John M. DeJak
A Modest Proposal to Pope Francis—Restore the Ember Days!
Recently, our Holy Father Pope Francis called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in war-torn Syria. In a sight that we haven’t seen in recent memory, Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist was exposed in St. Peter’s Square for this prayer vigil on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady’s birth….
Ember Days
Those of you who follow the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Liturgy, you will know that today is Wednesday in Ember Week. The Ember Feasts are days that follow closely the changing of the seasons and are set aside for partial fasting and penance. This liturgical custom has seen a renewed interest and practice in…
Happy Feast Day!
Collect from Today’s Mass: O God, who adorned the Bishop Saint Robert Bellarmine with wonderful learning and virtue to vindicate the faith of your Church, grant, through his intercession, that in the integrity of that same faith your people may always find joy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with…
Just War is An Act of Charity
I recently had a brief exchange with a friend over the Obama Administration’s posture towards Syria and the recent words of Pope Francis at his Sunday Angelus where he echoed the words of his predecessor Pope Paul VI, “War never again!” My friend who is an astute and brilliant attorney, was dissatisfied with the pope’s…
L’Affaire Bottum
Among the vicissitudes of life, Belloc asserted that the loss of affection among friends is the worst thing in the world. I thought of this when reading Joseph Bottum’s recent coming out as a supporter of same-sex marriage. It struck me that this coming out should not go without comment in that Dr. Bottum was…
Why People Don’t Get Pope Francis: He’s Too Traditional
I will admit to an immediate apprehension when the media takes an especial liking to a particular Catholic bishop or even the pope. I am even more apprehensive when I see a prelate “ham it up” for the cameras, never miss an opportunity to speak to some media outlet, or look like he is taking…
No Holiness In Dissension From the Pope
Recent days have seen much media attention focused upon the words and person of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Not a little bit of this commentary has been disconcerting, not only from those who would twist his words to fit a secular agenda, but also from those who are supposedly faithful but seem to want…
Bomb-Throwing Jesuits
The tomb of St. Ignatius Loyola is situated at a brilliant side altar in the Society of Jesus’s Mother church in Rome, the Church of the Gesu. One of the most striking features of the tomb of St. Ignatius is the sculpture to the right of the altar entitled “Religion Overthrowing Heresy and Hatred” by…
Contraception and the Sovereignty of God (or, Why Acceptance of Humanae Vitae Should Be a Litmus Test for Church Personnel)
Recently, a priest friend of mine was recounting to me his experience of an appreciation dinner for “liturgical ministers” in the parish where he is an associate. I must confess, the first image that came to my mind when he said this was the bar scene at Mos Eisley Space Port from the original Star…
Catholic Schools–What’s the Point?
There is an old anecdote that, in one form or another, could be uttered by Catholic school students of a certain generation. It is the old story of Sr. Mary telling her second graders that: “If God stopped thinking about you even for a second, you would cease to exist.” I know that I’ve heard…
