Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
Some years ago I was privileged to bring a man into the Church who gave me some insight into the question of authority. He approached entering the Catholic Church with some misgivings. He had come from a Protestant tradition of a simpler but dignified liturgy that featured good preaching and hymn singing. As he looked …
Time, what could be more clear? What time is it? 10:00 pm! Next question. We think at times that nothing could be simpler than time. But time has mysteries about it. I cannot list them all here. But consider a few puzzlements about time. The Mystery of Time’s Elasticity – We like to think that time …
Some were burned alive, others thrown to wild beasts. Some had their skin flayed off. One had her breasts cut off, another, her eyes gouged out. Some were beheaded, others thrust through with swords. These are the Martyrs and great heroes of the early Church. They suffered much and gained everything. Their death was like …
Continue reading “The Martyrs of the Early Church – Proof of the Power of the Cross”
Do you know what the Seven Deadly Sins are? It is a great value to know and begin to understand these deep drives of sin in us. The more we can know and distinguish them the more we can grow in self knowledge. We can begin to understand better how we “tick.” Further, being able …
Today we celebrate the memorial of Mary Magdalene, first witness to the Lord’s resurrection and sometimes called “The Apostles to the Apostles.” She is also identified as the sinful woman who washed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil and her hair and sometimes, the woman healed of seven demons. To be sure she is one …
In conversation and in the media you get the sense that redefining marriage is something that is sweeping the nation, that the majority of Americans are in favor of rewriting the definition of marriage and making a new definition law. This is simply not true. As California demonstrated when people are asked to vote on …
I almost think I need to establish a new series on this blog: the “Self-inflicted Wounds Department.” This latest issue of Gloria TV news once again demonstrates how we as Catholics frequently do not see eye to eye on matters of great significance and thereby become an ineffective witness to the world. The lack of …
Continue reading “Latest News – From the Self-Inflicted Wounds Department”
We’ve got to pray! Where would the world be today if the Church wasn’t praying? I don’t know if we’d be here to talk about it. I have always suspected that we have been saved from nuclear annihilation due to the fact that some of the Cloistered Sisters have been praying for us. Our prayers …
Continue reading “The Mass in Slow Motion – The Prayer of the Faithful”