A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke: Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not undergo the test.” After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” And to... Read more
I want to draw your attention to the case of 26-year-old Lizelle Herrera, who is in jail on a charge of murder because she allegedly had a “self-induced abortion.” There are not a lot of facts in the news about this case yet. What I know is that a young woman, 26-year-old Lizelle Herrera, has been charged with murder after having been accused of giving herself an abortion. One source is saying that “What is alleged is that she was... Read more
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke: Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, “Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you... Read more
It was one of those days where everything hurts. The weather was cloudy, sloppy, not a good snow or a cathartic rain storm but a constant chilling drizzle. I’d had a head cold over the weekend and was better now, but not well. Our harassing, abusive neighbor was having an angry day, the kind where she bangs around the side yard and threatens and complains, but not the kind where she does anything I could possibly catch on camera... Read more
This post comes with every possible content warning. I’m going to discuss PAAU’s press conference about the fetal remains found at Lauren Handy’s apartment, and I’m going to go into great detail. The first thing we have to remember is that death is always a tragedy, particularly when it’s the death of children. Killing is always unspeakably wrong. As a Catholic, I will never think that abortion is anything other than wrong. The second thing to remember is that in... Read more
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John: Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing... Read more
I’ve been trying to think what to say for days. It’s a surreal feeling to wake up one morning and find that someone you thought you knew and respected is all over the news for doing something terrible. I discovered that earlier this month, and now I’m discovering it again with Lauren Handy. The news has gone viral and is being reported all over the world last I checked. Handy was arrested for her role in blocking the entrance to... Read more
There are two senses in which you can “believe in” something. You can “believe in” a thing, meaning you put your faith in that thing and trust it with all of your heart. You can also “believe in” something, in the sense that you think it really exists. There are days when I honestly, truly believe in God. There are other days when I merely believe in Him. And there are days now and then when I can hardly even do... Read more
I want to say a little more about the Charismatic Renewal. Earlier this year, I talked a little about how some Charismatic communities really meet the definition of a cult. Last week I talked about how forced touching and even assault can happen in Charismatic Catholic circles, in the context of prayer. This week I want to talk in a little more depth about another aspect of the Charismatic Renewal, and how it can lead to abuse. In the Charismatic... Read more
Yesterday was an historic day. At five o’clock in the evening Vatican time, on the solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis led a beautiful prayer consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in order to bring about world peace. The whole Church prayed with him. There were prayer services all over the world to coincide with the official consecration in Rome. Even I, cynic that I am, stopped what I was doing and prayed “Most Holy... Read more
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