BIG C CATHOLICS

A reader brought this to our attention. With all the notice given to the ‘New Atheists’, (Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens) and their elaborate casuistry against God and religion, this rebuttal by George Weigel ( "Way Beyond the New Atheist Nonsense" ) is a cogent response worth reading.  George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. writing in First Things , demolishes an idea central to post-modern thinking that religion and science are contradictory and incompatible. Weigel states: "Given the intellectual flimsiness of their work, it’s best to look for cultural causes to explain the popularity of the 'New Atheists.' And surely one factor is the now-canonical notion in Western high culture that biblical religion is incompatible with modern natural science—an idea rooted in the notion that the 'scientific method' is the only way to get at the truth." The so-

We post this because its assertion is unequivocally true. In the words of Saint Teresa of Calcutta: "the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself." We must change hearts and laws so they protect the unborn. Last year, DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the U.S., banned this poster from being displayed on campus. Like other Catholic institutions of higher learning, Depaul has forsaken its Catholic tradition in favor of secular interests. As Catholics, the dignity of human beings at every stage of life should be our foremost concern; for without "life" all other concerns are non-existent. __________________________________________ Prayer to God the Father of All Life Eternal God, You have revealed Yourself as the Father of all Life. We praise You for the Fatherly care which You extend to all creation, and especially to us, m

By Father Thomas Mattison There is no such thing as a Church teaching that is not social. Once upon a time the bishop of the Diocese of Burlington was named Robert F. Joyce. He was a native of Proctor and installed as bishop of Burlington in 1957. He resigned as bishop after 15 years at age 75. He would not have been grateful to be called an ecclesiologist — an expert in the theology of the Church — but he was just that. At every Confirmation ceremony he gave the same sermon -- every one! And he would make everyone in church repeat the message after him: Don’t go to heaven alone; take someone with you. RFJ clearly understood that there is in each of us a tendency — a temptation — to think of ourselves before thinking of anyone else and, even, to the exclusion of everyone else. But he understood, too, that such a focus on the single self was absolutely antithetical to Christianity. Just being a Christian means being — at very least — connected to Jesus. We have no connect

Fr. Angelo M. Geiger F.I.  St. Maximilian taught that saints are in some ways like the great men of the world, but are motivated supernaturally by faith in God and love for him. In this way, they are able not only to see beyond adversity, but to embrace the Cross in a spirit of sacrificial love. St. Maximilian also showed that holiness is found only in Christ Jesus, Who both tells us and shows us what holiness is and how it is to be achieved. Jesus, in His sacrificial love and obedience shown so poignantly on the Cross, and so humbly in the Eucharist, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6). He is holiness, and the way to achieve it. St. Maximilian says: It is a false and widely diffused idea that the saints were not like us. They were also subject to temptation, they fell and got up, they also felt overwhelmed with sadness, weakened and paralyzed by discouragement. But remember the words of the Savior: ‘Without me, you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:51), and those of St. Paul:

The following commentary on the walking on the water in which Our Lord saves Peter from drowning in the storm is from Pope Benedict XVI’s Angelus address delivered from the Papal Residence, Castel Gandolfo on Sunday, August 7, 2011. ________________________________________ In this Sunday’s Gospel we find Jesus who, after withdrawing to the mountain, prays throughout the night. The Lord, having distanced himself from the people and the disciples, manifests his communion with the Father and the need to pray in solitude, far from the commotion of the world. This distancing, however, must not be seen as a lack of interest in individuals or trust in the Apostles. On the contrary, Matthew recounts, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, “and go before him to the other side” (Mt 14:22), where he would see them again. In the meantime, the boat “was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them” (v. 24). And so, in the fourth watch of th

By Father Thomas Mattison So, you will ask me — legitimately — how about the Crusades and the clashes between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire etc.? Were these not instances of meddling in politics by the Catholic Church? As you can imagine, my answer will be, “No.” The Middle Ages represent the vacuum created in the western world by the collapse of the old and totalitarian Roman Empire. Hostages to their political past, and lacking in political imagination, both sides of these conflicts claimed as their due the mantle of European supremacy. They called it “ ius divinum ” (divine right). They both claimed it — the emperor no less than the pope. The collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the rise of what we call the nation states of the modern world left the Church still claiming its ius divinum in the face of new claimants to the same right — the kings and parliaments of emerging countries. For background on this check out the internet’s treatment of such figures as P

It has long been an aspiration for the Left to impose a single-payer health care system like the kind found in Canada and much of Europe. Proponents of such socialized medicine argue it is the only viable alternative, both economically and morally. However, as the tragic case of Charlie Gard shows, faceless autocrats from government run universal health care bureaucracies invariably abrogate parental rights and the efforts of well-meaning doctors to provide alternate care. Townhall reports that Charlie’s parents have ended their legal battle as time has simply run out. "Connie Yates and Chris Gard, the parents of Charlie Gard, the terminally-ill baby who they sought to bring to the United States for a last-ditch experimental treatment, have dropped their legal battle to move their son. Per the couple's lawyer, it's simply too late for the treatment to have any... benefit." "Charlie's parents have been fighting for months to bring their son to the Unit

By Father Thomas Mattison Galileo created a new hierarchy of truths. Tradition, authority, Scripture, philosophy, theology, all the well-known sources of truth, goodness and beauty were now to be subjected to one single new criterion – scientific proof. Thus, did the good become the useful; the true, the practical; and the beautiful, the appealing. Modern science has challenged Galileo’s deductions, but modern education and, certainly, the education that many of us received, is still frozen in the icy grip of the 16th century. Which brings me to yoga. A world and culture that values nothing but its own material-based experiences cares nothing for the claims of religion or the origins of classical spiritualities and the views of God and man that underlie them. Thus, any eighth grader will tell you that he likes this part of this religion but another part of another; and the fundamental incompatibility of the religions that he has dismembered and reassembled into what he calls

July 3rd, is the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Although he initially doubted Jesus' rising, he has become for the Church one of the most compelling witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ. Thomas' skepticism mirrors that of many. May his profession of faith upon touching Our Savior's wounds, "My Lord and my God!", testify to others that Christ's Incarnation, and victory over sin and death are empirically and existentially real. Jesus' reply to Thomas, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?" Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed," is not a criticism, but a confirmation of the demands of faith. Among the Apostles, Thomas does not stand out. His knowledge of Jewish scripture and well-formed conscience enabled him to recognize Christ as the Messiah foretold by the Prophets and to follow him as soon as he was called. When Christ traveled the road to Jerusalem to offer himself as a sacrifice for many, Thomas

Detail, The Marriage of the Virgin , Raphael, 1504.  In the words of Saint John Paul II, “Chastity is a difficult, long term matter; one must wait patiently for it to bear fruit, for the happiness of loving kindness which it must bring. But at the same time, chastity is the sure way to [true] happiness." Sacred Scripture testifies that sexual relations are reserved for married spouses exclusively. Sex outside of marriage in any manner is gravely sinful. Here is an excellent explanation of the Church's teaching on chastity by Cynthia Hurla, a Catholic wife, mother and author of Veil of Chastity . a blog extolling said virtue. What is Chastity? The most basic definition of Chastity is the virtue of saving sex for marriage and remaining open to life within marriage.  But there is so much more to this beautiful and powerful virtue! For Catholics, our faith teaches that chastity is a virtue and that virtue bears fruit.  The Catechism also teaches us that in the case of m

LifeSite reports on an opinion piece by a former Vatican official discussing Pope Francis’ refusal to answer the dubia issued by four of his cardinals concerning the doctrinal implications and proper interpretation of Amoris Laetitia , the post-synod apostolic exhortation on the family. The confusion that emerged in the wake of Amoris ’ release has resulted in myriad conclusions and widespread uncertainty . The LifeSite article begins: "Why doesn’t the Pope respond to the Dubia? The former director of the Vatican Bank thinks he knows why. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi suggests that Francis is sending two messages through his silence: that he can contradict himself if he likes and that he wishes to impose a 'New Catholic Morality' on the Church. This new morality would be based not on doctrine but on the subjective opinions of the individual conscience... Ultimately, Francis’ silence — which allows doubts to continue to flourish — is a denial of objective truth." Mr.Te

Echoing the words of his predecessor, Blessed Pope Paul VI , about the nature of Christ and the Church He founded: "it comes as no surprise to the Church that she, no less than her divine Founder, is destined to be a 'sign of contradiction,'" Pope Francis said Wednesday that Jesus "was not one to adapt to the world," but came rather to transform it. Breitbart News has more on Pope Francis' remarks: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is an ongoing challenge to the world rather than a mirror of society, Francis suggested in his weekly General Audience before a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Saint Peter’s Square. 'Jesus is not one to adapt to the world, tolerating that death, sadness, hatred and the moral destruction of the person should endure in it... Our God is not inert, but dreams of the transformation of the world, and He brought it about in the mystery of the Resurrection,' he said. [ ... ] As the 'world' embraces sam

Where are you pasturing your flock, O good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on your shoulders? (For the whole of human nature is one sheep and you have lifted it onto your shoulders). Show me the place of peace, lead me to the good grass that will nourish me, call me by name so that I, your sheep, hear your voice, and by your speech give me eternal life. Answer me, you whom my soul loves. I give you the name ‘you whom my soul loves’ because your name is above every name and above all understanding and there is no rational nature that can utter it or comprehend it. Therefore your name, by which your goodness is known, is simply the love my soul has for you. How could I not love you, when you loved me so much, even though I was black, that you laid down your life for the sheep of your flock? A greater love cannot be imagined, than exchanging your life for my salvation. Show me then (my soul says) where you pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too, and fill

On the 4th Sunday of Lent, we read in John’s Gospel about Christ healing a man blind from birth. We identify with the man who came to see and believe in Jesus as the Son of God. The Lord has anointed our eyes with His own divine hands and washed them with the waters of our baptism. Jesus used mud made with his own saliva, and told the man to wash in the waters of Siloam. Jesus did this because it was the Sabbath, the day, when it was strictly forbidden to make mud, spit, and wash. By breaking these Jewish ritual laws, Jesus proved that He is indeed the Lord of the Sabbath. As such, He is co-equal to God the Father, the One who works even on the Sabbath, the holiest of days, directing the world He created. The scandal totally transcends the fact that Jesus has healed the blind man, who is expelled from the synagogue because of his faith in Christ. The whole Church follows this man in his destiny, knowing that the truly blind are those who do not recognize Jesus as the Lord and pers

Detail, The Death of Caesar , Vincenzo Camuccini, 1798. The Ides of March corresponds to the date on the ancient Roman calendar of March 15th. The idea of the Ides of March and the expression"Beware the Ides of March", were popularized by William Shakespeare in his play  Julius Caesar . In the play, a soothsayer ominously declares to Emperor Caesar: "Beware the Ides of March." To which Caesar unmoved replies: "He is a Dreamer, let us leave him." The Romans of Caesar's day imbued the "Ides," i.e: the 15th and 13th of various months with almost mystical power as consequential periods of time. The word Ides derives from the Latin word meaning "to divide." The Ides originally marked the full moon, but due to calendar months and lunar months each being different lengths, they quickly grew unsynchronized. March 15th, became a Roman holiday of sorts occasioned by various festivals and both official and private observances. H

One longtime Catholic commentator says, in the most demonstrative of terms, that the papacy of Pope Francis is a disaster. In Phil Lawler's Op-Ed for Catholic Culture he writes: For over 20 years now, writing daily about the news from the Vatican, I have tried to be honest in my assessment of papal statements and gestures. I sometimes criticized St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, when I thought that their actions were imprudent. But never did it cross my mind that either of those Popes posed any danger to the integrity of the Catholic faith. Looking back much further across Church history, I realize that there have been bad Popes: men whose personal actions were motivated by greed and jealousy and lust for power and just plain lust. But has there ever before been a Roman Pontiff who showed such disdain for what the Church has always taught and believed and practiced—on such bedrock issues as the nature of marriage and of the Eucharist? Pope Francis has sparked controvers

The following commentary is excerpted from The Fifty-Eighth Treatise of Saint Peter Damian entitled: Concerning True Happiness and Wisdom, Chapter 6. "And so, beloved, if you cannot yet be content with the life of the spirit alone as your only bride, but are held bound by the evil caresses and allurements of life in the world, at least let the love of everlasting life hold first place in the household of your heart, as befits the first-born; and let concern for earthly things be in a place of subjection, as an inferior to be kept in check. In the Song of Songs [Chapter 2:6] it is said: 'His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.' Now the left hand is said to be under the head when this life is scorned and despised by the mind, which is the head and source of our thoughts. He is held in the embrace of the right hand who at all times takes pleasure in longing for eternal life alone. And because Solomon also says: 'Give a portion to seven a

Via Greater Fitchburg For Life .   Right to Life of Michigan created a special video project for Black History Month in February that exposes the devastating impact of abortion on the black community. The 1-minute video uses statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the Guttmacher Institute to show how abortions killed more African Americans than all other causes combined. The number is staggering: 19 million abortions since 1973 in the black community, according to the group’s research. Pro-life leader Walter B. Hoye II of the Issues 4Life Foundation found similar results when he compared abortion data to other leading causes of death in the black community from the U.S. Statistical Abstract for 2013 and the National Vital Statistics Report from 2015. According to the statistics: Heart Disease: 72,010 Abortion kills 5.9 times as many Blacks as heart disease. Malignant Neoplasms: 67,953 Abortion kills 6.3 times as many Blacks as cancer. Cerebrovascular D

Sermon on the Mount, Basilica of Sant' Apollinare, Ravenna, Italy. Saint Augustine once observed that “anyone who piously and earnestly ponders the Sermon on the Mount — as we read in the Gospel according to Mathew — I believe he will find therein ... the perfect standard of the Christian Life.” Indeed, Christ’s words are the very embodiment of Catholic moral theology. The following is excerpted from Book One on the Lord's Sermon on the Mount by St. Augustine. "If it be asked what is signified by the mountain, the same may well be understood to indicate the higher and greater commandments of righteousness, since those that were given to the Jews are the lesser.  In an excellent order of dispensations, the one and same God gave, by his servants the holy Prophets, his lesser commandments unto the people that still had need to be bound by fear; but by his Son he gave the greater to the people whom it was expedient now to set free by love.  But whether it be the lesser

Ed Whelan The following by Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a former law clerk to the late Justice Scalia, discusses Judge Neil Gorsuch's recent nomination to the Supreme Court. It originally appeared in the January 31, 2017 edition of National Review Online under the subheading "Rocky Mountain native Neil Gorsuch has an impressive judicial record as an originalist." _____________________________________________________ On the Saturday afternoon last February when he received word of Justice Scalia’s death, Neil M. Gorsuch “immediately lost [his] breath” and “couldn’t see... for the tears.” In his grief over the death of a justice he deeply admired and emulated, Judge Gorsuch could hardly have imagined the series of events that would lead to his being selected today to fill the Scalia vacancy. And while he has rightly recognized that no one could ever replace Justice Scalia, there are strong reasons to expect Justice Gorsuch to