Regular Contributions
New McCarthyism is the Invisible Hand against Catholic teaching
It’s unlikely that the actor Gary Sinise, Fox News anchor Bret Baier, and beer magnate Pete Coors didn’t realize that Legatus, an association of observant Catholic business leaders, adheres to Catholic moral teaching when they agreed to speak at an upcoming Legatus Summit. Legatus has been known for Catholic positions on a number of issues, even…
Out-Loud Discussions
In past generations, communication was limited. Society was largely agrarian and the modes of communication and the technology to deliver such to people outside one’s immediate circle was limited. It wasn’t non-existent, nor was it undesirable. Quite the contrary. Human beings are social animals and all have a desire to communicate and need to communicate. In modern times, it was the…
CCHD 2014-2015 …with a sobering look at a New Mexico PICO grantee, CAFÉ
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an annual collection that is touted to “help the poor” but has actually been a steady source of revenue for Alinskyian organizing and other progressive, political activity, recently released its 2014-2015 grant list. It’s a doozy. As has been the trend since scandal forced the collection to withhold…
A Skiff in Raging Waters & Grace and The Value of Suffering in Marriage
Author’s Note: My wife Annie and I were honored to be asked by Fr. Nate Meyers and the good people of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Buffalo, MN to deliver a reflection on marriage for their annual Cana Dinner. It was a wonderful evening, and I commend our remarks (especially my bride’s!) to the friends of…
Sausages, Fireplaces, and The Mystery of Christmas Traditions
Well, I am within the 12 Days of Christmas, so I don’t consider this article late (by the way, don’t forget the Epiphany House Blessing!). My bride and I both spring from good ethnic stock–she, a Chicago Polack; I, a Cleveland Slovenian. But through the strange twists and turns of Providence (and decisions that I can only…
Forget New Years: It’s still Christmas!
I’m always amazed at how effectively our society can put Christmas behind everyone before it’s even really started! Christmas began last week — it is still the octave of Christmas now, today. We live in an upside-down world, though: they thought Christmas started the day after thanksgiving, and ended last week. That was advent. Today is Christmas! It’s an…
Merry Christmas from the Bellarmine Forum!
May the birth of Jesus bring great blessings and grace to you and yours! Sing with the Angels and the shepherds today, “Gloria!” Enjoy this homily of St. John Chrysostom on the Nativity: BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a…
Christmas Novena Begins Today
Today, the feast of St. Andrew, begins the Christmas Novena. Said fifteen times each day until Christmas day, it is held in pious legend to deliver what is asked. Sometimes, it’s called “Prayer to obtain favors” for that reason. This version of the novena prayer received an Imprimatur from Michael Augustine, Archbishop of New York on…
Book review: My Battle Against Hitler
My Battle Against Hitler, a posthumously published memoir and collection of essays by “20th century Doctor of the Church” Dietrich von Hildebrand, is a timely cautionary for a world that is again on the cusp of momentous world events. It is sobering to read, for example, a Provincial of the German Dominicans remark, in the…
Pope Francis on Rabbits and Large Families
In his recent trip to the Philippines, Pope Francis spoke forcefully on marriage and the family and sparked further headlines with his comment that Catholics should not “breed like rabbits.” Lost amidst the glaring headlines that the Holy Father has instructed Catholics to stop having kids are beautiful reflections on the family and its importance…