Msgr. Charles Pope: The Cross Wins, It Always Wins. A Meditation on the Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Lent

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Gospel today is, to the world and to those who are perishing, utter madness, utter foolishness. For Christ, in effect, declares that dying (to this world) is the only way to true life. While the world’s so-called wisdom declares to us that the way to life is power, prestige, possessions and popularity, Jesus says, die to all that and you’ll find true life… The word “paradox” refers to something that is contrary to the usual way of thinking. And the true gospel, (not the watered down, compromised one) is a real insult to the world. …

Fr Jeffrey Kirby: Through the Holy Family, Jesus Revolutionised Prayer Within the Human Family

By Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, Catholic Herald – The call to prayer requires teaching and encouragement. While we were made by God and for God, and have a natural desire for union with God, we need help in understanding and realising how to pursue and live this union with our heavenly Father… As we have to learn how to pray, the same is true of the Lord Jesus in his human nature. As he veiled his divine nature while among us, his human nature had to learn as we learn. He was taught how to pray in the intimacy of the Holy Family.

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Go, and Do Not Sin Again

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 8:1-11 – but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ….

NEWS

Guilty!—But Not Really Guilty? by Victor Davis Hanson

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Our criminal justice system no longer treats the accused equally under the law. If the defendant is deemed a conservative, like a Michael Flynn, Peter Navarro, or Donald Trump, then the full force of prosecution falls upon them… But if a Biden, Brennan, Clapper, Clinton, Holder, or Willis, then the state contorts itself to find excuses, exemptions, and mitigating circumstances not to pursue justice… In these high-profile cases in this polarized era, a cynical public now expects any accused prominent leftist to remain unindicted ….

How a Handful of Billionaires Created the Transgender ‘Movement’: An Interview with Jennifer Bilek, by Jonathon Van Maren

By Jonathon Van Maren, The European Conservative – I first came across investigative journalist Jennifer Bilek’s work in 2020, when her essay “The Billionaires Behind the LGBT Movement” was published in First Things. It was a stunning piece … Bilek also runs the Substack Jennifer’s Newsletter and the blog The 11th Hour, where she explains her focus: I write at the intersection of humanity, technology, and runaway capitalism. At this intersection stands transgenderism, what I believe is a glamorous ad campaign generated by elites, invested in tech and pharma, to normalize the changing of human biology. …

LifeSite News: Archbishop Removes Faculties, Seeks to Seize Property of Priest for Publishing Alleged ‘Heavenly Messages’

By LifeSite News, by Staff – A U.S. archbishop has removed the priestly faculties of a priest who went ahead and published what he believes to be “heavenly messages” after being warned not to, asserting that he was urged by God to supercede his bishop’s authority because of the grave current condition of the Catholic Church… Rev. Gustavo García-Siller; MSpS, Archbishop of San Antonio, took action against Fr. John Mary Foster of the “Mission of Divine Mercy” (MDM), after the priest made public what he felt were divine revelations to his religious community. …

Harrison Butker Addresses Family Life, Gun Violence, Taylor Swift and More in Far-Reaching Interview, by Jonah McKeown

By Jonah McKeown, CNA – Super Bowl-winning kicker Harrison Butker shared a simple — but countercultural — message when he delivered a graduation speech at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, last year… “Get married and start a family,” the Kansas City Chiefs NFL star told the new graduates… Outspoken about his Catholic faith for several years, Butker garnered headlines during the 2023 Super Bowl when fans noticed he was wearing a scapular — a brown woolen sacramental from the Carmelite tradition, worn around the neck as a sign of consecration to Mary.

Abp. Leonard Blair: Will You Live in Christ’s Light or Die in the Darkness?

By Archbishop Leonard Blair, EWTN News –
What we are witnessing today is nothing less than a great battle for people’s souls… As a bishop, I have conferred the sacrament of Confirmation many times. As part of their preparation the candidates for this sacrament are expected to attend classes, go on retreats and do service projects… This is all well and good, but I feel the need to tell them at the Confirmation liturgy that ultimately, Confirmation is not about what they have done or are doing — it’s about what God has done and is doing. …

Msgr. Charles Pope: Man Is Not an Intruder in Creation

By Msgr. Charles Pope, Posted on Catholic Education Resource Center, 2019 – It is important to resist accepting the premises of an increasingly radicalized movement. Man is not the enemy. Too many activists propose morally unacceptable solutions such as abortion, sterilization, and euthanasia in the name of “population control.” Other proposals include heavy-handed government intrusion to limit family size, eliminate entire industries, and ban certain fuel sources violate subsidiarity and are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the poor. Creating hysteria about climate change and warning of impending extinction is an old tactic of this movement.

‘For Zeal for Thy House Has Consumed Me’, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Recounting how Jesus drove the money-changers out of the Temple, the Gospel of St. John [2:17] refers back to Psalm 69: “For zeal for thy house has consumed me.” When that Gospel was read at Sunday Mass two weeks ago, my mind flashed back to the disgraceful behavior of the activists who staged an outrageous mockery of a funeral service at St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York just a two weeks earlier.

Judge Lets Fani Willis Continue Trump Case Despite ‘Cloud Of Impropriety And Potential Untruthfulness’, by Brianna Lyman

By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee found District Attorney Fani Willis potentially lied, cast “racial aspersions” on a defendant, and had a “tremendous lapse in judgement,” but could nonetheless continue her crusade targeting a former president — so long as special prosecutor Nathan Wade withdraws from the case… McAfee issued a decision Friday saying the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case.”

Following the Unfaithful, by Eric Sammons

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – A well-known tactic in political circles is to release a “survey” that supports a predetermined conclusion. For example, a Republican PAC might send out a survey to its base asking “Do you think Joe Biden is right about the 2nd amendment?” Or the Democrats might ask if Trump is the next Hitler. Then the results will be touted as proof of massive support for the forgone conclusion.

Cardinal McElroy, Homosexuality, and the Repudiation of Doctrine, by Larry Chapp

By Larry Chapp, Catholic World Report – What does Cardinal McElroy mean by “life itself is evolving in critical ways”, as he does not define what he means by “life” here? We can surmise, perhaps, that he means the cultural context in which our lives are now embedded—and that this context has changed in radical ways. If that is all he means, then I am in full agreement. However, also left undefined is whether this “evolution” is, on the whole, a positive or a negative thing when analyzed from within a Catholic theological vision of life. …

Where Is the Laughter? by Carrie Gress

By Carrie Gress, The Catholic Thing – In current culture, Catholic doctrine is frequently mocked as a silly set of rules and regulations, but it turns out to be something much richer, deeper, and healthier than most imagine. It is this overlooked doctrine that has the potential to create the space for our laughter. And when it is abandoned, laughter ends. But if we maintain or recover our own integrity through the sacramental life, trust, vulnerability, and real care have room to grow. Tables can once again become animated by giggles, guffaws, and even snorts as families delight in each other.

Saint of the Day for March 18: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Franciscan Media – The crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Catholic Charity Group Cannot Claim Religious Tax Exemption, by Daniel Payne

By Daniel Payne, CNA Staff – The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that (Catholic Charities Bureau’s) activities were not “primarily” religious under state law, stripping the group of a key tax break and ordering it to pay into the state unemployment system… In its divided 4-3 ruling on Thursday, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin agreed with the state, upholding a lower court ruling and ordering that CCB and its subgroups “offer services that would be the same regardless of the motivation of the provider,” which the court called “a strong indication” that the group does not “operate primarily for religious purposes.”

Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Reaction to Jesus’ Words

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 7:40-53 – When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. …..

The Powerful New ‘Cabrini’ Reminds Us God Isn’t Done With America, by Jason Scott Jones

By Jason Scott Jones, The Stream – I know too many fellow believers and patriots who have swallowed what some call the “black pill.” That is, they’ve let frustration, fear, and indignation consume them, to the point that to protect themselves from further disappointment, they now embrace despair. They dwell on each piece of genuine negative news, and each rumor or ominous warning, with almost a perverse glee. Like Job’s “friends” in the Bible, they advise us to “curse God and die.” ….

The Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Go, and Do Not Sin Again

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 8:1-11 – but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ….

Founder’s Quote

Patriot Post – “It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)

Saint of the Day for March 18: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Franciscan Media – The crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822.

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