This past Saturday, I went to the Arlington Diocese’s second annual Men’s Conference. It was great, and one of my favorite priests, Fr. Arne Panula, spoke on the subject of “Building Your Prayer Life.” He gave an incredible example on the power of prayer from Scripture. On the night of Holy Thursday, Jesus is physically… Continue reading The Power of Prayer and the Agony in the Garden
Tag: Lent
John MacArthur on Lent, Easter, and Christmas
John MacArthur has given a lot of pretty great Christian sermons, and he really does edify the Body of Christ at times. But when it comes to Catholicism, he’s embarrassingly ignorant, and gets a lot of even basic things wrong. I wish this was a minor thing, but it’s got pretty far-reaching implications. For example, he’s… Continue reading John MacArthur on Lent, Easter, and Christmas
“Even Now, Says the LORD, Return to Me with Your Whole Heart”
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting (one normal size meals and up to two tiny ones, for strength) and abstaining from meat, and the first day of Lent. Last year, I looked at the Scriptural basis for fast days, and gave some tips for a successful Lent. This year, I thought I’d turn towards… Continue reading “Even Now, Says the LORD, Return to Me with Your Whole Heart”
Is This Land-Dwelling Mammal a Fish?
The Church tries not to be overly strict with Lenten fasting rules. It’s about the spirit of the thing, not the rule, and so She keeps it pretty light on rules. Sometimes, this leads to hilarious results. On Fridays, we’re not allowed to eat “flesh meat,” but we are allowed to eat “fish.” This immediately… Continue reading Is This Land-Dwelling Mammal a Fish?
Two More Ash Wednesday Reflections
A few more thoughts struck me after I went to Ash Wednesday Mass last night. Since St. Mary’s is remodeling, weekday masses are held in the Lyceum, normally. But the Lyceum is way too small to handle the expected Ash Wednesday crowd, so it was in the gym instead. The crowd was enormous — it… Continue reading Two More Ash Wednesday Reflections