Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
A grave deficiency of modern times is the loss of the sense that our lives are caught up in a tremendous, epic battle. Yet here we are living in the midst of a great drama—in the greatest story ever told. Behind the scenes is a deadly enemy, one of whom many rarely speak: Satan. Yet, …
As we all know, this was perhaps the strangest Easter that any of us have experienced at least collectively. The liturgical calendar shouts new life and victory over the grave, and yet throughout the world, many are hunkered down in the fear of death. Despite the Easter glow these are dark days for many who suffer illness …
The readings for this Feast of Christ the King evoke three images of Christ as King. All of them are to some extent paradoxical because they emphasize things we don’t usually associate with kings. They also tell us that we have already met King Jesus even if we don’t realize it. Let’s look at these three …
Continue reading “Not Your Average King – A Homily for the Feast of Christ the King”
In the pastoral guide of St. Gregory the Great, the opening line reads: “A spiritual guide should be silent when discretion requires and speak when words are of service.” This is not easy. Indeed, self-mastery in speech is among the rarer gifts and usually comes later in life! Some of the most common sins we …
Continue reading “Bite Your Tongue! A Reflection on Common Sins of Speech”
Continuing this small series on the decline of culture, a word from the Prophet Amos in today’s reading (Thursday of the 13th week of the year) paints a brief picture of what happens when we a nation demand that the Word of God be banished from it hearing. The picture is not complete and may …
Continue reading “A Warning From The Prophet Amos Explains a Lot of Our Current Decline”
The first reading from Sunday’s Mass (6thSunday of Easter) has a certain application for the Church today in this time of plague. Even though some dioceses are resuming public Masses on a limited basis, there are some practices adopted during the shutdown that we should maintain. First, let us consider the lesson from Acts 8 …
As we all know, this was perhaps the strangest Easter that any of us have experienced at least collectively. The liturgical calendar shouts new life and victory over the grave, and yet throughout the world, many are hunkered down in the fear of death. Despite the Easter glow these are dark days for many who suffer illness …
I am reposting this article since we are discussing it on EWTN’s Morning Glory radio show. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we commemorate today, is best known as a civil rights leader who worked to end racial injustice, but he had other things to say as he preached each Sunday, first in his …
Continue reading “Dr. Martin Luther King’s Refutation of Atheistic Materialism”