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When I read this definition of ‘glory’ from St. Thomas Aquinas, it stopped me in my tracks…..
It is remarkable how many words we use—often even important ones—without a clear notion of what they mean. Glory has been one of those words for me. Then one day I read a definition in Thomas Aquinas that fairly stopped me in my tracks. “The word glory properly denotes that somebody’s good is known and approved by many.” Honestly, I kept reading this over and over, smiling. Every word other than ‘is,’ ‘and,’ and ‘by’ is significant here: somebody, good, known, approved, many. All right at hand in this definition are a whole worldview, the meaning of life, and a deep moral challenge… not to mention a new sense of the ‘glory’ of autumn! Let us begin with the second and third terms. There can be glory when goodness is manifest; there is no glory if goodness remains unperceived. And it must be...
Why actor Sir Anthony Hopkins called California’s Thomas Aquinas College one of the ‘most beautiful places’ he had ever seen…
Greetings from Wichita, Kansas, where I am in town — as I frequently am — to visit family and to be tempted into buying stacks of books (and icons) at the amazing Eighth Day Books (see this 2015 New York Times feature). This time around, I am one of the speakers at the 10th annual Inklings Festival at the Eighth Day Institute. The title of my talk: “The Scariest Five Chapters in the Work of C. S. Lewis.” Anyone want to guess which five chapters I will be discussing? Yes, they are five chapters in the same book. If you happen to be cruising across the High Plains, please drop by. The Inklings pub crawl is worth the effort, all by itself. Anyway, down to business. I am still thinking about that post earlier this week: “Hollywood Christians: A large congregation?” That made me think about an ...
Can the Vatican-China deal move forward without looking back?
Can the Vatican-China deal move forward without looking back? Skip to content The Holy See announced Tuesday that it has renewed for four years its “Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops” with the Chinese government — an increase from the prior two-year renewals signed after the deal was originally struck in 2018. Alamy stock image. The renewal of the agreement comes “in light of the consensus reached for an effective application” of the deal into the future, according to the Vatican’s press statement. “The Vatican Party remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party, in view of the further development of bilateral relations for the benefit of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese people as a whole,” the statement...
‘Dilexit nos’: A brief guide for busy readers…
‘Dilexit nos’: A brief guide for busy readers Skip to content Pope Francis published the fourth encyclical of his so far 11-year pontificate Thursday. A Sacred Heart of Jesus statue in Alsace, France. © Ralph Hammann – Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). The 141-page, 28,000-word Dilexit nos (“He loved us”) follows 2013’s Lumen fidei (co-written with Benedict XVI), 2015’s Laudato si’, and 2020’s Fratelli tutti. The new encyclical’s incipit, or opening phrase, is drawn from Romans 8:37, in which St. Paul says Christians can overcome every adversity “through him who loved us.” What’s the genesis of the new encyclical, dedicated to “the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ”? And what does it say? Here’s a brief guide for busy readers. Share What’s the background? Pope Franci...
Encyclical Letter ‘Dilexit Nos’ on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ…
“He loved us”, Saint Paul says of Christ, in order to make us realize that nothing can ever “separate us” from that love. Paul could say this with certainty because Jesus himself had told his disciples, “I have loved you”. Even now, the Lord says to us, “I have called you friends”. His open heart has gone before us and waits for us, unconditionally, asking only to offer us his love and friendship. For “he loved us first”. 1 Jn 4:10). Because of Jesus, “we have come to know and believe in the love that God has for us”.Services Marketplace – Listings, Bookings & Reviews Entertainment blogs & Forums
As Synod’s End Nears, Progressives Brace for Disappointment — And Blame Organizers…
With hot-button issues sidelined and major changes seemingly off the table, progressive Catholics feel led astray by synod organizers’ grand promises. For progressive Catholics hoping for dramatic changes in the Church, the Synod on Synodality was supposed to usher in a new springtime. Instead, with the final document set to be approved this Saturday, those who have advocated for things like women deacons and the acceptance of same-sex relations are bracing for a “final cold shower.” That’s the image used by Vatican journalist Franca Giansoldati to describe the widespread disappointment among progressives that seems to be setting in within and around the synod hall. Stories of disillusionment within Paul VI Hall have trickled out to the media, including a minority of delegates who support ...
Last Picked Has Its Perks
“When I prize You above all else, delighting in You as my First Love, I’m protected from feeling fragmented. You are the One who completes me, and You’re training me to bring my thoughts back to You whenever they wander from Your Presence. Thank You for Your patient work in me, Lord.” – Jesus Listens,March 12th Have you ever been picked last? Or not picked at all? Maybe classmates didn’t choose you for their dodgeball team, or you were never asked to the prom, or you sat out the songs for couples at the roller rink. After two decades of living sober and following Jesus, I’ve learned great news: we can surrender every hurt and offense to Almighty God. Although this type of submission can be difficult, it produces supernatural results. Years ago, I was a small-market news anchor in Duluth, M...
Let’s talk about Arminianism from a Catholic perspective…
[embedded content] One of the biggest schools of thought in the Protestant world is known as Arminianism, and today we’re going to find out if an Arminian would need to change his views in order to become a Catholic. Over thirty years ago, I wrote a piece called A Tiptoe Through Tulip, in which I explored how close a Catholic could be to Calvinism without violating Catholic teaching. I concluded—based on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas—that he could be very close indeed! This piece led some to think that I, myself, am a Thomist, though I am not. I’m not a member of any particular theological school within Catholicism. I’m just an orthodox Catholic. For a long time, I meant to write a balance piece on how far away from Calvinism one could be without violating Catholic teaching, but I have...
The Hillbilly Thomists and the Key to Culture…
By Carrie Gress An article caught my eye this week at Food & Wine explaining how long-shuttered scotch distilleries are reopening. The “ghost distilleries” that dot the untamed Scottish countryside are firing up their stills again and producing the liquid gold that never quite went out of style. Despite shuttering in the 70s, labels like Port Ellen and Brora, saw their reputations increase instead of erased. Labels long believed to be unprofitable are now making a comeback. There is something similar happening in the Catholic Church. We are slowly figuring out that it is okay to get involved again in the culture. The Church isn’t merely papal prognostications, brick and mortar church buildings, or daily homilies. The faith, when lived properly, splashes...
‘Dilexit Nos’: Pope to Publish Encyclical This Thursday on Sacred Heart of Jesus…
On Thursday, Pope Francis will publish a new encyclical focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the context of a world “which seems to have lost its heart.” By Salvatore Cernuzio “Dilexit nos” (He Loved Us) will be Pope Francis’ fourth encyclical, and it comes at a time of profound global challenges. The world today is scarred by war, social and economic imbalances, rampant consumerism, and technologies that threaten to undermine human nature. With this document, Pope Francis will call for a change of perspective, urging humanity to rediscover what is most essential: the heart. The Pope’s Announcement The full title of the encyclical, “Dilexit Nos – Encyclical Letter on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ,” was confirmed ...
The Reformation is over. Come home…
By Peter Wolfgang ( bio – articles – email ) | Oct 18, 2024 To me, October 31st is Halloween. No, not the gruesome Halloween. Not the celebration of the occult that our culture has increasingly leaned into since at least the 1990s. October 31st is, rather, the more innocent Halloween of my 1970s childhood. An opportunity for treats, not tricks. A fun time for our youngest, still in grade school, to dress up in a costume that gets no closer to the occult than, say, Casper the Friendly Ghost. And most importantly to our family, it’s All Hallows Eve. The first day of a mini-Triduum that carries into All Saints Day and All Souls Day. A sacred time to think about—in a good way—what lies beyond. For some of my Protestant friends, though, to say the very date “October 31st” out loud, ...
Father (soon to be Cardinal) Radcliffe says he can’t understand why so many African bishops resist accepting homosexuality…
By Phil Lawler ( bio – articles – email ) | Oct 17, 2024 Blame the Russians. Blame the Americans. Blame the Muslims. In a lengthy essay featured by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano Father (soon to be Cardinal) Timothy Radcliffe strives mightily to understand why so many African bishops resist accepting homosexuality. He has a few theories: African bishops are under intense pressure from Evangelicals, with American money; from Russian Orthodox, with Russian money; and from Muslims, with money from the rich Gulf countries. In this characteristically quirky essay, Father Radcliffe repeatedly cites the leadership of Pope Francis, who wants the Church to accept everyone: “Todos, todos, todos.” But he does not pay attention to the Pope’s oft-expressed concern that the peopl...
