What is the Christian response to suffering? This is the second in a series, and the first post is here. People often ask, “How can a good God allow evil?” We can approach the question from a number of directions, and before I continue, let me observe: Sometimes people who ask that question are really saying something else. What they mean is: This hurts. I feel like I am completely alone. I just want this nightmare to end. Help... Read more
A friend shared a link to this post, “I Rented a Car to Protect my Marriage.” I could not agree more. My husband and I don’t use these exact rules, but we have a variation on them that works pretty well for us. Would perfectly chaste love make such rules unnecessary? Sure. And hence the proverb, “Pride goes before the fall.” We who are subject to human weakness and temptation do ourselves a favor when we have the humility to... Read more
Photograph of The Heart of Mary (by Kupelwieser) in the side chapel of St. Antony in in the Peterskirche, Vienna, Austria. Photos of paintings are kind of weird, but I liked the image enough that I went with it. I’ve been doing the Catholic thing and beseeching a patron whose intercession is both powerful and punny, so for all things cardiology, Immaculate Heart of Mary it is. (There are other, better reasons as well.) For those who haven’t followed the... Read more
Rebbecca Hamiliton reports here on the recent CNA interview with Pope Francis, in which he comments on the prospect of same-sex civil unions. Here’s the money quote, from the bottom of her post: Many nations have regulated civil unions. Is it a path that the Church can understand? But up to what point? Marriage is between a man and a woman. Secular states want to justify civil unions to regulate different situations of cohabitation, pushed by the demand to regulate... Read more
Continuing with the discussion of Papal Economics, and no, you don’t have to read the book to follow along. Join us online-only, no problem. My first post in the series is here. Today I’m responding to Theodore Seeber’s comments in his post “Private Property is under a Mortgage on the Poor”. Seeber writes: I’m at a very curious point in my reading of Papal Economics. I’m in the middle of a chapter discussing Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, the social concern of... Read more
For your Sunday listening pleasure, Miserere Mei, Deus by Gregorio Allegri. It’s about 8 minutes long, so get yourself nice and contemplative before you hit play. FYI – the St. Pete’s Soundclick playlist is downloadable. So you can make yourself a nice album of suitably-Lenten MP3’s. Enjoy. Read more
Let’s talk impossible penances. From this morning’s readings: If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable; if you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice, then you shall delight in the LORD . . . And now for a quick peek at the Catechism before anyone starts in with... Read more
Taylor Marshall has some good suggestions for going meatless without losing your mind. My favorite quote: Nothing says “penance” like fish-sticks. So true. So very true. Now let me be a tiny bit contrary, and give you a little encouragement on the penitential living. Marshall writes: A couple of years ago, Joy and I prayed about it and switched our family over to meatless Fridays all year long. Now I agree: Decisions to take on greater penance for your family... Read more
A longtime colleague of mine, who is gay, thinks I hate him. We’ve always gotten along fine, but now that our state is considering legalizing same-sex unions, he’s convinced my opposition to that law must be fueled by hatred. How do I convince him I don’t hate him? I’ve changed the details to protect the privacy of the friend who asked, but it’s a question many Catholics are facing these days. The hierarchy of sin and public opinion goes something... Read more
It’s okay to be hungry today. Read more
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