Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
In an increasingly materialistic and secular world, a deadly math has set up. It is deadly because it has rejected the spiritual math of God and of spiritual goods. What is meant by “spiritual math”? It is a math that recalls that spiritual goods, in themselves, do not admit of division and subtraction, but only …
What are we to make of cruelty in our culture? At one level, there is demonstrably less cruelty on a daily basis. Many hundreds of years ago, before the emergence of a common civil law, settled governments, and national boundaries, villages were often overrun by roving bands of plunderers or the armies of nearby towns. …
Continue reading “Where Does Such Cruelty Come from in a Culture That Prizes Kindness?”
In daily Mass this week (the 13th week of the year) we have been reading through Genesis. Tuesday’s reading highlights a significant spiritual problem: sloth, one of the seven deadly sins. Sloth is a sorrow, sadness, or aversion to the good things God offers. Rather than being joyful and zealous to obtain these gifts, the …
I have remarked before on this blog that what we call “balance” is really more a range than a fixed point. That is to say, balance is achieved not so much by staying still on a fixed point as by moving within a range around that point. The videos below feature unicyclists and tightrope walkers. The tightrope …
Continue reading “On the Balance of Virtue, As Seen in Two Videos”
As a follow-on to yesterday’s post on the spiritual work of counseling the doubtful, I would like to say a little more about prudence. Prudence is often misunderstood by those who reduce it to mere caution or reluctance to act. It is true that sometimes prudence indicates caution and that hasty action is seldom prudent. However, sometimes …
In this Easter Season, we continue to reflect on how the risen Lord Jesus minsters to us and supplies our needs. Last week we considered him as our shepherd. This week we learn how He is the vine and we the branches on the vine, wholly dependent on Him for everything. As we consider how …
Continue reading “If You Ever Leave Me, I’m Going With You! A Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter”
Every now and then a word just catches your ear. Several times in a day it jumps out at you and you’re tempted to say, “There it is again!” A few days ago it was the word “consider,” a very ordinary word. Or is it? Why did it suddenly strike me so? With my knowledge of …
Continue reading “On the Mysticism of the Simple Word "Consider"”
Last week was Holy Week, so sure enough there were many critical issues in the news that needed attention but we in the Church were off doing more important things like worshipping God and pondering our need for salvation. Permit a brief summary and some predictions from me based on the latest unpleasantness in Indiana last …