As a Catholic priest I am bound to observe Canon 282 in the Code of Canon Law which states “Clerics are to foster simplicity of life and are to refrain from all things that have a semblance of vanity.” The problem is, I am shopping for a new car since my 2007 Volvo S60 was smashed by a 1977 Ford Bronco with a steel girder for a front bumper. I am therefore asking myself what sort of car would “foster... Read more
The special pre-publication offer of my Lent book Slubgrip Instructs only lasts for the month of January. The pre publication price on my website here is $14.95 plus $3.00 p+p Amazon price is $16.61. February first the website price will be $16.50 so with shipping it will remain about the same price as Amazon. The Kindle e-book is available here. If you would like to order more than ten copies for your church, school or reading group be in touch... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com With the ordination of Libby Lane as the first female bishop in the Church of England we finally have closure over the vexed question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Since the Oxford Movement in the nineteenth century members of the Church of England have tried to claim that the Church of England was “Catholic”. As a sideline it is interesting to note that for about 350 years before the Oxford Movement the Church of... Read more
Sometime ago I wrote a blog post entitled “Frodo for Pope”. I didn’t know it would all come true one day. On a serious note, why not take time to read my essay, The Little Way Through Middle Earth? It pulls out the Catholicism of Lord of the Rings and links it to St Therese. Go here to read the full article. Read more
…and he contemplates his mortality and materialistic mindset. I was heading over the church to hear confessions in my seven year old much loved Volvo. There was a traffic jam and tailback, so I eased down and joined the queue. Looking in my mirror I see a jalopy of an old Ford Bronco bearing down at some speed. Too much speed. Way too much speed. So I pump my brakes to indicate that we’re stopped. I pump my brakes again... Read more
Lent is coming up and I’m finally getting down to Paul Thigpen’s excellent Manual for Spiritual Warfare. This little book is the best I’ve found on the subject. Paul launches into the subject of spiritual warfare with clear explanations, solid research and simple language. This is an area where both cynicism, sensationalism and superstition usually take over. Paul avoids all there pitfalls. He takes spiritual warfare seriously but does not sensationalize the battle with Satan or allow himself to drift... Read more
Quotes from St Francis de Sales –the patron of bald writers Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in... Read more
In all the rush by secularists to embrace Pope Francis as the Great Reformer, the Great White Hope, the Superpope, the New Messiah, the Man of the Year, the Poster Boy for all things groovy and left wing, a detail this week seems to have slipped by un noticed. This article from Catholic News Agency reports that Pope Francis has completed the establishment of a new Vatican body to deal more quickly with cases of sex abuse by priests. The... Read more
When I was training as a screenwriter the teacher said something that stayed with me. He said, “Your character must grow from his wound.” In other words, it is that hole in our heart, that gnawing pain, that dark shadow in our lives that must become our growth point. For one person it may be a physical disability, for another a broken marriage or a broken heart. For another it may be disappointment in love, a failed career, an early... Read more
Is that your fault or his fault? Whenever I write explaining why I like Pope Francis the com boxes are filled with the most amazing negativities. The complainer send me emails too, and I wonder if they have stopped to read what they have written before hitting the “Send” button. Who are these people who set themselves up as knowing more than the pope? I admit that some things Pope Francis has done have made me worried. I know many... Read more
Fr. Dwight Longenecker
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