One of the common things we find debated by Catholics is the law. St. Isidore of Seville in his Etymologies provides what should be a good foundation for our discussion. Although we must understand his own exposition is, in part, an expression of the rule of law in his time, he does provide a foundation for general discussions of law. First, he rightfully differentiates between divine and human law, with the first established in “natural law,” and the second being... Read more
Part IV-2 Petition, though the foundation of our spiritual journey and usually the first way we communicate with God, does not present the full reality of prayer. It helps us learn to communicate with God. As we move beyond ourselves, and develop a greater love for God, expressions of that love will emerge, and they will be the source from which our prayer emanates. We will begin and end our prayers with adoration — our petitions will fall within the... Read more
Part IV-1. What we have said about the relationship we formed with our parents as we grew up is similar to our relationship with God, who comes to us as a loving Father. He is capable of guiding us and providing us for our needs in a way far greater than our parents; indeed, he is capable, if he wished, to make us like puppets, and to do everything for us, and to make us do as he thinks is... Read more
While a meeting, arranged by him, was being had in Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Basil Schott, my Metropolitan, died this morning (June 10th). He had been undergoing treatments for cancer. He was 70. Eternal memory. Eternal memory. Grant to your servant, O Lord, blessed repose and eternal memory. Read more
Apparently, Israeli soldiers celebrate when they kill a pregnant woman, which of course ends with an abortion, as Sky News reports: The revelations centre on t-shirt designs made for soldiers that make light of shooting pregnant Palestinian mothers and children and include images of dead babies and destroyed mosques. The t-shirts were printed for Israeli soldiers at the end of periods of deployment or training courses and were discovered by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. One, printed for a platoon of Israeli... Read more
After Vatican Council II, one of the criticisms launched against the council by “traditionalists”[1] is its approach toward non-Christian religions. Nostra Aetate proclaimed the need for Christians to look to other religious traditions, and to promote the good within them: The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things,... Read more
Honda resolved a two-week strike at a transmission plant in southern China by offering 1,900 workers there raises of 24 to 32 percent. But the success of that walkout, which ended a week ago, seems to have prompted additional strikes at a time when workers in China are awakening to the idea of collective bargaining and demanding higher wages. New York Times This is just terrible news. This means that some capitalist will be forced to suffer and might have... Read more
I’m sick of the “news.” For one, there isn’t a whole lot of newness about it. In many ways it is old, tired, and deeply disenchanting. It isn’t that the “news” is mostly bad “news,” it’s that the “news” is constant, loud, and sensationalistic. In the midst of it all, I feel informed at best. But the information it occasionally feeds me is rarely fodder for knowledge and much less for wisdom. I see suffering objectified and hear commentary that... Read more
Part III Petitionary prayer, which is the kind of prayer most people are accustomed to, is perhaps the one which raises the most questions. The first, which we have mentioned a few times already, is the one which asks why God doesn’t just act, that is, why does God wait for our prayer to act? Others ask, why should I have to repeat a prayer, that is, why do I have to keep praying for the same thing before I... Read more
Michael Sean Winters directs our attention to this disturbing video. (more…) Read more
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