Recent Comments
Liam on Las Vegas, Moving On Up Liam on Las Vegas, Moving On Up Liam on Readings for the Conferral of… Todd Flowerday on Readings for the Conferral of… Liam on Readings for the Conferral of… Teiborlang Malngiang on Paschale Solemnitatis Outline Todd Flowerday on Sacramentum Caritatis 47:… Liam on Sacramentum Caritatis 47:… Liam on Sacramentum Caritatis 46: The… The Basics | Catholi… on Wedding Lectionary: Psalm 148:…
Monthly Archives: May 2018
Scripture for the Sick or Dying: Matthew 8:1-4
Care for people who are sick was integral to the public ministry of the Lord. People think of Jesus as a teacher, and certainly texts like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 through 7) establish this well in our … Continue reading
Posted in Pastoral Care of the Sick, Scripture
Leave a comment
GeE 54: God’s Friendship
Many people refer to God, often specifically Jesus, as friend. God can work through that “inequality,” as the Catechism describes it. The good news is that our friendship with God is not something we can manipulate, nor will God manipulate … Continue reading
Aparecida 437j: Pastoral Proposals For Unmarried Couples
The Aparecida bishops give their people fourteen proposals for ministries to the family. The tenth addresses unmarried couples living together. The bishops suggest that a casual, brusque, confrontational approach is not optimal. In fact, the opposite: j) Accompany with care, … Continue reading
GeE 53: Medieval Views on Justification
The Holy Father cites two sources from the Middle Ages to reinforce the point there is no human power, gift, or ability that can acquire the grace of God: 53. The Second Synod of Orange taught with firm authority that … Continue reading
Aparecida 437hi: Pastoral Proposals For Family Crises and Formation of Pastoral Ministers
The Aparecida bishops suggest study to assist in giving their people pastoral guidance: h) Study the causes of family crises in order to deal with them in all their factors. Sociology, psychology, etc. Additionally, further training for clergy, catechists, and … Continue reading
GeE 52: An Often Overlooked Church Teaching
Paragraphs 52 through 56 lie under the title of “An often overlooked Church teaching.” What does the Holy Father mean by that? Let’s talk justification, and the roots of that doctrine even prior to Augustine: 52. The Church has repeatedly … Continue reading
Saintly Couples
Perhaps the royal wedding inspired this piece on saints among the 1%. I don’t begrudge the aristocracy their occasional saint. I observe that saints can be one of two things: mentor or celebrity. The greatest saints are something of both. … Continue reading
Posted in Saints
3 Comments
Aparecida 437efg: Pastoral Proposals For Difficult Situations
The Aparecida bishops give their people fourteen proposals for ministries to the family. Three somewhat related topics in this post: e) Foster and promote integral education of family members, especially those family members who are in difficult situations, including the … Continue reading
GeE 51: The Scriptures Witness Against Pelagianism
Pope Francis appeals to the Bible, starting with the witness of our ancestor in faith, Abraham: 51. When God speaks to Abraham, he tells him: “I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless” (Gen 17:1). In order to … Continue reading
Peace Talks Coin
I’m no longer an active collector, but when I see interesting coins in pocket change or in the news, I take notice. Maybe the casual observer finds the design a bit jarring–one news outlet used the over-used term “dumpster fire” … Continue reading
Aparecida 437d: Pastoral Proposals For Political Advocacy
The fourth proposal for ministry to the family suggests the Church as an agent of advocacy in legislation and public policy. d) Promote in dialogue with governments and society, policies and laws on behalf of life, marriage, and the family.(Cf. … Continue reading
Funeral Purple
Friend and once-contributor John Donaghy sent me two images of a stole he uses for funerals. His report from Honduras: Here most of the priests use purple, though the bishop wore white for the funeral of a priest two years … Continue reading
GeE 50: Reminders Of Our Limitations
Whenever we think we’ve achieved lasting grace and others have not, a spiritual problem exists, and not for the unwashed masses: 50. Ultimately, the lack of a heartfelt and prayerful acknowledgment of our limitations prevents grace from working more effectively … Continue reading
Scripture for the Sick or Dying: Psalm 6
One of the rarest Psalms in the Catholic liturgy is the 6th. You have to look deep into the Lectionary, to the ritual Mass for Anointing of the Sick, to find it. In the Liturgy of the Hours, one appearance … Continue reading
Posted in Pastoral Care of the Sick, Scripture
2 Comments
A History of Liturgical Color
Fascinating post here at PrayTell on clerical vestments. Curious was the medieval option for saffron yellow for feasts of confessors. The author Markus Tymister muses on funerals, and the contemporary options for black and purple: In the earliest centuries, Christians … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgy
5 Comments
Catholic Sensibility 