The Life of Virtue

An intriguing article by Doreen Truesdell puts forth an interesting thesis.  She maintains that many members of the current generation of Catholic senior citizens can no longer be counted among faithful followers of orthodox Catholicism.  And, she asserts that the trend will continue, even worsen, in years to come as the Baby Boomers age and retire.  Please read and contemplate the message; and then pray for our national culture! [By the way, I haven't forgotten about the essay that I promised to write about the prevalence of Truth over ideology.  I've simply been really busy with family and work obligations.] God bless!

A wonderful article by Cardinal Egan of the Archdiocese of New York, published by Catholic New York Online ( www.cny.org ), will serve as the foundation of an essay that I will prepare in the coming days.  Please read, ponder, and absorb His Eminence's powerful words and begin to pray for a conversion of heart among our nation's citizens, lobbyists, and politicians. God bless

In recent years, our national conference of Catholic bishops has garnered a lackluster record for immediately acknowledging and engaging pressing political and economic issues.  The typical scenario goes something like this: a potentially ugly issue rears its head; the American media grabs hold and puts a very positive yet modernist twist on said issue; a few of the most outspoken bishops call for other bishops and lay Catholics to carefully consider the situation and make good choices based on a properly-formed moral conscience; and the USCCB makes a statement that is ambiguous and ineffective because they have not the desire to seem "unpastoral." Yet, in the wake of the most recent presidential election and the potential scandal (in the Catholic sense, not the political) that accompanies it, our beloved pastors are making efforts to properly form Catholics' consciences much earlier in the process.  Indeed, they are making clear where they will di...

Amazing are God's ways!  His infinite wisdom, mercy, and charity are beyond anything of which the human mind can conceive.  In fact, His methods of building His City here on earth are often counter-intuitive, at least by human standards.  Recently, such an experience of God's omniscience has been granted to yours truly.  Although it seemed wildly unproductive while it occurred, the proper perspective was later provided by Him, Who is Eternal Wisdom. As of late, this author has been racked by feelings of spiritual and emotional fatigue, anxiety, and confusion in both personal and professional life.  A general understanding of Catholic teaching on the spiritual life has provided a bit of comfort: that all such feelings and emotions are, in one way or another, meant to bring a person closer to God.  The unanswered question, however, was how such feelings and emotions were to provide an avenue to Beatitude.  The result of that unanswered question,...

[Note: this is not an endorsement of one candidate over another.] On this election day, American Catholics ought to be praying as fervently as ever!  Prayers ought to be offered that God's will be done for our nation; that the next president (indeed, that all the newly elected or re-elected politicians) will consider the common good rather than a few special interests (especially their own). There are deep divisions among our population, and there are even deeper moral perversions.  Many Americans see no problem with frequent use of the death penalty, while many others sit by idly while innocent human lives are taken in the name of the "right to privacy."  Many Americans look to an inefficient and ineffective government to solve problems without taking personal responsibility for poor choices.  In short, the future of our nation and culture rest on a tenuous foundation if unity and moral conversion cannot be found. So, Catholics throughout our fruit...

My16-month-old son has taken an interest in my Shorter Christian Prayer breviary.  Each day, he marches around the couch to the lamp stand on which all of my prayer resources rest.  He seems not to be interested in any of the prayer cards, but only in the prayer book. After retrieving the proper materials, he traipses back around the couch, climbs upon that piece of furniture, and begins to sift through the Psalter.  When I am near enough, I try to give him a little bit of direction, and sometimes I begin to recite Psalms with him.  He even gets upset when my wife or I try to take the book away from him. I pray that his desire to cling to the prayer book will last through his life.  A future priest or monk?  I think this is a great way to begin the cultivation of his vocation. God bless!