To All Fathers, Happy Fathers Day!

On June 21, 2015 By Lee (@disciple96)In Family, Fatherhood, Marriage2 Comments

God, Our Father, is the source of all fatherhood on earth (and anywhere else, for that matter). To all y’all fathers out there–and that includes all spiritual fathers, be they priests or otherwise–may your day be blessed. May God shower grace and graces upon you, now and forever. Amen.

The priest as spiritual father: Article by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.
Priesthood and Pastoral Care of the Family: Holy Thursday Letter to Priests, by Pope John Paul II.
The Husband-Wife Relationship in Ephesians 5:21-23:Pope John Paul II’s exegesis of the text given at General Audience, August 11, 1982. Part of the Theology of the Body series.

We had forgotten about spiritual warfare but we have now been reminded

On November 8, 2012November 24, 2022 By Lee (@disciple96)In Current Events, News, Public Life, Spiritual Warfare, Year of Faith10 Comments

Note: This post, originally written in 2012, is no less relevant now than it was then. If we put our hope in the fallen world and our fallen brothers and sisters in it, we are bound to be disappointed and worse. Politicians cannot save us.

“Put not your trust in princes: In the children of men, in whom there is no salvation.” –Ps 146:2-3

“The world’s thy ship and not thy home.” –attributed to St. Thérèse of Lisieux

+JMJ+ Was I surprised by what happened on Election Day? Nope. Am I depressed or in deep despair over the results? No way. I saw it coming in 2008 and I saw it coming in 2012. Do I think we have a huge and serious problem? Oh, yeah, I do. But I think our problem stems more from the fact that we live in a fallen world and the fact that we are a stiff-necked people, much like the ancient Hebrews of the Bible, than the failing of one political party or another. No, the failure was ours. We the people. More particularly, we the Catholic people.

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Who is to blame for the culture of death?

On January 25, 2011January 26, 2011 By Lee (@disciple96)In Catholic Doctrine, Discipleship, Eucharist, Prayer, Pro-life, Sacraments, Spiritual Warfare, Uncategorized1 Comment

Who is to blame for the culture of death? Not atheists or progressives or democrats or republicans or pro-choice advocates. No, according to Dr. John Cuddeback in his talk, Spiritual Warfare: The Battle for Life in a Culture of Death, we Christians have no one to blame but ourselves. For we have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten to put on the mind of Christ. We have forgotten how to pray. We have forgotten that prayer is necessary to the life of the Christian. We have forgotten that the Eucharist, the highest form of prayer, is absolutely necessary to the life of the Christian. Prayer and reception of divine grace in the sacraments is not optional, not something extraneous to the Christian way of life but is absolutely central to it. Continue reading “Who is to blame for the culture of death?” →

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood

On February 15, 2010February 15, 2010 By Lee (@disciple96)In Action Alerts, Pro-life, Spiritual WarfareLeave a comment

40 Days for Life begins on Ash Wednesday. What a perfect way to practice our Christianity in our daily lives! Prayer and fasting are part of Lent every year. Combine these spiritual disciplines with prayerful peaceful vigil outside abortion clinics, and you have a marvelous way to jumpstart your spiritual life. That’s what I experienced last fall when I participated in 40 DFL for the first time. Ash Wednesday is the day after tomorrow and in preparation I’ve been reading John Paul II’s Gospel of Life, Fr. Pavone’s Ending Abortion, Not Just Fighting It along with his Pro-life Reflections for Every Day, and my beloved Bible. Oh, is that Bible ever dog-eared, heavily marked in and highlighted, filled with prayer cards and bookmarks. It’s one of my favorite companions and its cloth zipper cover is beginning to wear out on one corner.