This excellent post by Max Lindenman prompted a question from a reader about repentance and forgiveness of sins. The question was, approximately: Just how sorry for your sins do you have to be in order to be forgiven via the Sacrament of Reconciliation? To begin, some vocabulary terms: “Perfect Contrition” is sorrow for your sins because you are sorry for offending God, whom you love. Perfect contrition alone is sufficient to reconcile yourself with God. (You are obliged, all the... Read more
As I write this I’m watching on a hurricane and eating half-decent soup. Perfect for today’s feast, because in Therese-like fashion there are no portion sizes, you put in the amount you’ve got. 1) Decide you want to put more protein into one of your children. Walk around the grocery store looking for possibilities. 2) Pick up a package of “beef shanks for stew.” That looks all earthy and healthy and protein-y and not expensive, right? 3) Check the... Read more
My top two picks for St. Jerome posts today are Amy Welborn at Charlotte Was Both and Julie Davis at Happy Catholic. Take a look. Definitely read the poem aloud, well worth your time. Meanwhile, from the inbox, two evangelization initiatives from ladies who have all the Gospel spirit of St. Jerome but not so much the flame-war thing going on. First, an update from J.C. Crowley at The Catholic Navigator: Things here are at breakneck speed . . . Along... Read more
One of the favorite bogeymen of freedom-from-religion types is the dreaded Religious Reactionary. By day she locks her children away in the log cabin, at night she snuggles under a hand-knit blanket while the wood stove cheerily burns all those books she’s out to ban. In counter-reaction, some Christians work hard to prove their pop-culture bonafides — thank God I’m not like that Pharisee over there. Which brings us to Taylor Swift. I’ve never gone through the trouble of banning Taylor Swift or... Read more
The feast of the Archangels, aka Michaelmas (poor Raphael and Gabriel, always overlooked — bet they wish they had swords, too), has long been a date associated with the turning of the seasons. But what good for modern Catholics? Hark, I bring glad tidings: It’s also the vigil of the vigil of the end of Summer Shipping Surcharges for certain suppliers of papist-friendly chocolate. You can thank me in a week or so. In other useful links today: How to... Read more
One of my pleasures lately has been the privilege of getting to watch bunches of priests and laypeople do the Catholic thing and do it well. It is heartening to see so many faithful people love God so fully, and put that love into action. Thus last week I found myself watching two priests do exactly the thing they needed to be to doing, mentoring a dozen or so disciples-in-formation. In the course of group conversation, Father G.* posed a... Read more
So yesterday a famous person was slated to make an appearance at the building across the street from where my kids have class. To make it more exciting, the proposed schedule was this: I drop kids off at class: 5:00 pm. Celebrity event begins: 6:00 pm. I pick up kids, u-turn, and dash down the road to religious ed which is already starting: 6:30 pm. This does not bode well. Adding to the excitement, I still haven’t checked the oil... Read more
What were the Holy Father and President Obama talking about that kept them so long? Excerpts from the long conversation . . . “I thought Americans like you come early. You say no? Okay, we sit here a while.” “I brought a game to pass the time. I show you a picture of an innocent human being, and you tell me if it’s okay to kill that one.” “No, no, let’s the play the game again. The answer to all... Read more
Some friends are lamenting the plague of poorly-behaved children at what ought to be decent restaurants. These are people who like children, but who want to eat with the sure confidence that a stranger’s fork won’t be launched across the room by the little monster making the high-pitched scream as he races through the establishment. As a parent, you don’t want to be “that family.” But we know children have free will, and that we cannot control other people, we can only... Read more
This week while the executive director of Family Honor is up at the World Meeting for Families, I’ll be getting ready for my first presentation of the new school year. Family Honor offers courses in chastity for parents and for parents-and-teens. Last year was the first year my husband and I participated as presenters, and I’m absolutely sold. As a teacher and speaker, working with Family Honor is a dream. Here’s why: Your whole team is thoroughly trained. It’s not... Read more
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