In the Middle Ages, followers of St. Francis of Assisi collected legends and anecdotes about the lives of Francis and his followers, which were assembled in a spiritual classic entitled The Little Flowers of St. Francis. One of the popular figures in the book is Brother Juniper, one of Francis’ original followers, who has sometimes been called “The Jester of the Lord.” Francis thought very highly of the friar, at one point exclaiming, “Would to God, my brothers, I had a... Read more
For the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, the year 1866 was marked by introspection and transformation. On January 18, 1866, he composed his poem The Habit of Perfection, which hailed the virtue of ascetism. Five days later, on January 23, he included poetry in a list of things he planned to give up for Lent. And by July, against the wishes of his family, he had decided to leave his native Anglicanism for the Catholic Church. That September, he traveled... Read more
In Boston, a city which is 46% Catholic, apparently Roman Catholics may not be permitted to serve on the jury for Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev is currently facing trial for allegedly planting the twin bombs which exploded April 15, 2013, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured in the explosions. Tsarnaev has pled not guilty to all counts–including 30 federal crimes, among which are 17 charges that carry... Read more
Seventy years ago today, Allied Forces liberated the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, known as the “death factory.” On this day, we remember the victims and we search our hearts: How could this inhmanity have happened in the modern world? Professor Robert P. George of Princeton offered some sober insights in an essay on the subject. “The Holocaust,” he wrote, “…did not begin with the mass killing of Jews or other ethnic or religious minorities, or even Hitler’s political opponents. It began... Read more
THE SERENITY PRAYER Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity Prayer is a familiar quote on wall plaques and greeting cards and lockets. Originally written by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, The Serenity Prayer was recited in the second season of the American television drama “Desperate Housewives” and set to music by Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor. It was prominently posted on... Read more
I know it won’t do any good, but God bless him for trying! Archbishop Cordileone is once again trying to help Nancy Pelosi understand that a person’s a person, no matter how small. Archbishop Cordileone is one of my heroes. I first met him when I was working with Legatus and he–probably still serving in the Diocese of San Diego, if memory serves me–celebrated Mass at the organization’s Annual Summit. His homilies were always spot-on, exciting, inspiring. I greatly respect his fidelity... Read more
Each year on the last Sunday in January, it has been the custom for the Pope, accompanied by children, to release a pair of doves into St. Peter’s Square from his window in the Apostolic Palace. The tradition, begun by Pope John Paul II, is a poignant symbol of the Vatican’s call for peace during January. Or at least, that was the custom. Last year the popular tradition turned to disaster when two children released doves from the Pope’s window,... Read more
Malaysian Christians have long used the name “Allah” when they speak of God. No more, though–on January 21, Malaysia’s Federal Court ruled that a weekly Catholic newspaper may no longer use the word “Allah” to refer to God. Muslims have been unhappy–according to Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, president of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia–because the word “Allah” was used to refer to a non-Muslim God. An eight-year dispute between the Malaysian government and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur came to an... Read more
So… the March For Life is over and we march on, into the 43rd year of abortion on demand in America. Over the last week, I’ve shared a number of videos from different genres, all expressing grief for children lost to abortion, or supporting life. If you’ll be patient with me, I want to show you one more. Flipsyde is a rap/R&B/rock band from Oakland, California. In December 2005, they released the single Happy Birthday from their the album We The... Read more
Niger’s Catholic bishops have called for Masses to be cancelled and Catholic organizations to be closed, in the wake of Muslim attacks against churches. More than 40 Catholic churches have been burned and at least eight people killed, as angry Muslims protest the depiction of the prophet Mohammad on the cover of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The violence has prompted Niger’s three Catholic bishops to order the cancellation of Masses and the closure of Catholic churches, schools, health care institutions, orphanages and... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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