What Manner of Hands They Ought to Be
A Father Entrusted With the Whole World He who acts as an ambassador on behalf of the whole city—but why do I say the city?...
Hope in darkness
From Hopes to Hope Many years ago, as I was standing in the rain in front of the grotto at Lourdes on a cold February...
Beholding the glory of the Lord with open face
Yesterday afternoon at Knock I had the privilege of addressing an outstanding group of Irish priests, most of them younger men, and some with only...
Father Blake gets it right!
“It isn’t the priest but Christ who comes to save the world; if he is fortunate on a few occasions in his priesthood, when he...
De profundis
Coming Out of the Depths It sometimes happens that youthful souls allured by the poisonous glamour of sin, or even souls long tormented by deeply rooted...
Cardinal Piacenza to Seminarians
Letter to Seminarians on the Occasion of the Day for the Sanctification of Priests The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 7 June...
Sitting on the basket
Catholic Schadenfreude I grieve over the prevalence of the culture of Schadenfreude that modern technology facilitates. Schadenfreude is a kind of perverse delight taken in...
What are these wounds in thine hands?
Votive Mass of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Yesterday (Friday) morning we had the Votive Mass of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus...
Saint John Mary Vianney, Priest
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor 1:25). A Man Sent by...
The Knowledge of the Glory of God
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Psalm 125: 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 Matthew 20:20-28 Treasure in Earthen Vessels “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that...
Our Lady of Knock
I am going off to Knock today, having been invited there to address a gathering of Irish priests on the subject of Eucharistic adoration. I...
Will you say a prayer for me, Father?
Men Who Specialize in Prayer What I am about to share reflects, without any doubt, the experience of most priests. It is especially true here...
On My Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Priesthood
I was ordained a priest on November 16, 1986. Looking back over the twenty-five years of priesthood that Our Lord has given me, I have...
Thoughts on Priesthood and Adoration
Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour; to Him be glory and empire unto the...
A Priest’s Prayer to Blessed John Paul II
I have prayed this little prayer daily for the past five years. Recently, my good friend Monsignor Arthur B. Calkins proposed that I include in...
On Holy Preaching
Something on holy preaching for the feast of Saint Vincent Ferrer: Preach, O messenger of the Word, not to make a name for yourself, but...
The terrible glory of the priesthood
Reading Canon Eugène Masure’s book, “Parish Priest” (Fides, 1955) I fell upon this remarkable passage: It is not only at the Last Supper and on...
The Diocesan Priest: A Religious?
Photo: Don Andrea Sartoro (born 7 September 1945, Priverno, Italy — died 5 February 2006) was a diocesan priest murdered in Santa Maria Church in...
Plus dare non potuit
The image depicts Saint Francesco Caracciolo (1563-1608) in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament. Saint Francesco Caracciolo is also the patron saint of Italian cooks;...
The Priesthood and the Holy Face
My friend, Msgr A.B.C., was kind enough to send me from Rome today, the text of a prayer for priests composed by the recently beatified...