catholic

Of China

Posted on by

 

In 2008, I sensed the Lord begin to speak about “China.” That culminated in this writing from 2011. As I read the headlines today, it seems timely to republish it tonight. It also seems to me that many of the “chess” pieces that I’ve been writing about for years are now moving into place. While the purpose of this apostolate is mainly helping readers to keep their feet on the ground, our Lord also said to “watch and pray.” And so, we continue to prayerfully watch…

The following was first published in 2011. 

 

 

POPE Benedict warned before Christmas that the “eclipse of reason” in the West was putting “the very future of the world” at stake. He alluded to the collapse of the Roman Empire, drawing a parallel between it and our times (see On the Eve).

All the while, there is another power rising in our time: Communist China. While it does not presently bare the same teeth that the Soviet Union did, there is much to be concerned about the ascent of this soaring superpower.

 

Continue reading →

The Seven Seals of Revolution

Posted on by


 

IN truth, I think most of us are very tired… tired of not only seeing the spirit of violence, impurity, and division sweeping over the world, but tired of having to hear about it—perhaps from people like me too. Yes, I know, I make some people very uncomfortable, even angry. Well, I can assure you that I have been tempted to flee to the “normal life” many times… but I realize that in the temptation to escape this strange writing apostolate is the seed of pride, a wounded pride that does not want to be “that prophet of doom and gloom.” But at the end of every day, I say “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. How can I say ‘no’ to You who did not say ‘no’ to me on the Cross?” The temptation is to simply close my eyes, fall asleep, and pretend that things are not what they really are. And then, Jesus comes with a tear in His eye and gently pokes me, saying:Continue reading →

The Scandal

Posted on by

 

First published March 25th, 2010. 

 

FOR decades now, as I noted in When the State Sanctions Child Abuse, Catholics have had to endure a never-ending stream of news headlines announcing scandal after scandal in the priesthood. “Priest Accused of…”, “Cover Up”, “Abuser Moved From Parish to Parish…” and on and on. It is heartbreaking, not only to the lay faithful, but to fellow-priests. It is such a profound abuse of power from the man in persona Christi—in the person of Christ—that one is often left in stunned silence, trying to comprehend how this is not just a rare case here and there, but of a much greater frequency than first imagined.

As a result, the faith as such becomes unbelievable, and the Church can no longer present herself credibly as the herald of the Lord. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, A Conversation with Peter Seewald, p. 25

Continue reading →

What If…?

Posted on by

What’s around the bend?

 

IN an open letter to the Pope, [1]cf. Dear Holy Father… He is Coming! I outlined to His Holiness the theological foundations for an “era of peace” as opposed to the heresy of millenarianism. [2]cf. Millenarianism: What it is and is Not and the Catechism [CCC} n.675-676 Indeed, Padre Martino Penasa posed the question on the scriptural foundation of an historic and universal era of peace versus millenarianism to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: “È imminente una nuova era di vita cristiana?” (“Is a new era of Christian life imminent?”). The Prefect at that time, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger replied, “La questione è ancora aperta alla libera discussione, giacchè la Santa Sede non si è ancora pronunciata in modo definitivo”:

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Dear Holy Father… He is Coming!
↑2 cf. Millenarianism: What it is and is Not and the Catechism [CCC} n.675-676

The Popes, and the Dawning Era

Posted on by

Photo, Max Rossi/Reuters

 

THERE can be no doubt that the pontiffs of the last century have been exercising their prophetic office so as to awaken believers to the drama unfolding in our day (see Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting?). It is a decisive battle between the culture of life and the culture of death… the woman clothed with the sun—in labor to give birth to a new era—versus the dragon who seeks to destroy it, if not attempt to establish his own kingdom and “new age” (see Rev 12:1-4; 13:2). But while we know Satan will fail, Christ will not. The great Marian saint, Louis de Montfort, frames it well:

Continue reading →

A Catholic Answer to the Refugee Crisis

Posted on by

Refugees, courtesy Associated Press

 

IT is one of the most volatile topics in the world right now—and one of the least balanced discussions at that: refugees, and what do with the overwhelming exodus. St. John Paul II called the issue “perhaps the greatest tragedy of all the human tragedies of our time.” [1]Address to Refugees in Exile at Morong, Philippines, Feb. 21st, 1981 For some, the answer is simple: take them in, whenever, however many they are, and whomever they may be. For others, it is more complex, thereby demanding a more measured and restrained response; at stake, they say, is not only the safety and wellbeing of individuals fleeing violence and persecution, but the safety and stability of nations. If that is the case, what is the middle road, one that safeguards the dignity and lives of genuine refugees while at the same time safeguarding the common good? What is our response as Catholics to be?

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Address to Refugees in Exile at Morong, Philippines, Feb. 21st, 1981

The Great Ark

Posted on by


Look Up by Michael D. O’Brien

 

If there is a Storm in our times, will God provide an “ark”? The answer is “Yes!” But perhaps never before have Christians doubted this provision so much as in our times as controversy over Pope Francis rages, and the rational minds of our post-modern era must grapple with the mystical. Nonetheless, here is the Ark Jesus is providing for us at this hour. I will also address “what to do” in the Ark in the days ahead. First published May 11th, 2011. 

 

JESUS said that the period before His eventual return would be “as it was in the days of Noah…” That is, many would be oblivious to the Storm gathering around them: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.” [1]Matt 24:37-29 St. Paul indicated that the coming of the “Day of the Lord” would be “like a thief in the night.” [2]1 These 5:2 This Storm, as the Church teaches, contains the Passion of the Church, who will follow her Head in her own passage through a corporate “death” and resurrection. [3]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675 Just as many of the “leaders” of the temple and even the Apostles themselves seemed unaware, even to the last moment, that Jesus had to truly suffer and die, so too many in the Church seem oblivious to the consistent prophetic warnings of the popes and the Blessed Mother—warnings that announce and signal a…

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Matt 24:37-29
↑2 1 These 5:2
↑3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675

On the Eve

Posted on by

 

 

One of the central functions of this writing apostolate is to show how Our Lady and the Church are truly mirrors of one another—that is, how authentic so-called “private revelation” mirrors the prophetic voice of the Church, most especially that of the popes. In fact, it has been a great eye-opener for me to see how the pontiffs, for over a century, have been paralleling the Blessed Mother’s message such that her more personalized warnings are essentially the “other side of the coin” of the institutional warnings of the Church. This is most evident in my writing Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting?

Continue reading →

The Coming New and Divine Holiness

Posted on by

spring-blossom_Fotor_Fotor

 

GOD wishes to do something in mankind that He has never done before, save for a few individuals, and that is to give the gift of Himself so completely to His Bride, that she begins to live and move and have her being in a completely new mode.

He wishes to give the Church the “sanctity of sanctities.”

Continue reading →

Key to the Woman

Posted on by

 

Knowledge of the true Catholic doctrine regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary will always be a key to the exact understanding of the mystery of Christ and of the Church. —POPE PAUL VI, Discourse, November 21st, 1964

 

THERE is a profound key that unlocks why and how the Blessed Mother has such a sublime and powerful role in the lives of mankind, but particularly believers. Once one grasps this, not only does Mary’s role make more sense in salvation history and her presence more understood, but I believe, it will leave you wanting to reach for her hand more than ever.

The key is this: Mary is a prototype of the Church.

 

Continue reading →

The Judas Prophecy

Posted on by

 

In recent days, Canada has been moving toward some of the most extreme euthanasia laws in the world to not only permit “patients” of most ages to commit suicide, but force doctors and Catholic hospitals to assist them. One young doctor sent me a text saying, 

I had a dream once. In it, I became a physician because I thought they wanted to help people.

And so today, I am republishing this writing from four years ago. For too long, many in the Church have set these realities aside, passing them off as “doom and gloom.” But suddenly, they are now on our doorstep with a battering ram. The Judas Prophecy is coming to pass as we enter the most painful part of the “final confrontation” of this age…

Continue reading →

Personal Relationship With Jesus

Posted on by

PersonalRelationship
Photographer Unknown

 

 

First published October 5th, 2006. 

 

WITH my writings of late on the Pope, the Catholic Church, the Blessed Mother, and the understanding of how divine truth flows, not through personal interpretation, but through the teaching authority of Jesus, I received the expected emails and criticisms from non-Catholics (or rather, ex-Catholics). They have interpreted my defence of the hierarchy, established by Christ Himself, to mean that I do not have a personal relationship with Jesus; that somehow I believe I am saved, not by Jesus, but by the Pope or a bishop; that I am not filled with the Spirit, but an institutional “spirit” that has left me blind and bereft of salvation.

Continue reading →

St. Raphael's Little Healing

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday, June 5th, 2015
Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Liturgical texts here

St. Raphael, “Medicine of God”

 

IT was late dusk, and a blood moon was rising. I was entranced by its deep color as I wandered through the horses. I had just layed out their hay and they were quietly munching. The full moon, the fresh snow, the peaceful murmur of satisfied animals … it was a tranquil moment.

Until what felt like a bolt of lightning shot through my knee.

Continue reading →

Will You Leave Them for Dead?

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, June 1st, 2015
Memorial of St. Justin

Liturgical texts here

 

FEAR, brothers and sisters, is silencing the Church in many places and thus imprisoning truth. The cost of our trepidation can be counted in souls: men and women left to suffer and die in their sin. Do we even think in this way anymore, think of the spiritual health of one another? No, in many parishes we do not because we are more concerned with the status quo than quoting the state of our souls.

Continue reading →

The Temptation to be Normal

Posted on by

Alone in a Crowd 

 

I have been flooded with emails the past two weeks, and will do my best to respond to them. Of note is that many of you are experiencing an increase in spiritual attacks and trials the likes of never before. This does not surprise me; it is why I felt the Lord urging me to share my trials with you, to confirm and strengthen you and remind you that you are not alone. Furthermore, these intense trials are a very good sign. Remember, towards the end of World War II, that’s when the most fierce fighting took place, when Hitler became the most desperate (and despicable) in his warfare.

Continue reading →

The Reframers

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent, March 23rd, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

ONE of the key harbingers of The Growing Mob today is, rather than engage in a discussion of facts, [1]cf. The Death of Logic they often resort to simply labeling and stigmatizing those with whom they disagree. They call them “haters” or “deniers”, “homophobes” or “bigots”, etc. It is a smokescreen, a reframing of the dialogue so as to, in fact, shut down dialogue. It is an attack on freedom of speech, and more and more, freedom of religion. [2]cf. The Progression of Totalitarinism It is remarkable to see how Our Lady of Fatima’s words, spoken nearly a century ago, are unfolding precisely as she said they would: the “errors of Russia” are spreading throughout the world—and the spirit of control behind them. [3]cf. Control! Control! 

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Fulfilled, But Not Yet Consummated

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 21st, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN Jesus became man and began His ministry, He announced that humanity had entered the “fullness of time.” [1]cf. Mark 1:15 What does this mysterious phrase mean two thousand years later? It is important to understand because it reveals to us the “end time” plan that is now unfolding…

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Mark 1:15

When the Spirit Comes

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 17th, 2015
St. Patrick’s Day

Liturgical texts here

 

THE Holy Spirit.

Have you met this Person yet? There is the Father and the Son, yes, and it is easy for us to imagine them because of Christ’s face and the image of fatherhood. But the Holy Spirit… what, a bird? No, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, and the one who, when He comes, makes all the difference in the world.

Continue reading →

It is Living!

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 16th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN the official comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal his son, the Lord replies:

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” (Today’s Gospel)

Continue reading →

Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting?

Posted on by

 

With dozens of new subscribers coming on board now each week, old questions are popping up such as this one: Why aren’t the Pope’s speaking about the end times? The answer will surprise many, reassure others, and challenge many more. First published September 21st, 2010, I have updated this writing to the present pontificate. 

Continue reading →

Opening Wide the Doors of Mercy

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, March 14th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

Due to the surprise announcement by Pope Francis yesterday, today’s reflection is slightly longer. However, I think you will find its contents worth reflecting on…

 

THERE is a certain sense building, not only among my readers, but also of mystics with whom I’ve been privileged to be in contact with, that the next few years are significant. Yesterday in my daily Mass meditation, [1]cf. Sheathing the Sword I wrote how Heaven itself has revealed that this present generation is living in a “time of mercy.” As if to underline this divine warning (and it is a warning that humanity is on borrowed time), Pope Francis announced yesterday that Dec. 8th, 2015 to Nov. 20th, 2016 will be a “Jubilee of Mercy.” [2]cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015 When I read this announcement, the words from St. Faustina’s diary came immediately to mind:

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Sheathing the Sword
↑2 cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015

Sheathing the Sword

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of the Third Week of Lent, March 13th, 2015

Liturgical texts here


The Angel atop St. Angelo’s Castle in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy

 

THERE is a legendary account of a pestilence that broke out in Rome in 590 A.D. due to a flood, and Pope Pelagius II was one of its numerous victims. His successor, Gregory the Great, ordered that a procession should go around the city for three consecutive days, imploring God’s help against the disease.

Continue reading →

Stubborn and Blind

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Third Week of Lent, March 9th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

IN truth, we are surrounded by the miraculous. You have to be blind—spiritually blind—not to see it. But our modern world has become so skeptical, so cynical, so stubborn that not only do we doubt that supernatural miracles are possible, but when they do happen, we still doubt!

Continue reading →

The Surprise Welcome

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Second Week of Lent, March 7th, 2015
First Saturday of the Month

Liturgical texts here

 

THREE minutes in a pig barn, and your clothes are done for the day. Imagine the prodigal son, hanging out with swine, feeding them day after day, too poor to even buy a change of clothes. I have no doubt that the father would have smelled his son returning home before he saw him. But when the father did see him, something amazing happened…

Continue reading →

Bearers of Love

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the Second Week of Lent, March 5th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

TRUTH without charity is like a blunt sword that cannot pierce the heart. It might cause people to feel pain, to duck, to think, or step away from it, but Love is what sharpens truth such that it becomes a living word of God. You see, even the devil can quote Scripture and produce the most elegant apologetics. [1]cf. Matt 4;1-11 But it is when that truth is transmitted in the power of the Holy Spirit that it becomes…

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Matt 4;1-11

Servants of the Truth

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

Ecce HomoEcce Homo, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

JESUS was not crucified for His charity. He was not scourged for healing paralytics, opening the eyes of the blind, or raising the dead. So too, rarely will you find Christians being sidelined for building a women’s shelter, feeding the poor, or visiting the sick. Rather, Christ and His body, the Church, were and are persecuted essentially for proclaiming the truth.

Continue reading →

Weeding Out Sin

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 3rd, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN it comes to weeding out sin this Lent, we cannot divorce mercy from the Cross, nor the Cross from mercy. Today’s readings are a powerful blend of both…

Continue reading →

Mercy for a People in Darkness

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the Second Week of Lent, March 2nd, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a line from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings that, among others, jumped out at me when the character Frodo wishes for the death of his adversary, Gollum. The wise wizard Gandalf responds:

Continue reading →

The Way of Contradiction

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the First Week of Lent, February 28th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

I listened to Canada’s state radio broadcaster, the CBC, on the ride home last night. The host of the show interviewed “astonished” guests who could not believe that a Canadian Member of Parliament admitted to “not believing in evolution” (which usually means that one believes that creation came into existence by God, not aliens or the implausible odds atheists have put their faith in). The guests went on to highlight their unflinching devotion to not only evolution but global warming, vaccinations, abortion, and gay marriage —including the “Christian” on the panel. “Anyone who questions the science really is not fit for public office,” said one guest to that effect.

Continue reading →

The Incurable Evil

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday of the First Week of Lent, February 26th, 2015

Liturgical texts here


The Intercession of Christ and the Virgin, attributed to Lorenzo Monaco, (1370–1425)

 

WHEN we speak of a “last chance” for the world, it is because we are talking about an “incurable evil.” Sin has so entwined itself in men’s affairs, so corrupted the very foundations of not only economics and politics but also the food chain, medicine, and the environment, that nothing short of cosmic surgery [1]cf. The Cosmic Surgery is necessary. As the Psalmist says,

Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The Cosmic Surgery

The Most Important Prophecy

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, February 25th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a lot of chatter today about when this or that prophecy will be fulfilled, particularly over the next few years. But I frequently ponder on the fact that tonight might be my last night on earth, and so, for me, I find the race to “know the date” superfluous at best. I often smile when I think of that story of St. Francis who, while gardening, was asked: “What would you do if you knew the world would end today?” He replied, “I suppose I would finish hoeing this row of beans.” Herein lies the wisdom of Francis: the duty of the moment is the will of God. And God’s will is a mystery, most especially when it comes to time.

Continue reading →

On Earth as in Heaven

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent, February 24th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

PONDER again these words from today’s Gospel:

…thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Now listen carefully to the first reading:

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

If Jesus gave us this “word” to pray daily to our Heavenly Father, then one must ask whether or not His Kingdom and His Divine Will shall be on earth as it is in heaven? Whether or not this “word” we have been taught to pray will achieve its end… or simply return void? The answer, of course, is that these words of the Lord will indeed accomplish their end and will…

Continue reading →

The Great Adventure

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday of the First Week of Lent, February 23rd, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

IT is from a total and complete abandonment to God that something beautiful happens: all those securities and attachments that you clung desperately to, but leave in His hands, are exchanged for the supernatural life of God. It is hard to see from a human perspective. It often looks about as beautiful as a butterfly still in a cocoon. We see nothing but darkness; feel nothing but the old self; hear nothing but the echo of our weakness steadily ringing in our ears. And yet, if we persevere in this state of total surrender and trust before God, the extraordinary happens: we become co-workers with Christ.

Continue reading →

Me?

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday after Ash Wednesday, February 21st, 2015

Liturgical texts here

come-follow-me_Fotor.jpg

 

IF you really stop to think about it, to really absorb what just happened in today’s Gospel, it should revolutionize your life.

Continue reading →

Going Against the Current

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday after Ash Wednesday, February 19th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

against the tide_Fotor

 

IT is pretty clear, even by a mere cursory glance at the news headlines, that much of the first world is in a free-fall into unbridled hedonism while the rest of the world is increasingly threatened and scourged by regional violence. As I wrote a few years ago, the time of warning has virtually expired. [1]cf. The Last Hour If one cannot perceive the “signs of the times” by now, then the only word left is the “word” of suffering. [2]cf. The Watchman’s Song

Continue reading →

Footnotes

The Joy of Lent!

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Ash Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

ash-wednesday-faces-of-the-faithful

 

ASHES, sackcloth, fasting, penance, mortification, sacrifice… These are the common themes of Lent. So who would think of this penitential season as a time of joy? Easter Sunday? Yes, joy! But the forty days of penance?

Continue reading →

Returning to Our Center

Posted on by

offcourse_Fotor

 

WHEN a ship goes off course by only a degree or two, it is barely noticeable until several hundred nautical miles later. So too, the Barque of Peter has likewise veered somewhat off course over the centuries. In the words of Blessed Cardinal Newman:

Continue reading →

My Young Priests, Be Not Afraid!

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

ord-prostration_Fotor

 

AFTER Mass today, the words came strongly to me:

My young priests, do not be afraid! I have put you in place, like seeds scattered among fertile soil. Do not be afraid to preach My Name! Do not be afraid to speak the truth in love. Do not be afraid if My Word, through you, causes a sifting of your flock…

As I shared these thoughts over coffee with a courageous African priest this morning, he nodded his head. “Yes, we priests often want to please everyone rather than preach the truth… we have let the lay faithful down.”

Continue reading →

Jesus, the Goal

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

DISCIPLINE, mortification, fasting, sacrifice… these are words that tend to make us cringe because we associate them with pain. However, Jesus did not. As St. Paul wrote:

For the sake of the joy that lay before him, Jesus endured the cross… (Heb 12:2)

The difference between a Christian monk and a Buddhist monk is precisely this: the end for the Christian is not the mortification of his senses, or even peace and serenity; rather it is God himself. Anything less is falling short of fulfillment as much as throwing a rock in the sky falls short of hitting the moon. Fulfillment for the Christian is to allow God to possess him that he may possess God. It is this union of hearts that transforms and restores the soul into the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. But even the most profound union with God can also be accompanied by a dense darkness, spiritual dryness, and sense of abandonment—just as Jesus, though in complete conformity to the Father’s will, experienced abandonment on the Cross.

Continue reading →

The Summit

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, January 29th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

THE Old Testament is more than a book telling the story of salvation history, but a shadow of things to come. The temple of Solomon was but a type of the temple of Christ’s body, the means by which we could enter into the “Holy of holies”—the very presence of God. St. Paul’s explanation of the new Temple in today’s first reading is explosive:

Continue reading →

Do Not Be Shaken

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for January 13th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. Hilary

Liturgical texts here

 

WE have entered a period of time in the Church that will shake the faith of many. And that is because it is going to increasingly appear as though evil has won, as though the Church has become completely irrelevant, and in fact, an enemy of the State. Those who hold fast to the whole of the Catholic faith will be few in number and be universally considered antiquated, illogical, and an obstacle to be removed.

Continue reading →

Losing Our Children

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for January 5th-10th, 2015
of the Epiphany

Liturgical texts here

 

I have had countless parents come up to me in person or write me saying, “I don’t understand. We took our children to Mass every Sunday. My kids would pray the Rosary with us. They would go to spiritual functions… but now, they’ve all left the Church.”

The question is why? As a parent of eight children myself, the tears of these parents has sometimes haunted me. Then why not my kids? In truth, every one of us has free will. There is no forumla, per se, that if you do this, or say that prayer, that the outcome is sainthood. No, sometimes the outcome is atheism, as I’ve seen in my own extended family.

Continue reading →

Antichrist in Our Times

Posted on by

 

First published January 8th, 2015…

 

SEVERAL weeks ago, I wrote that it is time for me ‘to speak directly, boldly, and without apology to the “remnant” who are listening. It is only a remnant of readers now, not because they are special, but chosen; it is a remnant, not because all are not invited, but few respond….’ [1]cf. The Convergence and the Blessing That is, I have spent ten years writing about the times we live in, constantly referencing Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium so as to bring balance to a discussion that perhaps too frequently relies only on private revelation. Nonetheless, there are some who simply feel any discussion of the “end times” or the crises we face is too gloomy, negative, or fanatical—and so they simply delete and unsubscribe. So be it. Pope Benedict was pretty straightforward about such souls:

Continue reading →

Footnotes

The Reign of the Lion

Posted on by

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 17th, 2014
of the Third Week of Advent

Liturgical texts here

 

HOW are we to understand the prophetic texts of Scripture which imply that, with the coming of the Messiah, justice and peace would reign, and He would crush His enemies beneath His feet? For would it not appear that 2000 years later, these prophecies have utterly failed?

Continue reading →