Why do we call the Mass, “the Mass”?

Hello all, My article here was published in the May 2022 issue of the Vermont Catholic Magazine. I am re-posting it here and now, because I have a “part II” in the next Vermont Catholic Magazine, fall edition. Please read on. It is not very long. https://www.vermontcatholic.org/uncategorized/why-do-we-call-the-mass-the-mass/ I will share the upcoming article (same topic) …

Statement of Faith: “male and female He created them.”

We confess with full religious conviction that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born as a man, that is, he was male, with the bodily constitution for the capacity to become a biological father. It is attested by Scripture and Tradition that Jesus lived a life of sexual celibacy, which did not repudiate the …

Propter Nos

The Church’s tradition sees the word “man” as an appropriate word to indicate the fullness of human nature, i.e. the nature in every man and woman. The Church does oppose all theorizing – mainly coming from the ancient pagan writings much more than from Christian tradition – which claims that a woman is an imperfect …

The Vermont State Knights of Columbus Support the National Eucharistic Revival

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Communion of the Body of Christ: Do you ever spend an hour in the Church in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? This tradition of a “Holy Hour” is very common when a parish offers Eucharistic Adoration (or “Exposition” of the Eucharist in a Monstrance for displaying …

Vatican II and the Proclamation of Scripture

Glory be to Jesus Christ. I wish to speak of a cross carried by the parish priest. We might say there is a tension between the spoken word and the gestures of the liturgy. No doubt this claim will sound very strange. I assure you it is a reality. This is a tension, and it …

Peter and Paul: a Litany for Private Devotion

Sunday, July 4th 2021, my weekend homily was inspired heavily by reflection on the Acts of the Apostles. In Short, the grace that Saint Paul kept speaking of, from his encounter with Christ, should be the grace we experience when we encounter, taste, and receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Separately from this consideration, I …

The Icon of the Holy Family

March 19th 2021: happy solemnity of Saint Joseph. Since December 8th 2020 we have been celebrating a year of Saint Joseph. That date marked the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of patronage for the whole church ascribed to the spouse of the blessed Virgin Mary. Today begins a year marked by Pope Francis for the …

Catholic-by-initiation, vs. Catholic-in-morals

Who can call themselves a Catholic? A Catholic becomes a Catholic by Sacramental initiation. Were you baptized Catholic? Were you confirmed Catholic? Have you received the Holy Eucharist as your first communion in a licitly offered Catholic rite of the Holy Eucharist? If yes, you are a Catholic. The Church insists that your Catholic initiation …