Saints – Page 8 – Shameless Popery

Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?

Yesterday, I was asked one of the best questions about praying to Mary that I’ve come across: why do we pray to Mary in front of the Blessed Sacrament? If we really believe that the Eucharist is Jesus, why focus on His mortal Mother instead of Him, when He’s right there? Let me provide some background.… Continue reading Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: What They Are and How to Use Them

If you ask Catholics and Pentecostals about the number of gifts of the Holy Spirit, and what those gifts are, you’ll likely get two different answers. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, not to be confused with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23, CCC 1832) are understood differently by the two groups. I.… Continue reading The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: What They Are and How to Use Them

Why (and How) Catholics Pray to Saints

A non-Catholic friend of mine who’d been following the news about JPII’s beatification wanted to know how prayer to saints worked. Specifically, he asked: (1) Can you pray to any Saint you want? (2) Do you have to wait until they’re canonized? (3) Is it form prayers or extemporaneous? (4) Doesn’t this violate Christ as Sole Mediator… Continue reading Why (and How) Catholics Pray to Saints

St. Josemaria Escriva on Catholicism and Politics

One of the friends who’d I referenced in yesterday’s Catholicism and Politics post sent me along a great homily on the subject by St. Josemaria Escriva, delivered at an October 8, 1967 Mass: Light is shed upon many aspects of the world in which you live, when you start from these truths. Take your activity… Continue reading St. Josemaria Escriva on Catholicism and Politics

Keith Mathison and John Calvin on Ecumenical Creeds and Councils

I’ve talked at some length about Calvinist author Keith Mathison’s book The Shape of Sola Scriptura, but enough thoughtful and intelligent Protestants rely on this book that it’s worth responding to again, and from a different direction than before. I. Mathison’s Two-Front War In a nutshell, Mathison argues that there are four views of Tradition. There’s Tradition 0, the… Continue reading Keith Mathison and John Calvin on Ecumenical Creeds and Councils

Aquinas of All Trades

Today, the Church celebrates one of Her greatest theologians, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Christopher has some good quotes of his up. The thing that I always find remarkable about St. Thomas Aquinas is that he was one of the most amazing Christians in virtually every field imaginable. There are some Saints who have particularly beautiful writings on… Continue reading Aquinas of All Trades

Pope John Paul II to be Beatified May 1

This is fantastic news. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has announced that Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1st. If you’re not familiar with the process, let me explain briefly. The point of canonization is two-fold. First, just as St. Paul does in Hebrews 11, the Church lifts up those… Continue reading Pope John Paul II to be Beatified May 1

Choose a Saint for 2011

Jennifer Fulwiler came up with a great way to ring in the new year: she set up a website that will randomly choose a saint for you. She explains: I got the idea from the “saint for the year” devotion, where people have a patron saint for the new year chosen for them at random… Continue reading Choose a Saint for 2011

Our Lady of Guadalupe

One of the ways to prove the Catholic claim is through miracles. Catholicism, unique amongst all the faiths on Earth, has colorable claims of miraculous events with evidence. One of these miraculous events is Our Lady’s appearance to St. Juan Diego from December 9th to the 12th of 1531. You can find the full story… Continue reading Our Lady of Guadalupe