Father, we beg Your blessing for the Right to Life, the Unborn, the weak, the sick and the old; all who are finding themselves being targets of the vicious culture of death; that our Lord Jesus bless and protect all who stand up for the Christian dignity of persons. That God enlighten those who are… Continue reading Prayer for America
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
With Enemies like These…
…who needs friends? Kidding, of course. This is a Harvard Divinity School piece introducing us to the then-newly elected Benedict XVI. It’s written by a former student who is a theological liberal in the style of Karl Rahner. It’s just nice to see that while the two men obviously disagree on a lot of important… Continue reading With Enemies like These…
Morning in Catholic America?
Earlier, I talked about why I think it’s a positive that we’re getting a more technically-accurate translation of the Mass which will put us more in line with the rest of the Roman Rite. Now I want to talk about those who would sabotage the new translation, as well as those who are stepping up… Continue reading Morning in Catholic America?
Why I’m Glad They’re Changing Our Mass
I. The ProblemLet me say first of all that I love the Ordinary Form Mass in the vernacular. But let’s be clear about something else, as well: the English translation of the Latin Mass is abysmal. That is, regardless of its merits as prayers, it’s objectively bad as a translation. What it says in Latin… Continue reading Why I’m Glad They’re Changing Our Mass
Welcome Home, Joshua Betancourt!
I. A Surprise Conversion or TwoFrank Beckwith, head of the Evangelical Theological Society, reverted* to Catholicism in 2007, a wonderful gift from God. This sent shocks throughout Evangelical circles. After all, there’s a negative stereotype that Evangelicals have faith detached from reason, and they’re often portrayed as backwoodsy bumpkins, or at the least, anti-intellectual; that… Continue reading Welcome Home, Joshua Betancourt!
The Cross is Steady
The catastrophe in Haiti was so shocking that I wasn’t really sure how to react here: what I could possibly provide to the dialogue. Fortunately, Matt from my Men’s Prayer Group sent me this e-mail, which sounds the perfect note: The Carthusian order of monks have a motto: Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, which in… Continue reading The Cross is Steady
101 Questions About the Catholic Mass
This is a great resource: a free 35 page Q&A about the Catholic Mass, full of quotes from the saints. I got it from another good resource, this page about the liturgical year and the colors of vestments (as in, why is the priest wearing x color today?).
Laying Out the Case for Praying to Saints
This is the first in what will probably be a two-part series. Today, I’m going to lay out the affirmative case for why praying to the Saints is Biblically grounded; tomorrow, I’m going to address some of the common objections. If you have any questions or concerns about this, let me know, and I’ll do… Continue reading Laying Out the Case for Praying to Saints
The Witness (a Thought Experiment on Faith + Reason)
Imagine that during the 40s, a witness from Europe comes and tells you of the horrors of the Holocaust. These things, so unthinkable that they hardly seem possible, so evil that Peter Kreeft argues they’re possible only with satanic help, would sound absurd: like war-time propaganda. The Witness will do everything she can to establish… Continue reading The Witness (a Thought Experiment on Faith + Reason)
Natural and Revealed Law (and Faith + Reason)
A reader raised some great questions on Mark Shea’s blog last week about the interplay between Faith and Reason, and Revealed Law and Natural Law. He was trying to rectify two seemingly disconcordant facts: Mark Shea had argued that “all men are created equal” is a proposition rooted in Judeo-Christianity, and not something observable simply… Continue reading Natural and Revealed Law (and Faith + Reason)