‘Medieval’ Liturgy and ‘Scholastic’ Theology
The prejudice against the ancient (or, in many respects, medieval) Roman Rite is quite similar to the long-fashionable prejudice against scholastic philosophy.
Prayer and Action
If we want our apostolate or our daily round of duties to be fruitful, we need to begin and end with the continually burning fire of adoring union with God.
General and Particular Examen
Many saintly authors recommend a “particular and general examination of conscience,” but seldom explain what is meant by this, apparently because it used to be extremely well known.
Recovering the Greatness of the Roman Rite
Why did we suppress the most precious, most beautiful gift the Lord had given to us? What were we thinking? A child’s perspective brings out the importance of the solemn sung liturgy.
Spiritual Reading
Do you have a plan about which spiritual book you will be reading this Advent?
Is the Mass “Just” the Mass?
It is too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that nothing else matters in the liturgy besides “Jesus is present.” This is a superficial and relativistic way of thinking that has to be challenged and corrected, if the Real Presence is to be of any benefit to us—indeed, if our faith in the Real Presence is even going to survive.
A Sober Assessment of Liturgical Reform
The official statements always sing the praises of reform, but the people in the pews know better. They are the ones who have suffered the most.
The Fear of the Lord
Do we rightly fear the Lord?
Incarnation and Divinization
Why did the Son of God become man? “God became man, that men might become gods” (St. Athanasius).
On Aweful Ambos and Lilliputian Lecterns
Why can’t churches have grand furnishings and fixtures—like the lofty pulpits you see in older churches? And why aren’t those pulpits, where they exist, still being used today?
The Two Churches: Which One Do You Belong To?
There really are two churches: one is the true Church, the other is an anti-Church that represents and does the spadework for the anti-Christ, the anti-Word. It is spiritually beneficial to consider a portrait of each.
“Let My Prayer Rise Like Incense”
It is often said that the earthly liturgy is a participation in the heavenly liturgy. Alas, in many cases this doesn’t fit in with our actual experiences, but there are exceptions. This past summer, heaven visited me in that way.
Catholicism, the Persecuted Religion
Modern people can tolerate almost anything except a person’s being, or becoming, a Catholic.
The Grand Debate Over Music and Morals
The controversy caused by my posts on rock music have prompted me to look back over the past four posts and try to see the thread that runs through all of them. It is the truth that Christians are called to pursue excellence in every way—that includes music.
The Sexual Rhythm of Rock Music (2 of 2)
After causing general apoplexy with last week’s post, I will endeavor today to add some nuances and respond to objections.
The Sexual Rhythm of Rock Music (1 of 2)
The fundamental problem with rock music can be summed up quite simply: its rhythm is unnatural and morally tainted, and its inventors wanted it that way. We would do well to stay far from it.
Nourishing Our Souls on Beautiful Music: A Moral Imperative
Since we must strive to flee even venial sins, it is always better to assume that today’s popular music, produced mostly by hedonists who are generally singing about sins, is a slippery slope leading to some kind of intellectual pollution and consent.
On the Connection Between Good Art and Good Morals
Is there an intrinsic or necessary connection between being a good artist and being a good man? As with most of the great questions, the answer is no—and yes.
Musings of an Aristotelian Catholic
In the mystery of the Incarnation, God takes delight in responding to man’s sensible, bodily nature, and the resulting need for tasting and touching our God.
In This Little House of God
We must do all that we can do for the Lord, since our greatest is the least that is worthy of him. And when we do all the “little things” with love, we give Him great glory.
Pope Francis’s Counsel: Do Not Waste What God Has Given Us
Pope Francis, no less than Pope Benedict, has a way of formulating universal principles of thought and action that apply to any number of related topics, including the sacred liturgy.
Rediscovering Sacred Music with the Youth of Today
The true youth revolution in the Church will come by way of the mysticism of chant and the power of polyphony, not by way of second-rate imitations of secular music. To pull it off, however, requires real musical knowledge, talent, and a commitment to education.
Silence (Part 3 of 3)
The fundamental precondition for active participation is interior silence. Praying in silence is a particularly noble form of human activity—more active than merely speaking or singing.
Silence (Part 2 of 3)
If the conditions for recollection are never present in our lives, if we do not fight to create and guard such conditions, we will lose our awareness of divine mystery, as refreshing as springtime rains, and wander in a desert of superficiality.
Silence (Part 1 of 3)
The New Evangelization is a bold project, but it will not succeed unless we can recover a strong sense of the sacred, which the gift of silence in church will help us achieve.