BIG C CATHOLICS

On Sundays when homilies by Fr. René Butler, M.S. and Fr. Charles Irvin are not available, I will feature homilies by Fr. Thomas Lane, S.S.L., S.T.D. Fr. Lane is Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland on the campus of Mount St. Mary’s University. He previously ministered in Ireland. My first priority is bring you the best in Catholic preaching from priests who offer faithful, thoughtful, informative instruction. I'm grateful to the aforementioned for their contributions. For homilies and reflections by Fr. Butler visit his page . For homilies, videos and related content by Fr. Irvin see his website . For homilies, Bible study and more by Fr. Lane see his website . In addition to these homilists, I would like to thank  Fr. Philip Neri Powell , OP,  Fr. Daren J. Zehnle , K.H.S., Fr. Michael Woolley and  Fr. Michael Najim  for letting me publish occasional articles of theirs. Last but not least, I am grateful to you

Pope Francis may end the rift between the Vatican and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). An influential SSPX leader, Father Franz Schmidberger, has written a memo that recommends accepting any offer by the Pope that would grant "an appropriate ecclesial structure" to the Society. Hopes were high during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI for just such a rapprochement . The National Catholic Register reports: Pope Francis may soon offer the Society of St. Pius X regular canonical status within the Church, without requiring the acceptance of certain texts of the Second Vatican Council with which they disagree. It also appears the SSPX may itself be poised to take such a historic step, urging that "perhaps only Pope Francis is able to take this step, given his unpredictability and improvisation," according to an internal SSPX document that was leaked to the press in recent weeks. This would be a tremendous development and a positive fruit of Francis' "big

Please remember the Holy Father Pope Francis' intentions in prayer through the month of May: General Intention : Respect for Women That in every country of the world, women may be honored and respected and that their essential contribution to society may be highly esteemed. Evangelization: Holy Rosary That families, communities, and groups may pray the Holy Rosary for evangelization and peace.

April 29th is the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and Doctor of the Church. She was born Catherine Benincasa, on March 25, 1347, in Siena, Italy, during an outbreak of the plague. Her large family was poor. At age seven, Catherine began to be favored by God with mystical visions. When Catherine was 21, she experience what she later referred to as a "mystical marriage to Christ." Among her many concerns was ministering to the poor and sick. Her activities attracted followers who assisted her. In her travels, she called for reform of the Church and for people to confess their sins and love God totally. She was instrumental in persuading the Avignon pope, Gregory XI, to return to Rome. Catherine established a monastery for women in 1377 outside of Siena. She composed over 400 letters, her Dialogue , which is her definitive literary work. God graced Catherine with the stigmata, which like her ring, was visible only to her. Her efforts for peace and reform of

Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was born January 31, 1673 in Montfort-sur-Meu, France. At 12, he entered the Jesuit College of St Thomas Becket where he began his study of philosophy and theology. In 1693, thanks to a generous benefactor, Louis went to Paris to complete his priestly formation at the renowned Seminary of Saint-Sulpice. Upon arrival, he discovered his benefactor had not paid the tuition in full. As a result, Luis lodged in boarding houses, living among the poor, while attending lectures in theology at Sorbonne University. His seminary studies were interrupted by a two-year bout with illness, during which he nearly died. These experiences profoundly shaped Louis' spirituality and priesthood. Luis was ordained a priest in 1700. He is one of the earliest writers in the field of Mariology. His works include, The Love of Eternal Wisdom , The Secret of the Rosary , The Secret of Mary , and True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin . Luis spread devotion to the rosary

The following quotations from Pope Benedict XVI concern the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist: Receiving the Eucharist means adoring Him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with Him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy. The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself. ***  In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration . *** In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering .  The first two statements are from Pope Benedict's addr

The Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, on the mountain of Montserrat near Barcelona in the Catalonia region of Spain is home to the 12th century Romanesque statue of the Madonna and Child. It is one of the black Madonnas of Europe Centuries of candle smoke turned the statue’s visage black. According to legend, the miraculous image was believed to have been carved in Jerusalem by Saint Luke during the early days of the church, and brought to Montserrat by Saint Peter in 50 AD. It was hidden from the Moors in a cave just down the mountain below the monastery. A more credible account indicates that the image was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by the invading Saracens. It is credited with numerous miracles granted to those who pray before it over the eight centuries of its existence. The Virgin of Montserrat was declared the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII in 1881. Our Lady of Montserrat The origin of the devotion to Our L

The head of the  Satanic group seeking to conduct a "black mass" at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall this August has responded to our post discussing it . He contacted us to say the following: We are Ahrimanists, and actually worship the original devil from Persia. Our federally recognized church is Hindu. Please take note as to what you are really dealing with.  Original devil? There is only one devil. He is the father of lies and a cruel deceiver of men. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask that God, "... lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The Catechism of the Catholic Church ( §2851 ) states: In this petition, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil ( dia-bolos ) is the one who 'throws himself across' God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ. Remember: The devil is 'an active force, a living, spiritual being' . We

Today Our attention is directed to one of the most common of them (abuses), one of the most difficult to eradicate, and the existence of which is sometimes to be deplored in places where everything else is deserving of the highest praise; the beauty and sumptuousness of the temple, the splendor and the accurate performance of the ceremonies, the attendance of the clergy, the gravity and piety of the officiating ministers. Such is the abuse affecting sacred chant and music. — Pope St. Pius X From Tra le sollecitudini , a motu proprio on sacred music and the liturgy issued November 22, 1903 by Pope Pius X.

Saint Mark the Evangelist was the son of Mary whose house at Jerusalem was a meeting place for the first Christians. He was baptized and instructed by St. Peter and may have witnessed first hand certain events in the life of Christ. Mark accompanied St. Paul and St. Barnabas (Mark's cousin) on their missionary journey through the island of Cyprus. Around the year 42 A.D., Mark came to Rome with Peter. There, at the request of the faithful, he wrote his Gospel based on Peter's sermons and personal recollections. Mark's Gospel was written in Greek for Roman gentile converts to Christianity. It rarely quotes the Old Testament, and explains Jewish customs, rites and words. It excels in portraying the humanity of Christ and His dynamic ministry. St. Mark preached in Egypt, establishing the Church in Alexandria, and is honored as the founder of Christianity in Africa. According to tradition, he was martyred in Alexandria after being dragged by horses through the streets until

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) There are times when we tell ourselves that nothing’s new, that human nature doesn’t change, and that history simply repeats itself. The Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes tells us: What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun . [Ecclesiastes 1:9] Yet we also find ourselves seeking what is new. We greet each other with the question “What’s new?” We watch TV news, read newspapers, pay attention advertisements, and look for new models of things we already have. Advertisements are loaded with words telling us of new products, or “new and improved” products that we can’t live without. The world of computers is filled with new gadgets, new programs, new downloads, and so forth. We seem to be obsessed with what’s new. Jesus used the word “new” many, many times in His discourses and teachings, all the time trying to get us to see the new crea

H/T  ChurchPOP    The Little Sisters of the Poor face a dire threat to their religious freedom in the United States. Find out more about what the Catholic Church teaches on religious freedom, including the groundbreaking Declaration on Religious Freedom ( Dignitatis Humanae ) from the Second Vatican Council. Via the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' YouTube channel . From the USCCB'S  Religious Liberty Page . Religion [cannot] be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life.       — Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 183. In insisting that our liberties as Americans be respected, Pope Benedict XVI said that this work belongs to "an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis the dominant culture." Therefore, catechesis on religious liberty is not the work of priests alone. If religious liberty is not properly understood, all people suf

Historians continue to debate the date of Saint George’s birth. He was born to Gerontios and Polychronia, a Roman officer and a Greek native of Lydda. Both parents were Christians from noble families. George served in the Emperor Diocletian's army. By his late 20's, he became a Tribunus and was an imperial guard for the Emperor at Nicomedia. In 303 A.D., Diocletian, decreed that Christians would be arrested and that Roman soldiers should sacrifice to the Roman gods. George refused to abide by the order. In an effort to save George’s life, Diocletian attempted to convert him, offering him land, money and slaves in exchange for sacrificing to Rome’s pagan idols. George remained steadfast in his devotion to God, even under penalty of death. On April 23, 303, George was decapitated before Nicomedia's outer wall. His body was sent to Lydda for burial where Christians venerated him as a martyr. St. George stands out among other saints and legends because he is known and re

A Satanic group is set to verse a "black mass" at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall this August. In light of such ever increasing demonic activity let us never forget God's words found in Sacred Scripture. He tells us that: In the face of this… We should remember this… Christ triumphs over Satan. CCC §566 Instances of demonic manifestation in society are now commonplace as more and more people do Satan's bidding. You may recall this from last summer: Hundreds of people attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Detroit on Saturday to protest the debut of an 8 1/2-foot-tall bronze satanic goat statue which depicts the demon idol Baphomet. According to the associated press, the group behind the display, Satanic Temple, installed the statue [pictured above] Saturday at a Detroit location known only to ticket holders. The unveiling was driven underground due to a large public backlash. Hundreds had lined up earlier to get the ti

We all have "knots" in our lives, difficult circumstances or seemingly insurmountable problems, and Mary can untie them. The devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots has become more popular ever since Pope Francis encouraged the devotion in Argentina, and then spoke about it during his first year as pontiff. The theology of the devotion actually goes back to the second century. Saint Irenaeus wrote that, "The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith." Mary’s faith unties the knot of sin. We will pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary will intercede for us all, to untie the knots of sin in our lives – so that we may be purified and ever closer to God. This novena begins April 22nd. Click for daily reminders to pray this novena sent to your inbox . The Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena Daily Prayers Day 1 : Dearest Holy Mother, Most Holy Mary, you undo the kno

Saint Anselm was born in Aosta, Italy, in 1033. Anselm's contributions to the Church are numerous. As Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the Church against the encroachments of the monarchy, who possessed Church lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to appoint bishops, the exclusive preserve of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. As a philosopher and theologian Anselm developed a method of reasoning that prepared the way for the thinkers of the Middle Ages. He is credited as the founder of Scholasticism. Anselm's dialogues and treatises are still read today. He is most famous for originating the ontological argument for the existence of God which he described thusly in his treatise, Prosologium : God is that, than which nothing greater can be conceived.… And [God] assuredly exists so truly, that it cannot be conceived not to exist. For, it is possible to conceive of a being which cannot be conceived not to exist;

This discussion of exorcism references various types of diabolical manifestations with a focus on demonic possession. The priests cited are current or former exorcists who have conducted the rite of exorcism hundreds of times collectively . Exorcism [from the Greek ἐξορκισμός – meaning to bind with an oath] is a term that signifies an insistent request manifested toward God or directed against demons. There are two different types of exorcism within the Church: supplicating exorcisms and imperative exorcisms. A supplicating exorcism is a prayer to God asking to expel a demon. One does not need to be a priest to perform such an exorcism. An imperative exorcism is a command to the demon demanding it depart in the name of God. This liturgical rite of the Church can only be performed by a bishop or a delegated priest-exorcist of a diocese. Rarely, in cases of dire urgency, a bishop may designate any priest an exorcist on a pro re nata basis. Demonic activity can be categorized as or

We invite you to nominate your favorite Catholic blogs for consideration in the 2nd annual New Evangelization Award for excellence in Catholic blogging. The Catholic blogosphere hosts thousands of sites. Choosing among them blogs of distinction is a daunting task. We had originally intended to honor three Catholic bloggers who have made a unique and longstanding contribution to evangelize and engage a society that is increasingly hostile and openly skeptical toward Judeo-Christian principles and the "culture of life." We expanded that number to seven in deference to the prevalence of quality Catholic websites. (There are numerous bloggers worthy of recognition. We will announce the winners at the end of May.) In order to qualify, a blog must: have been in existence for at least 3 years publish original content that is faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church evangelize and inform Catholics, converts, reverts, and all who seek the fullness of truth  You

It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and to all men, but rather that He inaugurated a religious movement adapted, or to be adapted, to different times and different places . Saint Pius X's quotation comes from Lamentabili sane exitu (With truly lamentable results) a 1907 syllabus, prepared by the Holy Office and confirmed by Pope St. Pius X, which condemned errors in the exegesis of Holy Scripture and in the history and interpretation of dogma. It echoes Saint Thomas Aquinas' contention in the Summa Theologica  that Christ is the Exemplar par excellence of how we ought to live.  Lamentabili sane exitu preceded the more comprehensive encyclical Pascendi dominici gregis (Feeding the Lord's flock), promulgated later that year, in which Pope St. Pius X further condemned Modernism.

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) There are any number of words and phrases that we use so often that we no longer pay attention to their content. Take the Lord’s Prayer for instance. What do we really mean when we address God as our Father? Who do we include in our ; who do we exclude from our ? Today we just heard a phrase that we heard so many times: “Christ is the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock.” But what kind of a flock is it? Evidently it is made up of different kinds of sheep. There is a unity in God’s flock but there is diversity also, otherwise why would the Good Shepherd be going out looking for other sheep that Jesus indicates to be “not of this flock”? We value unity while at the same we value diversity. It’s a nice ideal but it is a difficult reality to attain. We have only to look at the problem of unity and diversity as we find it both in our own country and in our Church. “Who’s in and who’s out?” is

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow at  the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., is a leading observer of the Church. His commentary is indispensable to understanding Catholicism in the world today. His latest article, " The Merciful Grace of the Truth ", considers Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia , "The Joy of Love,". Weigel suggests the Church read and absorb Amoris Laetitia within that dyad of mercy and truth through which we strive to live in the imitation of Christ. He writes in part: The Holy Father set in motion these past two years of contention and, one hopes, constructive dialogue in the Church because he knows that marriage and the family are in deep trouble throughout the world, just as he knows that marriage, rightly understood, and the family, rightly understood, are the basic building blocks of a humane society: the family is the first school of freedom, because it is there that we first learn that f

I am very happy to inform you that last August's blog of note,  The New Theological Movement , which ceased publication in December 2014, appears to be publishing articles once again. The New Theological Movement Blog emanates from the minds of Father Ryan Erlenbush and a fellow diocesan priest who is the site's webmaster. NTM is a treasure trove of theological commentary, apologetics, scriptural exegesis and more. From the About page: "The aim of this blog, first and foremost, is to write for the benefit of the Catholic faithful and clergy. We will try to make the articles neither too academic such that they would belong in a theologically technical publication, nor merely 'popular.'" Fr. Erlenbush describes his method of theological interpretation thusly: " The Catechism of the Catholic Church is 'the sure norm of truth' to which we will remain faithful. (John Paul II, Laetamur Magnopere ). It goes without saying that whatever is written

Perhaps the greatest sin in the world today is that men have begun to lose the sense of sin.  — Venerable Pope Pius XII This quotation is part of Pope Pius XII's radio message to participants at the closing of the National Catechetical Congress of the United States in Boston. Here is the relevant paragraph from that address.  Perhaps the greatest sin in the world today is that men have begun to lose the sense of sin. Smother that, deaden it — it can hardly be wholly cut out from the heart of man — let it not be awakened by any glimpse of the God-man dying on Golgotha's cross to pay the penalty of sin, and what is there to hold back the hordes of God's enemy from over-running the selfishness, the pride, the sensuality and unlawful ambitions of sinful man? Will mere human legislation suffice? Or compacts and treaties? In the Sermon on the Mount the divine Redeemer has illumined the path that leads to the Father's will and eternal life; but from Golgotha's