On April 5, Justice Thomas issued a concurring opinion in the case Joseph Biden vs. Knight First Amendment Institute, addressing the historically unprecedented control of information and communication by a few privately owned digital platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Google and Amazon. While the case had originated as an attack against President Trump, Justice Thomas used…
Former South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy is a student of persuasion. He has learned that in the process of persuasion you either bring others closer to your way of thinking or at the very least, to learn about why it is you believe what you believe. Persuasion is an art, and it is about first…
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. For he, whom you did merit to bear, alleluia. Has risen as he said, alleluia. Easter… The only Feast other than Christmas that is too big, too important, too life-transforming to be celebrated by anything less than an Octave — Not one day, but EIGHT days! May the fruits of…
There is a common misconception that if the Supreme Court overrules Roe vs. Wade, abortion will be outlawed. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Many, if not most, of the individual states would still allow abortion absent a nationwide ban. This would not put the issue to rest, just as state-by-state rules on slavery did…
Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival! Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord! Are there any weary with fasting? Let them now receive their wages! If any have toiled from the first…
The Lord GOD has given mea well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the wearya word that will rouse them. Morning after morninghe opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled,have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me,my cheeks to those who plucked…
Celebrated by Catholic monasteries throughout the world and at many parishes, Tenebrae, which means “darkness” in Latin, focuses our attention on the sufferings and death of Our Saviour. It takes place during the three days preceding Easter Day—Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday—with special psalms and ceremonies during Matins and Lauds (the first two…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled Friday in favor of Dr. Nicholas Meriwether, a philosophy professor at Shawnee State University, reversing a district court’s dismissal of his lawsuit against university officials. The university punished Meriwether because he declined a male student’s demand to be referred to as a woman, with feminine…
CNA—Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland in Oregon on Tuesday thanked Pope Francis for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s recent affirmation of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the human person. “I would like to express gratitude to the Holy Father for the recent statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the…
CNA—Jack Phillips, a Christian cake baker, was again in court for declining to make a cake that expresses messages contrary to his religious beliefs after an attorney who identifies as transgender filed suit over the bakery’s refusal to make a cake to celebrate a gender transition. The civil trial began March 22, conducted virtually by…
CNA—Early on March 24, 1944, a Nazi patrol surrounded the home of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma on the outskirts of the village of Markowa in southeast Poland. They discovered eight Jewish people who had found refuge with the couple and executed them. The Nazi police then killed the pregnant Wiktoria, who was 32 years old,…
These past weeks, you have had occasion to look at this particular Iconic Image of Christ, which I am guessing you probably have not seen before. I chose this Icon with the hope of it being an occasion of beauty as well as grace for you as you journeyed through Lent anew. To see an…
Being in the second tier of qualification (over age 60) to get the Covid vaccine, Pat and I got our second Moderna shot just a few days before the snowstorm hit Texas. As with many others, we both had a substantial negative reaction to the second shot, but fortunately that only lasted for 24 hours.…
CNA, Catholic Catechism—A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary and all the saints to remove the temporal punishment due to sin. The indulgence applies to sins already forgiven. A plenary indulgence cleanses the soul as if the person had just been baptized. A plenary…
For the past few weeks you have been looking at the iconic image of Christ in its beauty, and you have considered the words of St. John of Kronstadt which point out Who this is and how He looks at you…. What do you see when you look at Him? This week, the image…
March 17, 2021
I visited Westport Ireland three years ago in search of my grandmother’s (Cahill) birth certificate. It is a beautiful place on the West Coast of Ireland, north of Galway. It lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick which is named in honor of Saint Patrick, the apostle and patron of Ireland and the Irish race.…
CNA—A Franciscan friar was ordained archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan this week and commissioned to “offer the light of the Gospel” in Iran. Archbishop Dominique Mathieu, 57, was consecrated in Rome in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles on Feb. 16, the feast of St. Maruthas, the fourth-century bishop and patron saint of Iran. Cardinal Leonardo…
A state judge has ruled Texas can defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Siding with state officials, a judge in Travis County declined Planned Parenthood’s bid to block state officials from removing the abortion company from the state Medicaid program. State District Judge Lora Livingston said Planned Parenthood did not prove its contention that state…
Just as in any art or science there are rules to follow, so it is with the art of the icon, both for the success of the art piece as well as for the spirit of the artist. Since we have chosen to focus on the Icon of the Holy Face this Lent, I would…
Below is the full text of the inflight interview between Pope Francis and news media en route from from the Holy Father’s historic visit to Irac Baghdad, Iraq, to Rome, Italy that took place March 8, 2021, provided courtesy of CNA: Pope Francis: First of all, thank you for your work, your company, your fatigue.…
