BIG C CATHOLICS

The Rebuke of Adam and Eve , Domenichino, 1626. Editor's note: Each Tuesday we will feature posts discussing Saint John Paul the Great's Theology of the Body; his reflection on our nature and life as persons made in the image and likeness of God, conjugal love, the meaning of celibacy, and the eternal beatitude to which every human being is called. ____________________________________________________ Those in the teaching profession are most certainly familiar with the concept of "natural consequences." The same idea is found in Sacred Scripture. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the forbidden fruit, all hell broke loose, quite literally. In " Why Satan Hates the Ascension of Christ " we wrote: "Satan’s lie in the garden condemned humanity to lives of sin, drudgery and inexorable physical death. Prior to the Fall, the created world and everything in it functioned precisely as God intended. It was in short, Paradise. W

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH Suffer the Children , Bloch, c. 1800's ( Click here for today’s readings ) In 2012, El Alto, the second-largest city in Bolivia, enacted a law specifically for indigenous people, to the effect that anyone caught stealing with have his hand cut off. This would be done under anesthetic and doctors will be paid to perform the surgery; but there will be no prison sentence for the criminal. Believe it or not, this law was approved by the city’s indigenous community. I have not been able to discover whether it has ever been enforced. Could this be what Jesus actually had in mind? Even the classic code of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth never imposed such an extreme punishment for theft. Jesus is not specific about what kinds of sins our hands or feet or eyes could lead us to commit. It doesn’t matter. All sin, and most especially one’s “besetting,” or dominant, sin is to be avoided, and any measures

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH "Whoever receives one child such as this in my  name, receiver me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me." ( Click here for today’s readings ) In the writings of the classic spiritual teachers, growth in the spiritual life passes through certain stages or “ways.” The “Purgative Way” is that period during which we try, with the help of divine grace, to break away from sin and be purified of past faults. Then comes the “Illuminative Way,” during which we learn as much as we can about God’s working in our lives, about his word, and the sacraments, and seek to discern his will so that we may obey it. Finally there is the “Unitive Way,” characterized by a deep, constant, and effortless experience of our life-giving faith relationship with God. As you can imagine, this does not happen overnight. It’s hard work. There are many setbacks and obstacles along the way, and one never

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH Get thee behind me, Satan , James Tissot c 1890 ( Click here for today’s readings ) An interesting phenomenon in modern times is how brand names have become verbs. In our computerized culture we google, we skype, we tweet. Long before that we were xeroxing. What would it be like if we did the same with personal names? Take some of the more popular Bible names. If you were to say someone is “Ruthing” or “Samsoning,” anyone who knows the stories of Ruth or Samson would know exactly what that means. The same with recent popes: “Francising” and “Benedicting” and “John Pauling” would conjure up very specific and typical activities associated with each one. It’s a little like when we might say about a friend, “Oh, that’s just Pat being Pat.” Try it with your own name. In my case, “René-ing” would, for those who know me, imply a whole range of behaviors and attitudes that might please some or annoy others, such

Since its inception, this blog has featured the Christ Pantocrator icon on its sidebar. Here is everything to know about this most beautiful and majestic depiction of our Lord and Savior. The Origins of This Image: The word Pantocrator is Greek, meaning "Ruler of All." The image expresses the central reality of the Christian faith; the Divine Majesty of the creator and ruler of all the world, made flesh and therefore visible to us in the person of Christ Jesus our redeemer. The oldest known icon of Christ Pantocrator was written in the sixth century and preserved in the remote monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai desert. The location enabled the image to survive the destruction of most icons during the iconoclastic era in Byzantine history. (726 to 815 AD) On the inside of the central dome in Orthodox churches is frequently found an immense mosaic or painting of Christ Pantocrator . The Pantocrator image typically found in church domes is very stern and formidabl

Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP Notre Dame Seminary, NOLA He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21  ( Click here for today's readings ) So, Jesus – the hometown boy – walks into his synagogue, picks up a scroll, reads a passage from Isaiah, and says, in effect, “God the Father has sent me to rescue y'all, you bunch of sinners.” Surprisingly, this little stunt goes over well. . .at first: “. . .all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” Then some of the less-impressed listeners start asking questions designed to put Jesus in his place, “Hey, wait a minute, isn't he Joseph's boy?” Seeing where this line of questioning is headed, Jesus nips it in the bud, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” He then goes on to point out their faithlessness and how their ancestors abused God's prophets, earning the Father's wrath. This went ove