Pharisees all of Salvation history. Then he accuses them: "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. [...]
15
11, 2016
Why Did Jesus Really Have to Die For Us?
This is the same as my podcast but in video form. Also, the audio did not include the Question and Answer period at the end. This video on YouTube includes it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GP_ZFKwW-A
3
09, 2016
16° Sunday After Pentecost
Is the Christian called to Inspiration or Relevance? We look to St. Theresa of Kolkata to understand today's Gospel, Luke chapter 14.
16
07, 2016
Women Saints’ Problems
I'm not sure who originally compiled this, but it is encouraging to know: You're not alone in your struggles. These are the women of the school of Christ crucified. (After writing this blog post last night, I woke up and realized I needed to add an important Nota Bene: The below listing of saints is not a green-light for women to be doormats. Most of these women tried to preserve their lives and even live normal lives. The list below is simply a way to push against the Calvinist idea that suffering is a sign of divine disfavor.) Abusive or Unfaithful Husbands Physical Abuse St. Rita of Cascia Verbal Abuse Bl. [...]
30
06, 2016
Four Persons. One Location
What four people on the edge of despair found in common... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1GMA8JSD4Y
7
12, 2015
St. Ambrose
What does St. Ambrose have to do with the Navy Seals and St. Therese?