Spiritual Fecundity
John 15:9-17 Go and Bear Fruit In the Roman Missal the Mass for the feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle begins, not with an antiphon...
For the Sanctity of Priestly Life
The image is Adé Béthune’s Christ the Priest. The vine and branches of John 15:1-8 surround the wood of the Cross. Christ is depicted in...
The Heart of Jesus and the Gift of the Holy Spirit
Fifth Monday of Paschaltide Acts 14:5-18 John 14:21-26 And I Will Love Him I am grateful to the Apostle Saint Jude for the marvelous dialogue...
The Old Man Who Gives You Flowers
And, for Mother’s Day, another touching excerpt from E. Boyd Barrett’s autobiographical A Shepherd Without Sheep: In spite of his rebellion, his confusion of mind,...
Has No One Condemned You?
In A Shepherd Without Sheep (Bruce Publishing, 1956), E. Boyd Barrett, who left the priesthood in stormy circumstances and, after twenty years, was reconciled, and...
I will cure their wounds
I am reading the Italian translation of Sacerdotes di Cristo, texts of Conchita Cabrera de Armida, selected and presented with a theological introduction by Juan...
Towards the Year of the Priest
In his 1986 Holy Thursday Letter to Priests, Pope John Paul II wrote: The Mass was for John Mary Vianney the great joy and comfort...
The Voice of the Shepherd Christ
Readers familiar with the work of Adé Béthune will recognize here her Good Shepherd. Clean lines, simplicity, and strength characterize Adé’s work. She has had...
The Bride They Hold
The bride they hold ought to be the breviary, and the books of Holy Scripture their children. There they should take their pleasure in sharing...
Into the Secret Harbor
Dear readers, do sail gently into one of the most beautiful places on the internet: Secret Harbor. The last two entries on the Divine Office...
In the Company of the Blessed Virgin
The 2002 editio typica of the Missale Romanum contains the following Collect for the memorial of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest. The Collect is...
Ubi mors Domini cotidie celebratur
This morning, to the accompaniment of birdsong at Vigils, a splendid text of Saint Maximus of Turin. Some of you may recognize this altar from...
A Sunday Adoration
I adore Thee who art present here before me. I adore Thee with all the love of my heart. I adore Thee humbly. I adore...
By His Wounds Holy and Glorious
Third Sunday of Paschaltide The Incendiary Gospel “Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us. When Thou speakest, make our hearts burn with love” (cf. Lk...
Who by the mouth of our father David . . .
The stained-glass window depicts King Athelstan the Glorious. Acts 4: 23-31 “And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,...
The Real Changes That Have to Be Made
Father Garrigou-Lagrange, professor of Dogmatic and Mystical Theology at the Angelicum in Rome from 1909 to 1960, wrote this in 1952: The modern spirit of...
Venite, benedicti Patris mei
Wednesday of Pascha Come, you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom, alleluia prepared for you since the foundation of the world, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia...
Spatium laetissimum
Monday of Pascha I first preached this homily in 1996. It may yet be useful to those of you who are beginning to discover the...
The Newness That Comes From Your Spirit
I preached this homily at the Day Mass of Holy Pascha in 2004 and thought I might share it with you today. Christ is risen!...
Dum pendebat Filius
Last night He sat with us at table. His Face illumined the Upper Room and there, just above the bread and behind the chalice, beat...