The Life of Virtue

The news headline was catchy: "Atheism vs. Religion debate at Colorado campus."   The report itself simply announced a debate, between a prominent Christian thinker and a well-known atheist, to be held in late January.  The most fascinating portion of the page, however, was the "Comments" section. Four comments had been published about the report: two by certain theists (presumably Catholics) and two by self-proclaimed atheists.  With abundant passion, each commentator made assessments from his viewpoint.  Some were quite valid; others bordered on historically inaccurate and fallacious.  One comment, in particular, initiated the thought that initiated this post. "It is very easy," wrote one atheist, "to invent claims with no evidence so unless you have good evidence your beliefs are a tragic and dangerous waste of time."  What, then, might be considered "good evidence"?  One can only assume that the d...

This coming Sunday marks the Fourth Sunday in Advent, the final Sunday Liturgy before the celebration of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord (otherwise known as Christmas).  During the celebration, worshipers will hear the Gospel narrative of Gabriel's Annunciation unto Mary (also known as the Incarnation).  There is no doubt that such an incredible event deserves to be at the apex of our anticipation, and the Gospel passage chosen for such a celebration is appropriate. [Fra Angelico, "The Annunciation"]  Despite the importance of Mary's "yes" to God's messenger, there is another deep lesson to be gained from this particular liturgical celebration.  In fact, the other lesson to be learned this week is much more foundational: God's preparatory work in the Old Covenant.  Without such knowledge, we could not fully understand Mary's "yes;" nor could we be ready to make our own affirmative replies to the Hol...

Remember one of the key components of the definition of culture: that knowledge and practices are passed from prior generations to subsequent ones.  The opposite of that trend, to cease to pass on knowledge and practices to subsequent generations, would certainly mean the death of culture.  This column (in general and specifically this edition) is aimed at preventing that death. A single phrase found in today's Morning Office brought about a keen awareness that a vital aspect of Catholic culture (indeed, culture in general) is dying in the modern era.  "Let everything within you watch and wait," the prayer said.  At that moment, Divine Wisdom was granted.  It became abundantly clear that the sense of delayed gratification, even temporary suffering, has been eroded from the minds of many Catholics. Wait?  Why wait?  Shouldn't we all seek to be fulfilled immediately?  I don't want to suffer! Such are sentiments expressed far...

[As promised, this is the third and final of the new, recurring columns that will appear weekly on this site.  From this point forward, there will be no more "Debut Editions."] A quote from a classic movie took on new meaning today: "and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait."  That line from Casablanca perfectly captured the anticipation of people who desired freedom from the dictatorship of Nazism in Europe during the Second World War.  The connection to Catholicism was, oh, so clear! Ample opportunity for waiting lies ahead in the liturgical year.  For more than a week, the anticipatory season of Advent will go uninterrupted by solemnities or saints' feast days.  In those days of Advent, it will be most appropriate for the faithful to anxiously await the freedom that will be wrought by the Incarnation of God, the birth of Our Savior. What, then, shall we do during those days of waiting?  A few answers to that question were immedi...

[As promised yesterday, this is the debut edition of the second of three new columns that will be published on this site.  Whereas "The Catholic Culture Corner" will deal with general themes of Catholic life, this column will focus solely on the Liturgy of the Church, and the lessons that we gain from worshiping in and with Her.  Enjoy!] Today marks the celebration of the feast day of the Patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Yet, that celebration will not be the focus of this particular column.  Readers can find more information on the culture and celebrations surrounding the amazing apparitions here and here .  The focus of this column (and most future columns) will be on this coming Sunday's Mass, which is the pinnacle of all liturgy in the Catholic Church, its Source and Summit ( Sacrosanctum Concilium 10). In two days' time, the Church will celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete  (Latin for "...

[Many of you who read my blog, if there are still any readers out there, may have noticed a severe slow-down in my textual output.  In layman's terms, that means that I've done a lot less writing than I have in the past.  The reason has not been for the lack of desire, or even for the lack of things to say.  People who speak to me on a regular basis know that I have A LOT to say.  I simply haven't written in masse lately because of a lack of focused direction.  I hope that I have remedied that problem with three new recurring columns that I will begin to write.  This is the debut edition of one of those columns.  Another will debut tomorrow, and the final debut will take place on Monday of next week.  I do hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.] The word "culture" has several connotations, as well as several definitions.  In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the fifth definition of that word is the one th...

Yippee!!! I am always please to take time out of my busy schedule to visit my Lord, Truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament. I am curious if I will receive any grand realizations.  Probably not. More than likely, He'll call me to sit quietly and meditate on the things that He's already revealed.  Alas, that is more than enough to keep me busy for a lifetime! God bless! 

An article by Charles Colson reveals that religious persecution is masquerading as religious freedom and toleration in some areas of the world, particularly the Middle East.  The evidence certainly supports such a claim, yet there is no outcry from secular America or its media.  Indeed, people who don't pay attention to the real evidence have had the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes again. Pray that basic human rights, religious freedom counted among them, will prevail over deception and persecution.  God bless!