I Am My Husband’s Second

The whole concept of submission in marriage has taken on some very non-catholic baggage these days. I think we need to reframe the Catholic teaching on submission in marriage so as to avoid all the negative stuff and get at the heart of a proper Catholic understanding of “wives submit to your husbands…”(Ephesians 5: 21 etc)  Replace the language using “submit” with this: “I am my husband’s second, I have his back in the spiritual war we call life.” I chose this because in Catholic teaching men and women are of equal dignity. We are partners, we are part of … Continue reading

Useful Books I Keep At Hand

I see many people online asking about the best way to begin to learn the Catholic faith. I looked over my shoulder to the stack of books I keep at hand nearly all the time, even when I must dig through piles of books, these three stay on top: The frog helps to prevent other books from being placed on top to annoy me when I reach for my Bible.  That is THE DIDACHE BIBLE put out by Ignatius Press in partnership with the Midwest Theological Forum. The translation is the RSV-CE, considered by many Catholic scholars to be one … Continue reading

Don’t Hate On the Rosary

Hating on the Rosary makes the people who do it look foolish and ignorant.  Even more ridiculous, they claim the Bible as their justification for speaking out against the Rosary.  I think my readers are better than that and if they do not already know the awesomeness of the Rosary they are at least open to knowing what it is and why they should not hate on it. For those who don’t know: The Rosary is a structured meditation on the GOSPELS. The 20 meditations taken from Scripture. The pattern of prayers, the contents of which are also Gospel based, … Continue reading

How Catholics Understand the Bible

I hear claims that because there are stories of violence in the Bible that we should reject the claims of Christianity.  This is a straw man argument; it ignores the actual manner in which Catholics understand and use the Bible.  For us, the proper way of understanding all scripture is within the context of the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.  This teaching authority comes to us from the Apostles who got it from Jesus. An excellent resource for reading scripture in context is the Ignatius Press version of the DIDACHE BIBLE. Or, if one prefers, the CATECHISM OF THE … Continue reading

Jesus Meant What He Said

We lack comprehension of Scripture.  For example, Jesus meant what He said, and He said that it would be better to die than to harm a child.  Commonly we pass over the millstone around the neck/thrown into the sea passage, but should we? Is it not important to understand the magnitude of that little statement about the fate of those who harm even one child and view with horror their and our potential fate? Ours is a callous age. We execute infants placed in the womb by the participants in the reproductive act. This is not an invader, this is … Continue reading

Book of Jotham by Arthur Powers

The Book of Jotham by Arthur Powers is a powerfully written little book which I recommend with enthusiasm. I found it deeply moving, intense, and even jolting.  I cried off and on as I read it, want to read it again, and am recommending that EVERYONE who knows me, and anyone who reads this post run right out and get a copy and read it that same day! Historical fiction is rarely this alive, present, full of energy.  Do read it! The title character, Jotham, is a special needs person. There isn’t any sickly sweet idealization here. The physical realities … Continue reading

Why Catholic?

 “Why be Catholic?  The dogma is so narrow and limiting.  Catholicism denies other ways of living even exist! It is so bigoted.” –anonymous To which I responded,  “We are freed by the dogmas to live in light and not in darkness. This freedom is available to anyone courageous enough to embrace Christ. Truth is GOOD. We know there are many other ways to live- but we refuse to accept less than the GOOD which God has given us through Jesus. Why should anyone prefer darkness to light? We choose light, and hope others will choose it too.” I find it … Continue reading

First Causes of a Catholic/Orthodox Crisis

Today, over at LifesiteNews, I read a very very good post by a priest who sadly had to close their elementary school. It is an excellent article about how most parishes have contracepted themselves nearly out of existence and then people object to schools and parishes closing. This good man has written an article for discussion that is worthy of discussion. Here is a bit from the article: In my January 2010 letter to my bishop asking his permission to close our school, I wrote: Bishop, it is with a heavy heart that I request this of you. As you … Continue reading

Proverbs 22:6 and Abortion

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” ~Proverbs 22:6 I reflect on this verse and see how my countrymen and women have voted for fiscal irresponsibility, and not only preservation of abortion but the forcing of everyone to pay for that evil and I must conclude that several past generations of parents in the United States have FAILED in their duties as parents.  Under their and their children’s watch the culture of death grew. More recently a FEW parents have recognized the failures of the majority … Continue reading