Writing a eulogy of his good friend Paula, a noble widow who was also his student, St. Jerome recalls how she used to give abundantly whenever she saw someone in need. No mind could be more considerate than hers, or none kinder towards the lowly. She did not court the powerful; at the same time, if the proud and the vainglorious sought her, she did not turn from them with disdain. If she saw a poor man, she supported him;... Read more
Review by Katie Zumbrum Be careful what you tweet about on Twitter. A simple joke on Twitter can become a book. That is exactly how this book came to life. The Catholic Hipster’s Handbook by Tommy Tighe is a delightful, humorous book that is sure to reach everyone at some level. It reminds me of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series with themes and anecdotes by different authors. There are many things I could say about this “handbook” but two... Read more
When food is scarce, prices go up. It’s just good business, right? No, says St. Ambrose. It’s one thing to get a fair return for your work, but it’s quite another to take advantage of human misery to turn an outrageous profit. “The people curse him who holds back grain” (Proverbs 11:26). This is a plain and definite statement, leaving no room for debate. Yes, you must expect payment for your labor from the crops of the fruitful land, and... Read more
St. Ambrose quotes the pagan philosopher Pythagoras to show that even the pagans admire selfless sharing between friends. But Christians are all family, so we should be all the more willing to share everything with our brothers and sisters. If one of the pagans has said that all the possessions of friends should be common, how much more ought those of relatives to be common! For we are relatives, because we are bound into one body. But we are not... Read more
If you do something good for a rich man, says St. Ambrose, he just takes it as his due, or thinks you want something out of him. But the poor repay you not only in their own gratitude, but in the promised reward from Jesus himself. What good does it do you to show favor to a rich man? We ought to think far more of the weak and helpless, because we hope to receive, on behalf of one who... Read more
Are you asking me to give my money away for nothing? No, answers St. John Chrysostom: I’m asking you to invest it at the highest possible rate of interest. “But what do you want me to do?” someone says. “Do you want me to give someone else all this money I’ve saved, which is useful to me, and demand no return?” Far from it! I don’t say that at all. In fact, I earnestly desire that you should have a... Read more
On this episode of Off the Shelf, Tommy Tighe and I take a look at his book The Catholic Hipster Handbook: Rediscovering Cool Saints, Forgotten Prayers, and Other Weird but Sacred Stuff. The book is chock full of extraordinary saints, obscure prayers, and some lesser known stories of the Catholic faith. You might be asking yourself what exactly is a Catholic Hipster? You may find out that the hipster is you! Tune in and find out. Listen to Off the... Read more
It is simply impossible, says St. John Chrysostom, to live a completely untroubled life on earth and still make it to heaven. Even if you don’t live in poverty, temptations constantly assail you. If you live a trouble-free life, you’re not resisting temptation. Wait a minute! Is it not possible, they say, to enjoy ease both here and hereafter? This, ladies and gentlemen, is unattainable; it is one of the impossible things. It simply cannot be that anyone who here... Read more
Preaching on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19-31), St. John Chrysostom pauses at the point where the rich man dies. See now, he says, what good all his possessions did him. Dear friends, do not carelessly pass by the words “and was buried,” but let us think of the tables inlaid with silver, the couches, the carpets, the wardrobe, all the ornaments throughout the house, the oils, the perfumes, the abundance of wine, the variety... Read more
Heaping up useless wealth, says St. Ambrose, rips the image of God out of our souls and substitutes the image of Satan. What good does all your wealth do you if it earns you condemnation? Is it not a vain thing to heap up riches? For surely to look for fleeting things is vain enough. And when you have gathered them, how do you know that you will be able to keep them? Is it not vain for a merchant... Read more
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