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The Conditions of Discipleship " If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33 " If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a...

Bottom line, Elton: You’re embarrassing yourself. Please leave the theology to the trained professionals. Mazzzur/Shutterstock Dear Elton, First of all, my apologies for not calling you ‘sir,’ but I’m an American and we don’t really go in for all that nobility stuff over on this side of the pond.  Don’t fret, however; we still worship celebrities, which is why every single news site I read breathlessly reported your comments regarding Jesus, the Pope and the Catholic Church this week.  As a Catholic myself, I have to take issue with a few of the things you said in your Sky News...

Featured Term (selected at random:NOBLE GUARDS The highest ranking corps of the papal ministry service. It originated in the light cavalry that was a mounted guard for the Pope and had been reorganized many times. Pope Leo XIII gave them their modern name. The Pope appointed the commander, who was always a Roman prince. All members were to show a sixty-year line of nobility recognized by the papacy. They appeared with the Pope at public functions and left always with him. They were privileged to convey the tidings to newly appointed cardinals of their appointments. The Noble Guards were abolished...

Proverb 2 (NKJV) The Value of Wisdom 01 My son, if you receive my words, 00 And treasure my commands within you, 02 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, 00 And apply your heart to understanding; 03 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, 00 And lift up your voice for understanding, 04 If you seek her as silver, 00 And search for her as for hidden treasures; 05 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, 00 And find the knowledge of God. 06 For the LORD gives wisdom; 00 From His mouth come knowledge...

Bl. Junípero Serra and the Holy Family Sean FitzpatrickOn September 25th, 1988, Pope St. John Paul II beatified a swarthy, Spanish, asthmatic priest of small stature who was a dazzling scholar, a tireless apostle, and the founder of many missionaries from San Diego to San Francisco—Junípero Serra, who walked the western desert to irrigate souls with the water that becomes a spring welling up to eternal life.Born Miguel Jose Serra Ferrer on November 14, 1730, in Petra, Majorca, Spain, this servant of God and God’s people became a Franciscan after a brilliant career as a scholar of philosophy, taking...

Freedom in Forgetting Today's Scripture “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria The Bible tells us that every person, no matter how much faith they have or how good they are, will face disappointments. It may be something simple like not getting a promotion you hoped for, or not closing a business deal you worked so hard on. Maybe you didn’t qualify for a house you really wanted, or maybe something more serious happened like a relationship not working out, the death of a loved one, or...

The Inevitable Penalty " You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny —Matthew 5:26 " There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment. He urged you to come to judgment immediately when He convicted you, but you did not obey. Then the inevitable process began to work, bringing its inevitable penalty. Now you have been “thrown into...

Last May we warned readers to "buckle up" for a rollercoaster ride under Pope Francis — "An unpredictable person in a predictable papal mould." We meant, of course, the neo-Modernist mould he personifies in the image and likeness of Cardinal Martini; the neo-Jesuit fifth columnist he venerates. Long renowned in Buenos Aires for his attention-seeking (see Open Letter herein), it was a seamless transition to the post-Bergoglio era of look-at-me stunts: from setting up papal HQ in a glorified cafeteria across the piazza, to celebrity interviews, to phoning the world and taking 'selfies' with the kids, etc., et. al., ad...

To take up where we left off last month: the unpopular yet urgent Pauline duty to defend the Faith of our Fathers against the pontifical 'mess' of neo-Modernist pottage currently on offer, falls to us. Ensconced behind The Great Facade of naturalistic novelties that separates them from the supernatural faith and traditions of Catholicism, the vast majority of bishops are too busy revelling in the return to fuzzy pastoral themes, notions and verbiage. For although failed and hackneyed, under Francis, a zealous son of the Council, they have all been 'renewed' — again. Retro programme How could it be otherwise?...

Esau sold his birthright to his twin brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. Returning tired and famished from the fields he handed over his familial rights as the firstborn without a care in the world [Gen 25:29-34]. Carelessly and foolishly he swapped something less tangible but infinitely more valuable for something immediately attractive but of little value: i.e., for "a mess of pottage." Before a razzle-dazzle papacy we do well to recall Esau's shortsightedness and misplaced priorities. Since we have all to lose and naught to gain by blithe acceptance of papal offerings like those above: the first proclaimed...

Today is the 1st of the Month. I can think of no better day than today to take me up on my Proverb a day challenge? Yes, today could be the ist day of the rest of your life. A day where you begin to absorb the Wisdom God blessed Solomin with. A day where you can begin to understand what it's like to have Godly wisdom imparted to you by the One who created you, and everything around you. You can be educated by the best universitys on the planet, and even have the ighest of degress on...

Featured Term (selected at random:SEVEN HEAVENS A popular belief, never confirmed by the Church, that heaven is divided into seven levesl of beatitude, the highest being the seventh. The expression "seventh heaven" is a remnant of this belief. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

The Generosity of Catholic Family Planning Caitlin Marchand In a contraceptive culture it is little wonder that natural family planning is often in the Catholic spotlight.  Perhaps it is also little wonder that we accidentally slip into using the secular world’s terms or attitudes when discussing it.  It is well established to anybody willing to hear that NFP is a licit practice.  In fact, it is not merely an acceptable but second rate choice made by second rate Catholics but can and should be undertaken in such a spirit as to be equally receptive to God’s will and lovingly exercise...

History of Head Covering and ScriptureFor over 2000 years Christian women have covered their heads during Mass, sacred rites, as well as prayer and adoration. In most instances this was done by wearing a veil, as it tended to be the most convenient way. It was not until recently that many women stopped wearing the veil or any head covering for that manner. This is true especially during the post Vatican II epoch and during the women’s lib movement during the 1960s and 1970s.Old TestamentIn the book of Genesis 24 when Rebecca meats Isaac she veils herself. “Rebecca too looked...

Keys to Freedom Today's Scripture “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Have you ever been locked out of your car or house? It can be very frustrating, not to mention inconvenient. Not having your keys can keep you stuck and unproductive. It steals your time and can steal your peace and joy if you let it. On a spiritual level, we need keys to access what God has for...

Do It Now! " Agree with your adversary quickly . . . —Matthew 5:25 " In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress.” God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is...

Declaring that the devil has departed from the Church of England’s baptism service, the Guardian reported on June 20 that “a simplified baptism which omits mention of the devil” is now favored by the clergy who have test-marketed it throughout the United Kingdom. Claiming that the traditional rejection of the devil and all rebellion against God “put off people who are offended to be addressed as sinners,” clergy claimed that they found it much easier to ask parents and godparents to make vows that do not mention Satan.Responding to a population “which sees no pressing reason to spend Sunday...

Featured Term (selected at random:GOLDEN SEQUENCE A name applied to the hymn Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte coelitus (Come, Thou Holy Paraclete), which is sung on Pentecost Sunday. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Proverb 30 (NKJV) The Wisdom of Agur 01 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. 00 This man declared to Ithiel--to Ithiel and Ucal: 02 Surely I am more stupid than any man, 00 And do not have the understanding of a man. 03 I neither learned wisdom 00 Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. 04 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? 00 Who has gathered the wind in His fists? 00 Who has bound the waters in a garment? 00 Who has established all the ends of the earth? 00 What is His...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — One of the oldest Catholic churches in St. Paul had to close down because of a dwindling congregation, but it's been given new life as an Islamic community center. The Church of St. John parish, built in 1886, closed in 2013. It reopened Friday as the Darul-Uloom Islamic Center, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported (http://bit.ly/1z0o5In ). "There are a lot of East Africans in the area, and we want to give them a place to worship, a place to be educated, a community space," center spokesman Feisal M. Elmi said. The former church held...