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Monthly Archives: September 2018
GeE 170: A Supernatural Gift
Today, let’s look a bit more deeply into a supernatural gift: 170. Certainly, spiritual discernment does not exclude existential, psychological, sociological or moral insights drawn from the human sciences. At the same time, it transcends them. Use reason, but don’t … Continue reading
Aparecida 551: A Continental Mission
We’ve heard this theme, the notion that some efforts of faith, especially that of evangelization, must be tackled on a continental scale. 551. This missionary awakening in the form of a Continental Mission, the fundamental lines of which have been … Continue reading
Papal Popularity
I see conservative outlets are jumping to report Pope Francis’ popularity is slumping among American Catholics. I think it’s predictable. It may also be a good thing. First, if the Holy Father is a real Jesuit, he won’t care about … Continue reading
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Blogging Ahead
Wednesday will find an end to a very long series of posts on the 2007 Aparecida document. Next Sunday, the same end for Pope Francis’ letter urging believers to holiness. Where this site goes from there, I’m not sure. There’s … Continue reading
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GeE 169: Always In The Light Of The Lord
Today, Always in the light of the Lord. We would aspire to always be, but in this mortal space, not always possible. This aspiration beckons us to discernment not only when the big questions confront us, but also in everyday … Continue reading
Aparecida 550: A Mission To Engage The Whole Flock
Today, Pope Benedict’s message to the Aparecida bishops: 550. It is Pope Benedict XVI himself who has invited us to “a mission of evangelization capable of engaging all the vital energies present in this immense flock,” which is the people … Continue reading
GeE 168: When New Things Happen
Writing of the “urgent need for discernment,” Pope Francis notes that when new things happen, we can be particularly vulnerable. Is something new genuine? Or is the novelty illusory? Dangerous, even? This paragraph strikes me as apt as the scandals … Continue reading
Aparecida 549: Strengthening Faith
Stuck in our buildings, and in an era of Christian mediocrity, what shall we do? Believers are in need of the evangelical experience themselves. They are the first target: 549. In order to become a Church full of drive and … Continue reading
GeE 167: An Urgent Need
Today, a discussion continues on an urgent need, the gift of discernment: 167. The gift of discernment has become all the more necessary today, since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for action and distraction, and the world presents all of … Continue reading
Aparecida 548: The Need For A New Pentecost
A few themes are recalled here. First, the suggestion that the Church is mostly in a waiting phase. We have lost the impulse for evangelization. We no longer trust the message of the Gospel can sustain that first century effectiveness. … Continue reading
GeE 166: Discernment
The final theme of Gaudete et Exsultate will be one dear to those even casually familiar with Ignatian Spirituality. Discernment will occupy our attention for the next several days here. The question we all want to ask, at one time or another: … Continue reading
Aparecida 547: Conference Conclusion
We arrive at the conclusion of the Aparecida document. Over the next week, a final look at the 2007 conference which put evangelization in sharper focus for the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean. The words of the Jerusalem … Continue reading
On Richard Clark
Though I have never met him face-to-face, I have a distance admiration for Richard Clark, soon-to-be archdiocesan music director in Boston. Frequent commentator Liam knows him well and alerts me to outstanding pieces of music he has composed. I hope … Continue reading
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GeE 165: More On Spiritual Corruption
Pope Francis cites Scripture, but the description is familiar to anyone who has experience with the Ignatian discipline of discernment of spirits. The path of sin for a believer is far different from that of someone blind to virtue. Perhaps … Continue reading
Catholic Sensibility 
Another Investigation
I notice a bishop has had his customary age-75 resignation accepted, and another bishop has been sent in to investigate and transition until a successor is appointed. I do not know Bishop Michael Bransfield. I did notice this brief bit … Continue reading →