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Monthly Archives: November 2025
Dilexi Te 41: Saint John Chrysostom
Ages before the idiom about “pulling his punches” came into use, Saint John Chrysostom, nicknamed “golden mouth” embodied the expression. His wisdom was golden, even if he preached against the excesses of wealth to the exclusion of the poor. 41. Among … Continue reading
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Advent Poinsettias
Last year I found these on sale at my local grocery superstore. I meant to post the picture, but somehow it got lost in all the shuffle. What do you make of violet and pink rose versions of the classic … Continue reading
Dilexi Te 40: Saint Justin
Let’s move deeper into the second Christian century with this paragraph. By now, we can all see that Pope Leo is going to take us on a tour of Christian history. We move from the East into the West with … Continue reading
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Derive
First note: I don’t want to call out Stephen Pishner, a fine composer. I inherited his Advent Alleluia when I arrived in my parish five years ago. Confession: over the years I’ve grown weary of familiar tunes being set to … Continue reading
Posted in Advent, Liturgical Music
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Leo to Lebanon
Noticed a few weeks ago on Crux from a piece on the coming consistory by Christopher R. Altieri: When King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan were visiting with Pope Leo XIV last month in the Vatican, the queen … Continue reading
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On Thanksgiving
It is an infrequent thing to hear a preacher preach on something in the liturgy other than Scripture or even music. Today the pastor cited Common Preface IV in Ordinary Time as a text that has struck him and invites … Continue reading
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Dilexi Te 39: The Fathers of the Church and the Poor
Let’s turn to the post-apostolic Church, the late first, early second century. The Twelve have died. Two significant bishops of the East have faded from mainstream memory in today’s Christendom, but the more famous saints we know today stood on … Continue reading
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In Unitate Fidei 2: Announcing the Faith
Pope Leo references that excellent introduction in Mark’s Gospel. The evangelist is getting right to business. I don’t think that approach is necessarily better than the others, but it does show what Mark and his community valued a bit more … Continue reading
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Dilexi Te 38: Saint Lawrence and the Treasures of the Church
An Easter Vigil saint is next to come into Pope Leo’s focus for us. Lawrence is just a name for most people, but the second deacon mentioned in the Litany of Saints is honored in many places, not the least … Continue reading
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In Unitate Fidei 1: Seventeen Centuries
It seems fitting that we observe the seventeenth centenary of the Council of Nicaea on today’s feast. Pope Leo chose it for his second document, an apostolic letter. The English version is online here. It took a pagan emperor and … Continue reading
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Dilexi Te 37: The True Riches of the Church
The true riches of the Church 37. Saint Paul recounts that among the faithful of the nascent Christian community not many were “wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (1 Corinthians 1:26). … Continue reading
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On Christ the King
Fatima Bosch, the winner of the Miss Universe pageant had an interesting post on social media: Today I reaffirmed that what God has destined for you, neither envy stops it, nor destiny aborts it, nor luck changes it. Long live … Continue reading
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Dilexi Te 35-36: A Church for the Poor
The longest chapter in the document will take us on a tour through nearly twenty centuries of Church history. One of Pope Francis’ more memorable quote leads us off. CHAPTER THREE A CHURCH FOR THE POOR 35. Three days after … Continue reading
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Old Testament Canticles: Isaiah 45:15-25
Let’s continue with the songs of the Old Testament that landed in the Liturgy of the Hours. We sing the second half of the 45th “chapter” of Isaiah on a penitential day, Friday of the First Week. This canticle, one … Continue reading
Posted in Liturgical Music, Liturgy of the Hours, Scripture
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Catholic Sensibility 
Pope v Pope Stuff
On the right, seen on a friend’s social media–not hers, and not attributed. The topic of “false humility” was discussed, and how a pope might not really be humble forsaking gold and silk for more modest materials, and how one … Continue reading →