The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 1785: “In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path, we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of…
July 30 Capuchin priest, healer and porter Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957) – born Bernard Francis Casey – was an American Roman Catholic priest and a professed member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He was known during his lifetime as a wonderworker, for his great faith, and for his abilities as a spiritual counselor,…
Earlier this month, several of the daily Mass readings came from the Book of the Prophet Hosea. As with many of the prophets, God asked Hosea to be a prophet in actions as well as in words. To show Israel just how far they had gone in abandoning the Lord, and yet how far their…
Does either the Bible or Catholicism require the serpent in Genesis to be taken absolutely literally? The answer is no. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Protestant) states in its article, “Serpent”: “Most of the Biblical references to serpents are of a figurative nature, and they usually imply poisonous qualities. The wicked (Psalms 58:4), the persecutor…
A wedding can be a complicated affair, even in the ancient Middle East. Jesus attended two wedding feasts in Scripture. The first is known to all, the wedding feast of Cana. The second is hidden behind the first. Confused? Let me explain. Mary, Jesus and his disciples were invited to attend a wedding feast in…
The host was lifted high in young hands, and I suddenly realized: some grains of wheat, originally unremarkable, had now become Christ’s Body. They had been “chosen,” so to speak. Chosen, too, was the priest, ordained just twenty-four hours earlier for the Dominican Order, now to carry the priestly imprint upon his soul into eternity.…
