INSPIRATIONS

Abortion is not simply a “social issue.” It is the dividing line between Heaven and Hell on earth. — Greg Schlueter

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought,” said John Paul II.— Greg Schlueter

There are no private sins, just as there is no private language. Every evil that people condone will warp the society they live in. — Anthony Esolen

The moral teacher will always be attacked for inconsistency, selfish motives, severity, and hypocrisy. That goes with the territory. — Anthony Esolen 

The Ten Commandments are not a list. They are a body.— Anthony Esolen

There is no such thing as mercy for sin, no more than there is falsehood in the cause of truth. Mercy is for persons.— Anthony Esolen

Magnanimity, or greatness of soul, is the virtue by which a man seeks great things and becomes worthy of them. It is not the same as ambition. Ambition craves honor without deserving it. Magnanimity seeks to be worthy of honor. — Thomas P. Harmon

Magnanimity concerns what is great in us by grace. Humility concerns what is weak in us by sin. The two virtues work together and the priest must possess both. — Thomas P. Harmon

A holy priest must not flinch from greatness. And yet today, there is a subtle temptation—especially among the well-formed, the cautious, the careful—to confuse humility with self-effacement, to believe that to avoid ambition one must also avoid aspiration. But this is not the path of the saints. — Thomas P. Harmon

The priesthood is not earned. It is a gift. But because it is a gift, it confers authority: the authority to teach with the voice of Christ, to sanctify with His power, to govern with His authority. That is why we call priests Father. They are entrusted with a treasure that is not theirs to hoard. They must not bury it. Now is not the time for pusillanimity. — Thomas P. Harmon

We need to pray earnestly for the man chosen as our next pope, because the ministry of Peter matters.  But the everyday task of Christian witness remains with us.  You and me.  And that matters more.  Always. — Francis X. Maier

“Why do we resist sin? Because it’s death—and because it’s so odious to God that it put His Son on the cross.” This is a lesson for Easter time and for all year round. — Jerry Newcombe

There’s a fascinating story about a friend of St. Augustine in ancient Rome from which we can learn a lot about dealing with temptation. It reminds us to not fool ourselves that we won’t give in if we dabble with it. — Jerry Newcombe

“’Tis easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow it.”— Ben Franklin from Poor Richard’s Almanac (Jerry Newcombe)

These familiar “Westminster Chimes,” which sound every half hour, actually toll out a prayer which in effect says to God that we need His help, even this hour, so we don’t give in to temptation.  The words applied to what the bells chime out are: “Lord, though this hour, Be Thou our Guide, So by Thy power, No foot shall slide.” — Jerry Newcombe

By His death and resurrection, He breaks the power of sin in our lives. He forgives us, but He also gives us His Holy Spirit so we can live for Him. — Jerry Newcombe

Jesus wasn’t just some great hero we should pattern our lives after—although that’s true too. He is, above all, the Redeemer of those who put their faith in Him. — Jerry Newcombe

Until we die, temptation to sin is ever with us, but by His grace we can be empowered to resist it. — Jerry Newcombe

Humans truly are an image of God, we then exercise our identity as the image of God through our capacities for rationality, relationships, and dominion. — Zachary Mettler

The truth that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, the Imago Dei, might be the single most important Christian doctrine in our culture today. — Zachary Mettler

The Imago Dei is humanity’s capacity for rationality. — Zachary Mettler

Our ability to reason and ponder God is what the Imago Dei entails. — Zachary Mettler

The Imago Dei involves our capacity for relationship, in particular, in the covenantal marital relationship of husband and wife. — Zachary Mettler

Indeed, God reveals in the human person an inner plurality within Himself, a doctrine Christians call the Trinity. — Zachary Mettler

So, human beings’ capacity for relationship, particularly in marriage, is what being made in the Imago Dei means. — Zachary Mettler

Mankind exercises the dominion that God gave him over creation. So, the Imago Dei also means our capacity to exercise dominion. — Zachary Mettler

The Imago Dei can also be defined as human identity. — Zachary Mettler

Humanity “is what it is because it is identified by God as God’s image.” — Zachary Mettler

human beings are the Imago Dei because we are an image of God and we are a representation of Him on the earth. To be human is to be God’s image – it is our identity. — Zachary Mettler

“For the [post-modern] man, this phrase, image of God, is as important as anything in Scripture, because men today can no longer answer that crucial question, ‘Who am I?’ … If anything is a gift of God, this is it – knowing who you are!’” — Zachary Mettler

Indeed, every single one of our most pressing moral issues today – abortion, euthanasia, same-sex “marriage,” transgenderism, the proliferation of IVF, contraception, the collapse of the family, declining fertility, anti-natalism and environmental extremism, pornography, sex trafficking – in some way violates, devalues and deforms the image of God in mankind. — Zachary Mettler

When a child is killed by abortion, the Imago Dei is violated. — Zachary Mettler

When an individual is harmed through transgender drugs, hormones or surgeries, his or her identity as God’s Image is violated. — Zachary Mettler

When a child is denied the right to her own mother or father through same-sex marriage, adoption or surrogacy, the Imago Dei is violated. — Zachary Mettler

When two men “marry” each other, their identity as God’s Image is violated. — Zachary Mettler

The fundamental task of the family is to serve life, to actualize in history the original blessing of the Creator – that of transmitting by procreation the divine image from person to person.” — Zachary Mettler

The beauty, power, and wonder of the Imago Dei — given through the marital union, maintained by families, and restored by the grace of Jesus Christ in each person through His atoning death on the cross. — Zachary Mettler

In writing that Christ “is in the way,” [Paul] Claudel emphasizes the two choices before each one of us: to embrace Jesus as The Way or to try to remove him from our way. — Carl E. Olson

There is no cross of our living where His body will not fit.
There is no sin of ours for which He has not a wound. (Paul Claudel) — Carl E. Olson

Jesus, for many people, is in the way. But for those who gaze upon the gift of the Cross, Jesus is the Way. — Carl E. Olson

Revelation is like a holy swarm of bees, directed by Tradition and held together by the Magisterium of the Church. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Mary forever directs us to the binding words of Jesus. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

At the Annunciation, God and man are reconciled. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Mary teaches us how to pray and live. Our Blessed Mother ponders the words of the Angel Gabriel in her heart. Her obedience magnifies the Lord. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Mary helps us identify the many pieces of Church teaching, assemble them, and, with God’s grace, apply them. With Mary, we, too, magnify the Lord in virtuous living. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Contrary to the attitude of the skeptics, Mary is indispensable to our faith, worship, and culture. — Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

The Ideological Lie …  ignores the deep-seated imperfection inherent in the human soul (what the theological tradition calls “original sin”), replaces the age-old distinction between Good and Evil with the spurious and ill-founded distinction between “progress” and “reaction” and promotes an ideological Manichaeism that locates evil in suspects groups, classes, and races (and unjust social “systems”) rather than in the flaws of the human heart itself. — Daniel J. Mahoney

Too many “progressivist” Christians have succumbed to this mixture of angry moralism, ideological fanaticism, and unthinking activism. They act as if they can “change the world” without changing themselves, and all this without help from the goodness and grace of God. — Daniel J. Mahoney

The health of the soul of a Supreme Pontiff consists in taking charge of Tradition. — Archbishop Hector Agüer

Some politicians [clergy too] seem to inhabit a different reality than the rest of us.  You know the type – they speak with absolute certainty about things that later turn out to be completely false, yet somehow they never lose their air of moral superiority.  It’s almost as if their heads are filled with something other than facts… something soft and mushy that takes up space but contributes little substance. —Jon Brenner

“Raising your child to know and care about virtue and character is not a special extra-credit assignment reserved for the superior parent. It is mandatory for all parents. … There is no greater responsibility.” — Dr. Leonard Sax (by Jeff Minick)

When man exceeds his bounds; when he’s blind to his human limitations; when he tries to be God; the enlightenment that follows is, in reality, darkness … — Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas

Man has attempted enlightenment without Christ, with the result that the darkness has never been deeper, the blindness more devastating. — Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas

If you do not choose Christ and His Church, you are blinder than the Pharisees or the French anti-clericals ever were!  Choosing the light means both thinking the right thoughts and performing the right actions. — Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas

Grievance culture is venomous.  It’s also self-sustaining, like a colony of ticks in the secret places of the heart, because there’s always another oppressor to expose and indict. — Francis X Maier

Despite the relativism of our culture, it is clear to any reasonably well-read observer that the different religions present different gods with different goals and different ethics. And while they do share some universal values in common, at certain points they stand against and contradict one another, and the would-be pilgrim is forced to choose between them. — Gavin Ashenden

It is deeply unpopular to point out that Mohammed and Jesus present two different gods, with two different sets of ethics, requiring two different modes of surrender. — Gavin Ashenden

The savior and the warlord do not follow the same road. Indeed, the warlord claims that the records describing the savior and his work have been falsified. The warlord claims the saviour did not overcome death, nor does he have the right to forgive sins. — Gavin Ashenden

The warlord tells the followers of the savior that they have been misled by their documents, that they are to revoke them and to submit to him and his different God. The warlord declares that the savior was wrong in offering a relationship with God as a tender father. God is instead beyond reach and unknowable: a fierce ethical power that requires submission as the response to an encounter with his warlord prophet. — Gavin Ashenden

This presents a serious conundrum to anyone promoting a multicultural society. The essential problem is that the religions founded by Mohammed and Jesus are antithetical to one another. The history of Islam is one of conquest and control. When it constitutes a majority in society, it will tolerate the followers of Jesus only in very strict and humiliating conditions. — Gavin Ashenden

Christianity is more generous. It is more confident that when faced with a choice between the warlord and the savior, the human heart is more vulnerable to love and forgiveness than it is to the presentation of power and control. — Gavin Ashenden

The church comprises two elements then, those who know no sin and those who know sin no longer.  For penance gets rid of sin while wisdom avoids it. — St. Ambrose, bishop

Lent is a time of spiritual combat. The Prayer over the people is meant to strengthen you on the threshold between the sacred precinct of the church and the world which you are charged both to shape and to endure. — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” — Leo Tolstoy

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. — C.S. Lewis

The late Jesuit Father John Hardon defined meekness as “the virtue that moderates anger and its disorderly effects.” Meekness controls “resentment at another person’s character or behavior.” — Fr. Kevin Drew

We must follow Jesus’ third and better way: to love the person by sharing the truth; to be merciful and compassionate while also holding up what is truly good for him or her. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

This fusion of truth and charity is the hallmark of Jesus’ identity and mission, and so it must be for us. What we need now is to take up this missionary identity, live it out with Jesus’ holistic approach, and offer a hurting world the grace, forgiveness, hope, and love found in the Church. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Evil usually comes to us disguised as an angel of light, promising us happiness and fulfillment if we simply surrender to our temptations. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Once we have fallen for the treachery of sin, it rips off its deceptive mask and reveals both its moral ugliness and its radical inability to ever fulfill its false promises of joy, shaming us for our sinful choices. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Jesus Christ came to rescue us and restore our original identity as children of the Father, freed and forgiven, through the power of His death and resurrection. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Catholic Church both teaches the divine revelation given to us through the Scriptures and the Tradition and offers the merciful reconciliation won for us in Christ, so that we can be freed from the grasp of sin and death. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

The Church both convicts us of our sin, getting us in touch with our profound need of Christ and His salvation, and then offers the only solution to our lost and broken state: Forgiveness and redemption in the Lord through faith and the grace of the Sacraments. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

We certainly are living in a time when “man glorifies himself in place of God.” — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Catholics voicing opinions opposed to Church teaching are too common. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Myriads of intelligent and educated people deny the basic facts of our biology and humanity, but, as G. K. Chesterton reminds us, asserting that the sky is green does not make it so. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

The deceiving temptation to solve man’s problems by denying the Truth which the Church has always taught, and to redefine sin, in order to simply affirm people in their moral choices. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

God, the Scriptures, the beautiful teachings of our Faith, the inestimable gift of human nature, and the identity and mission of the Church do not change. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

We must stand courageously and lovingly in the radiant light of the Lord, teaching the Truth given to us as the lasting guarantor of human freedom and dignity and compassionately accompanying those who struggle and even fail to accept and live aspects of that Truth. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Jesus chose a third and better option: to judge the action (“Go your way, and from now on do not sin again”) but not condemn the person (“Neither do I condemn you” [Jn 8:11]). — Bishop Donald J. Hying

We can profoundly harm a brother or sister by not offering them the fullness of Church teaching, just as we can harm them by not loving and walking with them in their hurt, pain, and struggle. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

This fusion of truth and charity is the hallmark of Jesus’ identity and mission, and so it must be for us. — Bishop Donald J. Hying

Understanding is the reward of faith. — Augustine of Hippo

Clerics need to be properly armed, spiritually and psychologically, to persevere well in their vocations. The very spiritual welfare of society depends on it. St. Alphonsus said that “The good morals and salvation of the people depend on good pastors … hence the proverb: like pastor like parish.” — Father Marc Vernoy

men generally are not interested in attending a church led by a counterfeit spiritual father, including especially one who is effeminate, a quality that goes hand-in-hand with spiritual laxity. — Father Marc Vernoy

“Lacking a Prelate and Father to guide them with paternal love, gentleness, strength, wisdom and prudence, many priests will lose their spirit, placing their souls in great danger.” — Our Lady of Good Success

What is contemplation? You’re giving your presence to Our Lord who is always giving His presence to you. This is pure love. If we miss that, we miss everything.  — Father Marc Vernoy

I must persevere in climbing back up on that Cross, and be a victim each day externally and internally. I need to lay down my life in whatever way He asks of me.”  Fr. Patrick Summers

The Church does not have to learn from other religions but to teach what it has received from CHRIST. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

The Church is “Mater et Magistra” – “Mother and Teacher” – of the nations. She preserves the revelation given by GOD in time and carries it unadulterated to all people. Her sacraments are the supernatural elixir of life, which every human being shall partake of to be healed, because CHRIST gives Himself in the sacraments. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

The Church does not need interpreters who want to rewrite the Holy Scriptures with reference to “new” findings of the “human sciences,” findings that will be revised again tomorrow. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

The faith of the Church does not refer to personal views that we express on any given occasion but to what the Church has taught from the beginning and has preserved for all generations. The truth or the words of JESUS are irrevocable and, according to his own testimony, remain for eternity. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

In any case, the beliefs of the Church that they have passed on to us are not in need of revision. We are. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

The Church does not need interpreters who want to rewrite the Holy Scriptures with reference to “new” findings of the “human sciences,” findings that will be revised again tomorrow.— Bishop Marian Eleganti

Christianity is also a proclamation about the origin and order and destiny of all things. — James Matthew Wilson

If it’s funded by tax dollars, it’s not a Christian charity. It’s an NGO government proxy *masquerading* as a Christian charity. Christian charities can’t be scuttled with an executive order, because they’d be funded by charitable Christians. — Chris Enloe

Charity should be ordered.  There is something called an “order of charity.”  Giving that is disordered is not charity. —Michael Pakaluk

Well, I’d first argue that it’s hard to posture our hearts to be forgiving if we are unaware of just how much forgiveness has done for us. —Sarah Holliday

Equality in the Church is a truth that shouldn’t be used to tear down the hierarchy, but to remind all the baptized of their obligation to strive for sanctity. — Fr. Paul Scalia

We cannot expect dignified restraint from clergy who see their chief vocation as political advocacy. — Jeff Walton

Feeling good about ourselves is essential in our being able to love others.” — Fred [Mr.] Rogers

We must draw a distinction between persons and actions.  God alone sees into the heart.  We judge deeds and categories of deeds; the eternal disposition of the person is another matter. — Anthony Esolen

At the heart of every sin, after all, is the lie.  It sits like a seed of poison.  It does its work regardless of what anybody thinks about it, and if you tend it and water it with your sentimental tears, it can grow into quite a lush and flourishing tree. — Anthony Esolen

Every sinner who celebrates his sin in public lays a snare in the path of his fellows.  Again, this is true regardless of the sin in question. — Anthony Esolen

My affections were first for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind.” — Thomas Jefferson

For Newman, conscience is not merely a personal sense of right and wrong. In his Letter to the Duke of Norfolk, Newman emphasizes the primacy of conscience, arguing that it must be formed and informed by divine law rather than by subjective preference. Newman’s view resists the modern tendency to elevate conscience as an autonomous authority divorced from objective truth. — Dominic V. Cassella

For him, conscience is not an independent voice but one that speaks in accord with God’s truth. It is an organ of discernment that must be tuned to the eternal moral law, not to fleeting societal trends or personal whims. — Dominic V. Cassella

We are often not in complete control of our relationships when we are hurt and offended. Sometimes the best we can do is take comfort in St. Paul’s admonition, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18). Do what is within your power to enjoy “clean” relationships, but accept when you have done all you can. —HENRY T. EDMONDSON III

But the hard feelings we harbor are our responsibility, and letting them go may be the key to living a happy or “blessed” life, as Aristotle says —HENRY T. EDMONDSON III

“Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” —HENRY T. EDMONDSON III

No matter the frequency of the sacraments, nor the devotion to Scripture, nor the commitment to charitable works, human beings remain deeply flawed and in need of mercy, not only from God, but from each other. —HENRY T. EDMONDSON III

Once again, the suspicion begins to arise that the entirety of the “synodal process” is nothing but an empty word game meant to deflect attention away from the true agenda at play. And that agenda is the ongoing efforts, dating back to the immediate aftermath of Vatican II, to accommodate Catholicism to the prevailing Zeitgeist of the secular West. — Dr. Larry Chapp

What is Catholic is not what an individual pope happens to believe, but what is Catholic is only what all popes have taught in agreement. —Fr. Heimerl

Immigration cannot be a one-way process where migrants simply claim rights without any commitment to integration. — Bishop Antonio Suetta

The root of evil is not clericalism, whatever that may be, but rather rejection of truth and also moral licentiousness. The corruption of sound doctrine always entails and manifests itself in the corruption of morality.  — Cardinal Müller.

The true reform of the Church in the spirit of Christ is not the secularization of the Church and her submission of her leaders to woke ideology, but the sanctification of the Pope, the bishops, the priests and deacons, and all believers by God’s grace for the service of the Kingdom to come. — Cardinal Müller.

If we [speak] with wrath, it no longer seems to be the boldness [of one who is confident of his cause,] but passion. But if with gentleness, this is boldness indeed…. The boldness is a success; the anger is a failure. Therefore, if we are to have boldness, we must be clean from wrath so that none may attribute our words to wrath. No matter how just your words may be, when you speak with anger, you ruin all—no matter how boldly you speak, how fairly you reprove, or whatnot. (Homily 17 on Acts 7.35) — St. John Chrysostom

Boldness in preaching may come across as anger. But beneath the passion is an attempt to address the injustices rendered to God. — Br. Bertrand Hebert

If we discover truth rather than create it, then the proper attitude is one of awe and reverence in the face of an intelligible universe whose existence and intelligibility do not depend upon us.  —Prof. William E. Carroll

Clear thinking in these matters, especially when they concern powerful desires, requires intellectual patience. —Prof. William E. Carroll

To reject contradictions is a first principle for all thinking, in all areas of inquiry; it is a prerequisite for being rational. — Prof. William E. Carroll

It is the father who must be the spiritual head of the home. This is not only in the Bible, it is Christian tradition and it is a scientific fact. The family takes on the father’s faith. — Bob Sullivan

The religious practice of the father is the most important factor in the future faith of his children. — Bob Sullivan

44% of the children in the study continued practicing their religion when dad was the one who took the lead in getting the family to church on Sunday. — Bob Sullivan

When our dad is the one who sets the pace on Sunday, kids pay attention. Instead of looking at faith as a feminine interest, the children see it as something a man can practice, something masculine. — Bob Sullivan

It should be you [fathers] who are first to praise God for the blessings and call to God for His help through the struggles. Your children should see you reading the Bible and spiritual books and they should hear you recommending verses or books to your wife and others. — Bob Sullivan

Make a family commitment to avoid all unnecessary work and distractions on Sunday. Plan your weekend around the Mass you will attend.— Bob Sullivan

Observing the traditional approach to Sunday will have three obvious impacts. It will quiet your family down for one day each week. It will serve as a very virtuous example to others, and it will allow God to reign as King each Sunday in your family. — Bob Sullivan

By taking the lead on the 3rd Commandment, you will give your kids a lot of reasons to honor the 4th commandment. When they are adults, they will be more equipped to hand down the faith, thereby rebuilding a culture which has largely abandoned the Lord’s day. — Bob Sullivan

Regarding “Family Home Evening, “We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.” — Mormon President Thomas S. Monson

The Lord teaches that he who looks lustfully at someone already committed adultery (Matt. 5:28). More than just incurring sin, such a look establishes a one-flesh bond.  Concretely, one who looks lustfully at those depicted in pornographic images becomes bonded to them.  By logical extension, however, he also becomes bonded with anyone who is also bonded to those images.  Thus, to use pornography is to connect oneself at a one-flesh level to a web of myriads of persons.  Furthermore, within that web, demons travel about freely. Thus, we can understand why it is so difficult to curb porn addiction—: porn users are spiritually grafted to a web of hellish dysfunction spiritually ministered by demons. — Fr. Carlos Martins, CC

Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment

Vacation must never be an excuse to pray less, to skip out on the sacraments, to indulge in irresponsibility, to sin, or to flirt with occasions of sin. In that sense, a rule of life retains full validity during periods of vacation. — FR. JOHN BARTUNEK, LC

“Christianity is not a private way of salvation and a guide to a pious life; it is a way of world salvation and a philosophy of total life. This makes it a sort of dynamite. So when you send missioners out to preach it, it is well to get ready for some explosions.” — Bishop James Edward Walsh, MM

Today, amid the travail of our times, the eternal Word of salvation is once more truly made incarnate, and speaks to every man and woman, to the whole world. This is the message: ‘I love you, I forgive you; come back to me, the door of my heart is open for you!” — Pope Francis

“I am not just pro-life, I am pro-eternal life.”  — Sister Dierdre Byrne

“Kneeling to receive Jesus at Holy Communion does NOT bring attention to you… unless the priest/bishop starts making a fuss telling you to get up while making hand gestures to stand, … That is what will bring attention.” — Fr. Jason Piper

“Active participation” does not mean giving people something to do—something extrinsic to the real action. Active participation means being absorbed in that action. … the central action that is the whole reason for attending the event … . —Phil Lawler

Active participation in the Mass means becoming absorbed in the Eucharistic Sacrifice: in Christ’s Sacrifice. Active participation flows from the realization that we, the laity, are not the central actors. Nor is the priest, except insofar as he acts in persona Christi. Active participation means walking in spirit along the path to Calvary and from there to the empty tomb. Everything else is extraneous. —Phil Lawler

Promoting active participation in the Mass requires strengthening and reinforcing the realization that we are not the main actors: that this is the action of Jesus Christ, offering Himself to the Father. Call the Sunday liturgy the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and that is a step in the right direction. —Phil Lawler

The supposed freedom of modern secular living was breeding the most intolerable of herd mentalities, while the supposed strictures of this “organized religion” were actually the guide-rails to free, independent, and aspirational thought. — Mark Nowakowski

In seeking lost sheep, the shepherd must remain a shepherd, and cannot stop thinking about the sheep he has temporarily left behind to find the lost ones. — Mark Nowakowski

In this particular case, the method of engaging the peripheries has often involved a blurring of moral boundaries and concomitant Jesuit casuistry, which have proven to be poor methods of engagement indeed. The lack of clarity is never the beginning of charity. — Mark Nowakowski

For those who prefer to cook with honey rather than vinegar, we must remember that unclarity is the equivalent of cooking with gall. — Mark Nowakowski

Those Christians who “wish to find people where they are” have little plan of where they actually want to get them, while this “lost sheep” mentality often is merely cover for the attempt to conform the ecclesia[Church] to the koinos [Common, unclean, profane]. — Mark Nowakowski

As great as 12-step programs are, the Church has something much better to offer, and she forgets this identity at her own peril.— Mark Nowakowski

The transformation of societies from goodness to chaos can happen in a heartbeat, as we have all just witnessed. Building goodness is comparatively difficult and by nature an uphill, generational slog. Meanwhile the one “who makes all things new” works on His own timeline.— Mark Nowakowski

The religion of affirmation has replaced the religion of salvation. — Fr. Gerald Murray

The man who wants to play with the devil will not be able to rejoice with Christ. — Peter Chrysologus

Because we all know that there is disorder within us. Our emotions war against one another, each one bidding for dominion. Anger, impatience, envy, lust, greed – these all try to claim kingship. We don’t do the good we desire but end up doing the evil we hate. We try to bring order by force of will. And we might be able to do so for a while. But that doesn’t last, and we ultimately realize that we need someone outside of us to set our house in order. — Fr. Paul Scalia

So, to have Christ as King is, first, a personal reality: it means allowing His truth to determine every aspect of our lives. The great temptation is to have Him as King, but only partially. … So, we cut Him out of certain areas of our lives: our finances, perhaps, or work, sexuality, friendships, entertainment, and so on. This ultimately means we still have a disordered life. It’s just a compartmentalized disorder, so it looks nicer. . .for a time. — Fr. Paul Scalia

Now, we typically think of obedience in terms of suppression and obligation. But to obey Christ the King is a glorious thing. It admits Him into our souls to upend the dominion of the evil one, to govern our unruly passions, to establish His kingdom, and to make us truly free.  That obedience in turn brings us before others, to give testimony as He did of the truth that sets us free. — Fr. Paul Scalia

There is, of course, only one real mission statement, the “Great Commission” of Christ in St. Mark’s Gospel. When you view the alternatives offered to twenty-first-century man – the green religion, sexual revolution, nihilism, or a return to Communism, indeed any false hope in a political solution to man’s needs – “What else is there?” stands up well as expressing the truth of the Catholic faith. —Fr. Benedict Kiely

While the “world is losing its way, the Church is losing herself in the world.” — Eugène Ionesco

Benedict XVI proposed a solution, answering Ionesco: the contemporary Church needs the “courage to embrace what is sacred,” and not, what he called, “banal officiousness.” —Fr. Benedict Kiely

The true peripheries in modern secular society are to be found among those seeking the good, the true, and the beautiful. —Fr. Benedict Kiely

The courage to embrace the sacred, involves presenting to those who are “sick” of what the world has to offer, not, as Benedict XVI wrote, “confirmation” of the world, but the “radicalism of the Gospel.” —Fr. Benedict Kiely

A conversion is necessarily unfinished business. I am still praying that mine may begin in earnest. — Bishop Erik Varden

A conversion is fundamentally a ‘turning round.’ It begins with self-questioning, and with the intimate sense that somewhere, somehow I am being called to more, to live differently. — Bishop Erik Varden

Baptism, then, is not an end. It is the beginning of a journey that ends in unmediated union with God, one that we can enter only after we have been purged of every stain of sin. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

“The God who created you without you,” St. Augustine taught us, “will not save you without you.—”David G Bonagura, Jr.

Our cooperation with God’s grace always falls short. We need our fellow Christians, brothers and sisters through baptism, to contribute to our salvation too. They do so in this life through the countless ways they interact with us, for good and for the trying of our patience. And they do so after our deaths through their prayers.—”David G Bonagura, Jr.

Born of God rather than the will of men, baptism into the Communion of Saints confers a deeper relationship, for in Christ all – living and dead – are a family together on pilgrimage.—”David G Bonagura, Jr.

Humility is painfully avoided when the mirror shows all our ugliness, blemishes, and flaws.  — Richard Dell’Orfano

Many of the hardships we face — both in the Church and our society — result from our failure to remember that we serve the Lamb before all else. — Rev. Samuel Rodríguez

The atheist and secularist “Enlightenment” stole terms like “rights,” “freedom,” “choice,” “marriage,” “justice,” etc. and turned them on their heads, making them mean the exact opposite of what they always did.— Dr. John Grondelski, Ph.D.

St. John Paul II was right to insist that culture is upstream of politics and economics: the values you espouse decide what you do with power and money.  That is why the political expressions of things like abortion really reflect cultural pathologies.— Dr. John Grondelski, Ph.D.

Standing for the truth doesn’t mean “in any way attacking anyone,” he continued. “But we need to stand strong in the truth and joyfully and clearly proclaim what that truth is, because too many are deluded.” — Bishop Joseph Strickland

This leads to a necessary distinction between sacraments and magic. Put simply, a sacrament or sacramental is the church’s co-operation with God to pour His blessings and graces into our lives through physical means. A sacrament changes us it doesn’t change God. Magic, on the other hand, is some sort of rite, ritual or belief that uses physical means to  manipulate God or God’s truth. Through the sacraments we are always saying to God “Thy will be done.” Through magic we are saying to God, “My will be done and you do it.” — Fr. Dwight Longenecker

The blessing of people or practices that God does not bless. A priest cannot bless the re-marriage of divorced people nor can he bless a same sex union. A blessing is not magic. It does not magically transform something God condemns into something he accepts. — Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Absent God, nature (including the human body) becomes dead matter waiting to be manipulated, and human life lacks transcendent purpose.  Politics fills the void of meaning left by the exit of the divine.  And technology offers the tools to achieve a more perfectly rational, man-made ordering of society. — Francis X. Maier

The go-to Catholic posture in this country, especially over the last 60 years, has been assimilation and cooperation with the surrounding culture.  In assimilating, we’ve been digested by the culture we were meant to evangelize. — Francis X. Maier

the Catholic bias toward “fitting in” and getting along makes no sense going forward.  It’s a recipe for extinction. — Francis X. Maier

We need to live differently.  We need to remember that we’re a people “set apart” for the sake of the culture around us.  The power of the (seeming) powerless is a willingness to be the good sand in bad machinery; to say no to stupidity and wickedness in the space and time God gives us; and to do the right thing despite the cost.  And there will be a cost.  Resistance, no matter how loving, always has a cost. But when enough people do it, the world begins to change. — Francis X. Maier

Modern man wanted to be man without God; but God did not want to be God without man; therefore He became man; therefore His missionaries refuse to believe that men of good will in the  world should be without God revealed through His Divine Son, Jesus Christ. — Fulton J. Sheen

2246 It is a part of the Church’s mission “to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. The means, the only means, she may use are those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according to the diversity of times and circumstances.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church

“Blessed is the crisis that made you grow, the fall that made you look to heaven and the problem that made you look for God.”  PADRE PIO OF PIETRELCINA

We can walk as much as we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. . . .When one does not profess Jesus Christ – I recall the phrase of Léon Bloy – ‘Whoever does not pray to God, prays to the devil.’ When one does not profess Jesus Christ, one professes the worldliness of the devil. — Pope Francis

Synodality is not the miracle cure for prevalent ecclesial diseases, and may in fact often be one of the causes of them. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

The very idea that evangelization needs more synodality is, in fact, questionable. Evangelization needs witness, prophecy, holiness. For synods to have a place in the work of evangelization, they need to stay away from political ways of thinking. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

Pace Cardinal Radcliffe, but the reasons why bishops, clergy and laity in Africa (and not only there) reject Fiducia supplicans are deeply biblical and doctrinal, not “pressure” they feel from Orthodox, Protestant or Muslim groups in their countries, bolstered by Russian, American, or Arab money. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

The Church as a whole exists to evangelize, and that therefore the goal of synods is never to reframe the Christian faith or to organize “paradigm shifts.” —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

The goal of synods is to turn and return to Christ. If you hear the spirit say something else, it is not the Holy Spirit you are listening to. Because it is only the Spirit of Jesus that helps us overcome error, confusion and discord, which are most perfectly overcome, as again we learn from St. Leo, if it is overcome in those who have originally caused them. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

The worshipers of Moloch would sacrifice their babies to this god—placing live babies on the burning hot arms of the statue of Moloch. We look back at that and think, “How horrible. Boy, it’s great we’re so civilized now.” But in its own way, abortion is basically child sacrifice—a sacrifice to the false gods of convenience and “self-realization.” —  Dr. Jerry Newcombe

You enjoy sharing the wisdom, gained from living all those years, with a younger person in the hopes you can help keep them from making a serious mistake.  Sunrise becomes more beautiful than sunset. The privilege to live between the two is precious. No, old age cannot be healed. However, you can use it to help heal those who are younger.— Jim Ross Lightfoot

Theology teaches that God tolerates evil because He can bring a greater good from it. What good comes from sin striking the innocent? One good could be the innocent crying out to God for salvation. Yes, Christ saves sinners. He also saves the brokenhearted, the exploited, the ill, and the innocent who have to pay for the sins of others in multiple ways. In their desperation, the innocent turn to the only One who can see them through. They long for the Blessing while enduring the curse. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

Forgiveness is the only path out of the natural resentment we feel at watching the innocent suffer and at paying for the sins of others. To forgive is not to forget the pain. It is to let go of resentment. It is to will the good of those who wronged us. It is to pray for their repentance and salvation. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

Forgiveness would be beyond our human capacity without God’s grace, which endows us with power to imitate Jesus rather than yield to our passions. God asks us to forgive our brother seven times seventy times and to pray daily to “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” — David G Bonagura, Jr.

The innocent suffer from the sins of the guilty. But redemption comes through the innocent, when they open themselves to God and, rather than returning evil to the guilty, offer their sufferings for them. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

The Church in America, hemorrhaging members and bereft of vocations for years now, needs this moment of redemption. It’s not time for the faithful to walk away. It’s time to come forward and lead the charge for spiritual renewal. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

When Catholics go fuzzy about sin, when we obfuscate about what leads us away from God rather than toward Him, when we try to subjectivize moral action out of some misguided notion of mercy, we’re not making things easier for ourselves or for anyone else. We’re only succeeding in diminishing the urgency and freshness of the Good News itself. —Stephen P. White

As the Synod continues to consider how to better proclaim the Gospel, it would do well to remember: If sin is not a big deal, then neither is our being saved from it. And if salvation is not a big deal, what’s so good about the Gospel? — Stephen P. White

The ordinary means by which he [God] works is through the internal promptings of grace within the hearts of believers, moving and inspiring them to proclaim the truths of the Gospel with courage, charity, and conviction to all those who do not yet know Jesus Christ, in whom “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7–8). To whom be glory and honor forever. Amen. — Dr. John Joy, STD

Faithful pastors, priests, and prelates: Affirmation of same-sex behaviors and false sexual identities is not accompaniment; it is abandonment. Genuine pastoral care for LGBTQ-identified persons is to meet them where they are, love and accept them, and accompany them to Jesus, who is full of grace and truth. Remember that you offer bread in the midst of a culture that has normalized eating stones.  — Amy E, Hamilton

“Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude.” “— St. Thérèse

People tend to hate those who fight evil far more than they hate those engaged in doing evil. — Dennis Prager

My now long experience, amid so many different situations, has confirmed my conviction that priestly holiness alone is the soil which can nourish an effective pastoral activity, a true “cura animarum.” The truest secret of authentic pastoral success does not lie in material means, much less sophisticated programs. The lasting results of pastoral endeavors are born of the holiness of the priest. This is the foundation! — St. John Paul the Great

The Father did not will all religions, nor did he inspire them.  What He willed is the Incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that all might be saved through Him. — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

This mystery revealed by God the Father, both as to the uniqueness of Jesus his Son and as to mankind’s invitation to live in communion with Him, is therefore singularly Christian and distinguishes Christianity from all other religious traditions, which are not divinely inspired. — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

Only in being personally united to Jesus, as the risen Savior and universal Lord, do men and women share in his holiness, the very life of the Holy Spirit, and so come to live in communion with his Father as the Father’s children. — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

“Jesus Christ has a significance and a value for the human race and its history, which is unique and singular, proper to him alone, exclusive, universal, and absolute.” — Dominus Ieusus

Jesus taught the Gospel of salvation and through his saving passion and sacrificial death reconciled all to his Father. The Father, in the love and power of the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead, thus liberating mankind from sin’s curse. — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

Except for Judaism and Christianity, all other religions are, therefore, gnostic by nature.  They dispel ignorance by providing what is thought to be saving knowledge.— — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

Unlike Jesus, the founders of other religions do not save from sin and the curse of death.  Nor do they provide an enhanced relationship with God.  The founders of other religions, such as Mohammed and Buddha, as “prophets,” simply provide knowledge whereby one can relate to God “properly.”— Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and good in these religions,” the Council did not say that all religions were of equal salvific value.  Moreover, except for Christianity and Judaism, other religions are, therefore, not inspired by the Holy Spirit. And thus, they contain error; error that locks those who hold such beliefs in darkness, a darkness from which it is difficult to escape. — Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap.

No amount of evil in the world can overcome the victory that has already been won!  St. Padre Pio, pray for us!

“YOU MUST HAVE BOUNDLESS FAITH IN THE DIVINE GOODNESS, FOR THE VICTORY IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN.” — Fr. Pio

“Nelson Mandela — ‘Not to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemies to die from it,’

There is a phrase of facile liberality uttered again and again in ethical societies and parliaments of religion: “the religions of the earth differ in rites and forms, but they are the same in what they teach.” It is false, it is the opposite of the fact…The truth is, of course, that they are alike in everything except in the fact that they don’t say the same thing. — G. K. Chesterton

The fundamental reason for this missionary activity is the will of God, who “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:4-6); “and there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). It is necessary, therefore that all should be converted to Him, made known through the preaching of the Church, and that through baptism they should be incorporated into Him, and into the Church, which is His body. For Christ Himself “in expressly stressing the necessity of faith and baptism has at the same time confirmed the necessity of the Church, into which men enter by baptism as through a door.” (Ad Gentes 7)

Some are saved “who through no fault of their own are ignorant of the Gospel,” but who arrive at “that faith without which it is impossible to please Him.” (ad Gentes) The obligation of the Church to evangelize, however, is not suspended because of these exceptions. — Msgr. Richard C. Antall

“Those who conceal a mortal sin in confession commit a most grievous sin by telling a lie to the Holy Ghost, and, instead of obtaining pardon, they incur much more the wrath of God” (Short Catechism). Take courage, the moment of “embarrassment” passes quickly; hell never does. — P. D’Angona, Sacerdos Romano-Catholicus

Giving alms, especially “being pinched by his own charity, changes the whole man, if anything can; not his mind only but the will and everything.” No matter how far a man is from belief, “still the question to be asked would be … what good have you done?” — Gerard Manley Hopkins

For, often, the very language of “oppressive discourse” is itself oppressive and represents an effort to shut down and dominate others in an exertion of one’s will to power.  It is to say, in effect, that all other modes of discourse other than mine are unacceptable and must be suppressed. —Randall Smith

Belief, then, inevitably leads to conflict, which is part of human nature – not the fault of religion. What overcomes the conflict? The willingness to agree on a different belief that brings the opposites together in a new cause. — David G. Bonagura, Jr.

Religion is natural to human beings as a way to relate to God, whom we know within us through conscience and above us through reason. That is, we are hardwired for God and religion is the truth that illuminates how we build a relationship with Him. — David G. Bonagura, Jr.å

The sign of Christ is one that understands suffering and Christ is present where his people are suffering. — Fr. Leo Patalinghug

No moral framework, even one inspired by the biblical text, is sufficient to keep fallen humanity from determining its own course.— Dr. James Spencer

For any values to be described as “Christian,” they must recognize the authority of the Triune God rather than some generic “god” endorsed by the state. — Dr. James Spencer

Christian political participation must be rooted in and emerge from our proclamation that “Jesus is Lord.” — Dr. James Spencer

Christians have a message the lost world needs to hear. It isn’t about the supposed virtues of conservatism or progressivism…it is the gospel. — Dr. James Spencer

“Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.” — Thomas Paine

Our faith rests on the authority of the one who speaks to us. We don’t believe because we’ve figured everything out. That’s called opinion. It’s not faith to examine the Church’s teachings and find that you approve of them. That’s called agreement. — Fr. Paul Scalia

The modern age lacks faith because it hates any teaching authority. It will not be told. We must be free to define our own meaning. Anyone holding authority must be authoritarian.— Fr. Paul Scalia

The rejection of a teaching authority ultimately leads to radical doubt about man’s capacity to know truth at all. That’s what Chesterton termed “the thought that stops all thought.”— Fr. Paul Scalia

The eternal Word speaks authoritatively in human words. His authority is ordered towards our knowing Him and his truth. When we acknowledge and submit to that authority, we gain a participation in His own knowledge. So, He invites us to trust His words because we trust in Him.hat’s what Chesterton termed “the thought that stops all thought.”— Fr. Paul Scalia

Man’s perennial alienation from the body has become an ideology in our own day. Rather than see the body as something to be redeemed, we treat it as something to be used, manipulated, and then cast aside. In short, we are unwilling to accept the authority of the body, that it is not ours to do with as we will.— Fr. Paul Scalia

God extends Himself to us in the likeness of sinful flesh and under the appearance of bread and wine. Nothing restores the dignity of the human body more than God’s revealing and communicating His love to man by way of it. And that by the gift of His Body in the Eucharist He nourishes believers into His Body the Church.— Fr. Paul Scalia

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” — Winston Churchill

Every mention of God’s love must include His law in the same breath. For God expresses His love for us through His laws.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

If God’s commandments lead to love and joy, why do so many, Catholics included, oppose them?  Because we gullible creatures routinely fall for the serpent’s lies that trick us into believing God’s commandments restrict our freedom rather than are the foundations that enable us to be fully free.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

Today the serpent has so many spokesmen – media, smartphones, pop culture, government schools and universities, “Nones” claiming no religious affiliation – that he can almost slither into retirement. People believe his lie and think what’s true is false.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

When we believe the serpent’s lies, laws appear external and foreign. They are imposed from the outside, and thereby put us in opposition to God.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

if we can see with faith that God’s law is God’s love since the former is the perfect expression of the latter, then we can internalize the law and see that it is a deep truth about ourselves.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

integrating God’s law within ourselves requires constant diligence and perseverance. Our pride will regularly rise up to assert itself over God’s law. We need, therefore, to hear repeatedly that God’s law is the expression of – and means to – His love.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

Only with a humble heart, cognizant of our sinfulness, and need to receive God’s forgiveness, can we pray with the Psalmist, who reminds us that to follow His law is to bathe in His love, which is our true happiness.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

We have to recover the understanding that the Church is the custodian of God’s laws, so to obey the Church is to obey God. This is perhaps the tallest hurdle today. But if the Church is Christ’s bride, surely her laws must help us, her children, participate in the joy of their marriage.— David G. Bonagura, Jr.

“People don’t rise to the level of the occasion; they fall to the level of their training.”  – Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ

“Proclaim the truth, and do not be silent through fear.” — St. Catherine of Siena

“Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” — St. Catherine of Siena

“What is it you want to change? Your hair, your face, your body? Why? For God is in love with all those things and he might weep when they are gone.” — St. Catherine of Siena

“Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become… habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny.” —MARGARET THATCHER

Evil speaks eloquently of tolerance and compassion when it’s weak, but switches effortlessly to intolerance and contempt when it gains the upper hand. It cannot bear to be “tolerated.” It demands to be affirmed and its critics punished. Evil can never live peacefully with truth and sacrificial love because their very existence is scalding, an ongoing indictment of evil’s destructive perversity. — Francis X. Maier

For man is one and not two.  We do not have political man here and religious man there.  You cannot sever the world from its Creator.  So too you cannot sever man in his daily duties from man made by God for eternal life. — Anthony Esolen

To be nourished by the Eucharist (as opposed to just receiving Communion) requires that we first place ourselves in need of Him, and make ourselves dependent on Him. The Eucharist nourishes us to the extent that we depend on it. — Fr. Paul Scalia

Every day Jesus asks us to give Him our insufficiency. What He seeks to work within us and for us is beyond our comprehension and power. But He also wants to make us His cooperators in the work of salvation. He desires that we give what little we have so that He can accomplish great things with it.— Fr. Paul Scalia

Jesus kept company with those who scandalized others and made clear the nature of the scandal. Not the scandal of approving sinful behavior, as the Pharisees thought, but the scandal of God’s mercy: that forgiveness was available to the contrite as was the offer of salvation to even great sinners who obeyed His command, “Go and sin no more.” — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

God has given us everything we need to be holy: his forgiveness, righteousness, grace and even his divine life. — Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Through our baptism, we have begun a construction project, but we can’t complete it on our own. God must bestow his grace on us because he calls us to a supernatural life beyond the natural capacities of humanity. But after he gives us what we need, we have to begin the hard labor of building.— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

We must cooperate freely, using our free will to seek God in love, spend time with him in prayer and order our interior life through the life of the virtues.— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

He has given us the gift of faith to grow, mature and act as leaven in the world. This is his plan for our holiness and that of the world.— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Let neither the use of the things of this world nor attachment to riches, which is against the spirit of evangelical poverty, hinder them in their quest for perfect love. Let them heed the admonition of the Apostle to those who use this world; let them not come to terms with this world; for this world, as we see it, is passing away— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

The vision of Vatican II, calling all the faithful of the Church to a greater life of holiness and devotion, has not yet been realized. Too many interpret this call as a dumbing down of God’s expectations or a lowering of the bar.  Following the Council, it became the norm to excuse sin and laxity, and even to accommodate it. — Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Holiness requires the faithful to pursue a life of devotion:— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Devotion consists in a high degree of real love, it not only makes us ready, active and diligent in following all God’s commands, but it also excites us to be ready and loving in performing as many good works as possible.— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

Dumbing things down impedes the will of God for our sanctification, putting up an obstacle to genuine holiness.— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

To be holy, we must be challenged to convert and believe the Gospel ever more fully. The Council’s call to holiness and evangelization requires deep and genuine conversion from sin into a life impelled by grace. Living like modern pagans will not suffice, as the increased misery of our society only proves/— Dr. R. Jared Staudt

The fragile psychological self, to use Carl Trueman’s term, has issued a new commandment: Thou shall not damage another’s self-esteem nor upset his worldview. —David G. Bonagura, Jr.

“Obsessed with virtue, but cognizant of the fact that virtue is formed in the context of a broader community; sympathetic with the meek and poor of the world without treating them primarily as victims; protective of children and families and with the things necessary to ensure they thrive. And above all: a faith centered around a Christ who demands perfection of us even as He loves unconditionally and forgives easily.” — J. D. Vance

The life of prayer is the sanctuary of the soul, the place – the “holy of holies” – where God alone is present with the beloved soul.  Where no one has access.  Every praying soul experiences Him differently.  The entire activity that He demands of the soul is fidelity to His inspiration, faithfulness to grace.  All that is needed on our part is to quiet down, abiding in humble silence in His Presence; and not to become discouraged even if the Lord says nothing.  It suffices that the soul adores Him in humility and faith as He who Is.”  – Servant  of God Sr. Emanuela Kalb

The success of a war depends on the quality of the peace that follows. — Alan Joseph Bauer

“Divine ecstasy brings about an elevation of the being, of creative and formative power; the demonic ecstasy brings about weakening of being, disintegration and decay.” — Fulton J. Sheen (Carrie Gress)

“The ideology of the sexual revolution makes men soft, women hard, and children unprotected.” —Noelle Mering (Carrie Gress)

Men are naturally going to become morally soft when they have no purpose to pursue, or anyone to provide for or protect. — Carrie Gress

Feminism offers women a protective layer to steel the female heart against vulnerability. With enough cunning, women try to play the game better than men do. It looks like offense, but it is really defense against being hurt and cast aside. No expectations means that one’s expectations can never be dashed. — Carrie Gress

The fierceness women previously displayed to protect their children now has a new “child” to project; many women can be stirred up instantly not because of some existential threat to her offspring, but to the existential threat to her capacity to kill her offspring. — Carrie Gress

Children are paying the price. Those not lost to abortion enter life with a myriad of previously unthinkable issues, generally focused on a type of sexual grooming and abuse: incest, child pornography, human trafficking, and transitioning bodies. The abuse of children has long existed, but the current scale and social acceptance is unrivaled. — Carrie Gress

Trans ideology and pro-abortion politics are exhilarating because they make their proponents feel like God. — Carl R. Trueman

But there are subtler ways of desecration to which we are all potentially vulnerable. Lack of gratitude is one. — Carl R. Trueman

in expressing gratitude even to someone who is required to act toward me in a certain way, I acknowledge that person as a person, a fellow human being. — Carl R. Trueman

gratitude lies at the heart of Christianity. It is foundational to God’s relationship to his people in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 10, God makes his care for the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner key to Israel’s ethical attitude: She is to do the same because, when she was a sojourner in Egypt, the Lord cared for her. — Carl R. Trueman

Gratitude should lead to a “paying forward” of kindness. Then, in the New Testament, the calls to be thankful abound. Thankfulness is to be a key element of the daily life of every Christian and a central characteristic of the practical, visible Christian life. — Carl R. Trueman

of all human attitudes, gratitude acknowledges our dependency upon others—both God and other human beings—and that is one of the things that marks us out as truly human and unique. — Carl R. Trueman

When I express gratitude to God, I acknowledge my personal dependency upon him, I also act as a person myself, and I am inclined to acknowledge his image as found in those around me. Gratitude is both profoundly theological and personally transformative. It is part of consecration. — Carl R. Trueman

The good humor, the resilience in the face of suffering, and the zeal for the gospel were all built upon a basic gratitude—to God for his action in Christ and to the church for her faithful witness to that. — Carl R. Trueman

Desecration can take many forms, but it is always characterized by certain things: a delight in dehumanizing those made in God’s image; and an absence of gratitude to God that, if present, would immediately temper any tendency to anger and bitterness toward others. — Carl R. Trueman

There is a level of hurt that cannot be treated by secular methodologies—this would be the problem of sin. Painful emotions are terrible, but alienation from God is far worse. — Oliver Oliveros

During this time of mental, generational, and cultural ills, we have to recognize the vital significance of repentance and forgiveness. We have to be repentant when we have done wrong to God and neighbor, and we have to be forgiving when people have harmed us. Unacknowledged sins and unresolved emotional wounds have never resulted in good for any soul, or the world for that matter. — Oliver Oliveros

Insisting upon North Korean style adulation for every utterance or decision the pope makes does not help the Church’s image or her authority. On the contrary, it degrades it. As does the demonization of anyone who points out such mistakes. – Darrick Taylor

It may not be convenient, given the historical circumstances, but making dubious claims to save the Church from criticism does not make her failures go away, nor does it help her reputation. – Darrick Taylor

The assertion that the liturgical reform was the immediate work of the Holy Spirit and the belief that the Holy Spirit directly chooses popes are cut from the same cloth. Both are pious fictions meant to protect the Church’s image when she screws things up. – Darrick Taylor

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who warned us: “A religion that doesn’t interfere with the secular order will soon discover that the secular order will not refrain from interfering with it.”

Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another…It is inconsistent with any recognition of any religion as true. It teaches that all are to be tolerated, for all are matters of opinion. Revealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste; not an objective fact, not miraculous; and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy. —John Henry Newman

But people are united ultimately by what transcends them, and here the liberal ship is stuck fast in the shallows, precisely because of the tendency to reduce God to a granter of permissions to do as you please, to reduce the moral law to a set of bland political directives, and to reduce worship to a get-together for people who do not play golf.  —Anthony Esolen

When we are asked what one must do to be saved, we cannot hesitate to join St. Peter’s response to the residents of Jerusalem on Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized every one of you.” (Acts 2:38)   Whether sales are up or down, the Church has no business offering cheap substitutes for salvation. —Fr. Anthony R. Lusvardi, S.J.

I’m forever grateful to a courageous birthmother who, although she was a victim of the violence of rape, never made me a victim of the violence of abortion. My father saw me as just as worthy to love as his first three biological children. That’s what adoption does. It’s an equalizer …  color isn’t what binds us … love is.— Ryan Bomberger

But there is a court we all must face without exception (Hebrews 9:27) …. the devil acts as the prosecutor, accusing us of our sins before God, the Judge (Zechariah 3:1-5) … there is no question of our guilt, for all have sinned against God (Romans 3:23) … here is a far better defense attorney … He is the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Romans 8; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2). — Rolaant McKenzie

His eloquence is the nail prints in His hands and feet where His blood was shed on the cross for sinners. His resurrection from the dead conquered sin, death and the devil. If anyone trusts in Him as his Advocate before God, then the accusations brought by the devil are nullified and cast away forever (Micah 7:18-19). — Rolaant McKenzie

The court of heaven, the one that really matters, is rigged for you and not against you if you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, receiving by faith His righteousness so that you can stand before God in peace. — Rolaant McKenzie

Heresy thrives on a combination of amnesia, anarchy and novelty. The liturgical crisis is only one part of the larger crisis of Catholic identity which has more to do with language than most people realize. — Peter Kwasniewski

The vaunted modernization of the Church could be carried out only if the past were forgotten, sealed inaccessibly behind a wall of incomprehensibility. The loss of Latin has therefore had ramifications far beyond the sanctuaries of our churches even if that is where we most notice its presence or absence.— Peter Kwasniewski

The radical progressives who waged war against Latin in the mid 20th century knew very well what they were doing. They wanted to blow up the bridge that connected Catholics with their heritage their tradition their collective memory..— Peter Kwasniewski

Compassion for people with same-sex attraction and other complex sexual issues is vital. But compassion amounts to mere indulgence unless it’s rooted in truth. — Francis X. Maier

The golden thread that runs through all things Catholic is that “the Lord made it that way.” This directly contradicts the egalitarianism and radical autonomy that have replaced older, saner notions like equality before the law and liberty under God.  — Robert Royal

A Catholic, indeed any serious monotheist, knows that radical self-definition is not freedom. It’s bondage. To our own whims and blindness, to an existential emptiness without possible remedy. In fact, the deeper the self’s embrace of its own inventions, the less free and the less happy it is.  Of necessity, because it’s living in an unreal, virtual world. Not the world that the Lord made in His way.— Robert Royal

“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.” — THOMAS MOORE

God entered the world, suffered, died, and rose again precisely to communicate the Trinity – in both senses of the word communicate. That is, to reveal the inner life of the Triune God and to impart that life to man. — Fr. Paul Scalia

The religion of the day scorns traditional religious dogma only to admit dogmas of its own, which are extraordinarily intolerant. So, it does matter what you believe. And those who claim otherwise tend to be dogmatic about that. Modernism begins by convincing the Church’s teachers to set aside dogma only to bring it back with a vengeance.— Fr. Paul Scalia

To believe and live the truth of the Triune God frees us from the slavery of this world. It relatives everything else and proclaims our independence from any created thing.— Fr. Paul Scalia

Prayer is a subversive act. God is. No state, no economy, no ideology can take His place. Many forces seek to shape our lives, to fashion us according to power, pleasure, and possessions. But those who worship the Triune God are beyond the reach of those forces and are shaped by the Trinity. — Fr. Paul Scalia

What we believe shapes who we are. We inevitably become like what we worship. (cf. Ps. 115) So, to adhere to the one true God forms us in the truth. It means to be shaped by the God who is not pure will (as Allah is) but in whom the Logos, divine reason, is central. (Which is to vindicate human thought as well.) Our celebration of the dogma shapes us according to the One who is a community of love. A people in common worship of the Trinity takes on His likeness.— Fr. Paul Scalia

Because God is one, we are free from mankind’s almost universal inclination to polytheism and pantheism. Because God is three, we’re introduced into his community of life and love.— Fr. Paul Scalia

It ought not take a pontifical academy to point out that there is little justice for the unborn who are not permitted to join society in the first place. — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

The Catholics I know cling not to the past but to Christ, the truth of whose life and message may most reliably be found in those very “dogmatic boxes” we’re now expected to climb out of.  — Regis Martin 

The state of the soul in the grace of God makes it grow in holiness, and the more it confidently abandons itself to the will of the Lord, the more quickly this spiritual growth proceeds. That is the Cenacle in which we often take refuge, asking the Consoler to give us strength and support us in times of trial. — + Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

If the Most Holy Trinity dwells in our soul, we will not lack interior peace even in the most difficult moments, because we will know that it is precisely in those situations that the Lord comes to our aid like a Divine Cyrenian. We will not fail even when we have to answer, as if for a crime, for fully professing the Catholic Faith. — + Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

This is the meaning of the word Paraclete: the advocate, advisor, and defender of those under accusation, whom the devil – διάβολος, the accuser – slanders with his false arguments. This is why in the Veni Creator we ask the Paraclete: Hostem repellas longius – drive the enemy away. This is why we unite to that invocation the request for peace: pacemque dones protinus. — + Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

Let us therefore invoke, dear brothers and sisters, the Divine Consoler, dulcis hospes animæ “sweet host of the soul,” so that in the sanctuary of our heart, in our families and communities, Christ, the Prince of Peace, may reign; so that where the Son reigns, the Father and the Holy Spirit may also reign, restoring the divine order broken by sin. And so may it be. — + Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

Say to thyself at daybreak: today I shall come across the busy-body, the thankless, the bully, the treacherous, the envious, the unneighborly. All this has befallen them because they know not good from evil. But I, in that I have comprehended the nature of the Good that it is beautiful, and the nature of Evil that it is ugly, and the nature of the wrong-doer himself that it is akin to me, not as partaker of the same blood and seed but of intelligence and a morsel of the Divine can neither be injured by any of them – for no one can involve me [against my choice] in what is debasing. — Marcus Aurelius

Who teaches such truths anymore? The Church still does, weakly. But she’s gone halfway, and lately more than halfway, towards indulging people like our campus radicals in pipe dreams about international peace and justice, and in the identity and “pride” movements – the greatest mental and spiritual slavery in our time. — Robert Royal

The choice Yahweh put before Israel and everyman: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  Choose life.” (Dt 30:19).  And, as Jesus told Martha and as Peter now understands – Life is not so much a concept as a Person. (John 11:25; 14:6) — John M. Grondelski

Just because a person has “given his life to Jesus” one day in an altar call doesn’t necessarily mean that all the temptations will miraculously go away or that now he will suddenly be caring and responsible in a way he never was before. — Randall Smith

Piety is no substitute for virtue.  Saying the rosary is great, but it makes no sense to say it and then abuse your employees or support abortion. — Randall Smith

I believe there is an important relationship between prayer and becoming a better person.  But as a Catholic, I don’t believe that becoming a better person is something that God will do in me without me.  I need to do my part.  My part is made possible by God’s grace, but the operations of God’s grace are not contrary to my free will, nor do they preclude my own efforts.  Grace, as Thomas Aquinas was fond of saying, does not violate nature but perfects it. — Randall Smith

“There is a great temptation, when one is fighting for a just cause, to lose your serenity,” he warned. “If we’re co-workers of Christ in the truth, we should be the most serene and therefore also the most charitable. It is never helpful to engage in uncharitable talk. Be steadfast about the work of Christ.” — Cardinal Raymond Burke

Think of your local church as the vessel that will help carry you to heaven with your brothers and sisters. Because that’s what it is. Register! Donate! Participate! — Brad Miner

Indeed, one can wonder if this is not the whole point of the current emphasis on following the Spirit. Does such advice reflect a genuine openness to the promptings of the [Holy] Spirit, or is it simply a convenient way of following one’s own inclinations while falsely claiming the Spirit’s endorsement? As with the Gnostics of old, it’s a good way of losing touch with the visible, Incarnational Church founded by Jesus. —William Kilpatrick

In calmer words, “Christian Nationalism” concerns the role that Christianity plays in American public life, culture, and law. Those lamenting it care nothing about Christian claims for the Triune God, the Virgin Birth, or the Resurrection. They fix their disdain on Christian moral teachings that oppose their creed of expressive individualism, which enshrines the Sexual Revolution as the first article. — David Bonagura, Jr.

When the reasons for a moral belief are forgotten, it is only a short time before the beliefs themselves are discarded. Thus, we need to pay attention to the reasons for beliefs, as well as to the beliefs themselves. If the reasons for the beliefs are undermined, then the beliefs, like a tree whose roots have died, can only stay alive for a short while after. — David Deane

The devil is always trying to separate us from God. Keeping holy the Lord’s Day is a Commandment that was given to us for our sake. He does not command us to worship Him because He needs to be worshipped. Keeping His day Holy refreshes our immortal souls. — Gene M. Van Son

Meekness is defined as “having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else.” Jesus was the most meek, of course. Meekness is a choice to refrain in order that a greater good be the outcome. — Denise Trull

Meekness is not weakness. It is a powerful choice to hold back our own opinions, our words, our reactions to being hurt or maligned, not because we are self-doubting and self-depreciating or afraid of human respect – but because we know who we are before God and we choose to act in love like him. — Denise Trull

Human dignity is a consequence of both our origin and our end. We are made in God’s image and likeness, and we are made for communion – both here, albeit imperfectly, in this life, and forever with God in the next. To grasp human dignity is to grasp something of the whole order of Creation and of our place and purpose in that order. As Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si: “The universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence, a show of force or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is of the order of love.” —Stephen P. White

Creation is the order of love. When we cooperate with the order of Creation, we grow and become more like the one who created us. Sin, by contrast, arises from and causes the disordering of our loves. When we love the wrong things, or love them in the wrong way, we not only violate the order of things, we invite further disorder, for ourselves and others. Sin masks and diminishes our dignity, though never destroys it entirely.—Stephen P. White

But what are the right things to love and the right ways to love them? In other words, how do we know what is good? Pope John Paul II, in Veritatis Splendor, gave this answer to that crucial question: “Only God can answer the question about the good, because he is the Good. But God has already given an answer to this question: he did so by creating man and ordering him with wisdom and love to his final end, through the law which is inscribed in his heart (cf. Romans 2:15), the “natural law.”—Stephen P. White

Without a proper sense of the ordering of reality – which means both the revealed and natural law – the notion of human dignity loses its most profound and transcendent meaning. When this happens, the social or physical sciences are expected to explain and defend human dignity, which they cannot possibly do.—Stephen P. White

To reject the language of ordered (and disordered) love would not be a liberation. Rather, it would be a willful obfuscation of reality. We were created within the order of love and our human dignity – the dignity arising from our origins and ends – only fully makes sense in the context of that ordering. —Stephen P. White

Nor should anyone imagine that the unraveling of the language of order and disorder would end with human sexual morality. The Church’s teachings on the common good, economic justice, and care for Creation – in fact, the entirety of Catholic social teaching, like most of her moral theology – rest on the same natural law foundations. Those remain the surest foundations for grounding a defense of human dignity in the face of the new challenges of our day.—Stephen P. White

We rightly feel compassion for persons locked in sinful situations. But compassion is not a license to minimize, or excuse, or bless the destructive behaviors involved therein. —Archbishop Charles Chaput

Authentic charity, and its expression in mercy, consists of “helping [others] to live in union with God, which also includes external acts like fraternal correction.” —Archbishop Charles Chaput

No “new paradigm” or “development of doctrine” can result in an alibi for sin in the light of God’s Word and the wisdom of the Church’s long experience. — Archbishop Charles Chaput

May we not run from the Cross and the crosses in our lives, but we know that the new life we are promised is not some future vague and inarticulate something, but that our suffering has the power to transform us in ways we cannot begin to imagine, both here on earth and hereafter. — Carrie Gress

It’s no accident that our culture – which flees from pain at any opportunity while trying to cloak itself in safety, comfort, and pleasure – rejects the denial of self. We see the decadence ever encroaching around us as the culture of pleasure and independence grows stronger and more entrenched.— Carrie Gress

Christ and His saints have redeemed suffering, not to make it disappear, but to reveal it as the hidden way. The Christian life, which is so under attack today, is rejected because it requires us to lay down our lives for others; to die to self; to be like the grain of wheat that must be broken open for new life to emerge.— Carrie Gress

Envy today is a powerful cultural engine. It seems to be everywhere. Political systems and ideologies are structured around it. Relationships are destroyed by it. And much that has been built up has been torn down by its ruinous hands. Envy wants to grasp at privilege and status, but suffering scatters it.— Carrie Gress

His authority and greatness are hidden in His bloodied and scourged body. And yet, that is the door through which He gladly passed for us. His model, the one from which most of us shrink and shirk, is the key. We all must go through it.— Carrie Gress

No one envies others in pain and crisis. Compassion is often the best we can do, a word that means to suffer with someone. Human nature usually takes a different tack. Most of us recoil from suffering, trying to find ways to soften, or even escape it. There is a kind of fear that any connection might bring pain to us too. Everyone likes glory, power, and might, but few are willing to travel through the dark, ugly, desolate space required not just to get them, but to be worthy of them as well.— Carrie Gress

By Baptism, we all have a share in Christ’s prophetic office. But we typically keep our powder dry – or our oil in the jar – out of slavery to human respect. What will people think? What will they say? Mary of Bethany teaches that to proclaim Christ means not to take account of such things. — Fr. Paul Scalia

To repent means to recognize and proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Victim for our sins, the One who frees us. It means to waste nothing in seeking his mercy, praising him for his forgiveness, and proclaiming his Kingship. — Fr. Paul Scalia

We must have a “missionary zeal” to guide people of other religions “to Christ, the only Savior, with patience, with love, and with respect,” in the face of the Church’s tendency today to focus on worldly issues and neglect the supernatural. — Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Apart from Jesus Christ risen from the dead there can be no salvation! He alone can free the world from evil and bring about the growth of the Kingdom of justice peace and love to which we all aspire. — POPE BENEDICT XVI

Why not ask instead that God show Himself in such a way that whatever sin we’re being tempted to commit will find itself all at once stripped of its false glamour? That our eyes will be bathed in such heavenly light that we can no longer even see the sin, much less succumb to its spurious seductions?  — Regis Martin

Yet, the Christian idea of holy fear must take another step.  In the light of Christ, each individual recognizes a still more incredible truth: I, through my baptism, am the son of this awe-inspiring God. He has claimed me as his own. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

Now, the incredible transcendence of the God who is yet my Father places a different fear into my heart: not a fear of Him in light of His greatness and my nothingness, but rather a fear of being separated from Him, the One who has entered my life and fills my nothingness. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

The fear of the Lord, while recognizing the supremacy of God, takes on a new light: awe and reverence at the mystery of God who has so loved me and a fear of ever losing Him. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

This fear applies also to the “things of God” – those persons, objects, or realities that belong to Him: the Sacraments, the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Bible, church buildings, the rosary and other sacramentals, sacred images, the priesthood, blessed objects, places of prayer in the home, the papacy, etc. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

The holy fear of losing Him, of missing Him, makes me search for His presence more boldly in my life.  It teaches me to reverence even the material things that are His because not doing so would cause me to miss the God who speaks to me through them. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

Be the first to practice the faith.  Especially for fathers: if mom takes the lead in activities regarding the faith, children do not form as high of an estimation of its importance.  To see one’s father – who, to a child, seems the most powerful man in the world – kneel in reverence before God is unforgettably instructive. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

Your family can live a normal life and seamlessly insert the faith into it – look for ways to integrate prayer and conversation about God into daily activities.  Bringing God into everyday things shows that his greatness extends over the entirety of life, not just church on Sundays. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

Men, the task of forming your children, parishioners, and mentees – and of shaping the future of the Church – is yours.  Live the sense of the sacred and, by your example, instill the holy fear of God into the hearts of generations to come. — Fr. Clayton Thompson

Offer up the mess, the chaos, the frustrations in your primary vocation and in your job. We can begin each odious task—be it scrubbing the toilet, decluttering your inbox, tackling difficult projects, or staying up all night with a crying baby—with a simple, “Jesus, I do this for love of you.” In this way, we can turn those moments of difficulty into moments of surrender and love for Christ. — Ann Burns

Lastly, don’t let a morning pass without offering the day first to God. When we give God the first moments of our day, we begin each day renewed in His love.— Ann Burns

After all, while we have our routines and schedules, God is the one in control. And when things do not go according to our plan, there’s tremendous peace in knowing He is with us. We are in His presence.— Ann Burns

Imaginary sanctity isn’t sanctity, and planning to “get holy later” is problematic thinking. God calls us to holiness now. While we might think our prayer life will improve “when life is less chaotic,” God is realistic.— Ann Burns

He sees the worries in your heart, and He cares about them. He loves you. He doesn’t want the “imaginary” version of you. He wants you—the real you, right now.— Ann Burns

Our life is always going to be filled with interruptions. The key is surrendering those unexpected moments over to God rather than viewing them as cataclysmic moments of failure.— Ann Burns

When we choose to surrender our desires to God, we open ourselves up to grace. Then, God’s work can take root within us.— Ann Burns

“Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day’s work that he charges you with, and he will give you the power to accomplish it” (St. Teresa Benedicta). — Ann Burns

He [God] was challenging me to understand my vocation isn’t about control; it’s about surrender.— Ann Burns

When we choose to surrender our desires to God, we open ourselves up to grace. Then, God’s work can take root within us.— Ann Burns

After all, while we have our routines and schedules, God is the one in control. And when things do not go according to our plan, there’s tremendous peace in knowing He is with us. We are in His presence. —Ann Burns

There’s an ontological, metaphysical change that conforms him [the priest]to God Almighty as a sacrifice set aside. In his life, in his thoughts, words, deeds – everything must comport to that, the new identity, the new ontological conformity to God. — Kyle Clement LifeSite interview

Every priestly blessing is a liturgical act, is an affirmation of that person’s status within the Church. This is the whole point of [a] benediction.— Kyle Clement LifeSite interview

The weapons are to return to a time when there was, not perfection, but much more purity than we have now; which is to openly call out as a group, as lay faithful, and say, we will not be led into this howling wasteland … 

— Kyle Clement LifeSite interview

LSN: Does the desecration of the priestly office through some sacrilegious activity, such as the attempt to impart a blessing to couple constituted by a sinful sexual relationship, or through the commission of some sexual sin, invite or open a priest up to demonic activity or influence?  KC: It absolutely does.— Kyle Clement LifeSite interview

Of course, many cases of what the secular psychiatric world labels “mental disorders” ultimately boil down to individuals who, one way or another, have fallen into the grip of dark spiritual forces. — David Kupelian

Stated simply, left-wing psychopaths pretend to care about “social justice and equality,” but in reality are just feeding their massive “ego-focused” lust for power, glory and revenge, the authors say. — David Kupelian

“Sociopaths are often well-liked because of their charm and high charisma, but they do not usually care about other people. They think mainly of themselves and often blame others for the things that they do. They have a complete disregard for rules and lie constantly. They seldom feel guilt or learn from punishments.”— David Kupelian

Secularization in the West is, in effect, an alternative faith, entirely fictitious, subjective, and driven by short-term self-interest. And while it poses as progressive – the Science! – it’s instead the path of moral, intellectual, and cultural decadence, where adolescent attitudes rule, reason is forfeit, objective truth denied, and moral law abandoned.  H.W. Crocker III

Those who refuse to embrace the notion that Church must evolve away from “previous declarations of doctrine” are not haters but, rather, faithful disciples of Christ the Teacher. — Fr. Gerald Murray corrects Cardinal Robert McElroy

“I don’t think people have any idea of how much genuine, satanic evil is out there, the demons that can be present in a person, and the way they can enter a human being through the senses, from the misuse of technology, from generational curses, or through the role of other sins. . .” — Francis X. Maier as presented by Robert Royal

Our age is not marked so much by disenchantment as by desecration. The culture’s officer class is committed not merely to marginalizing that which previous generations considered sacred. It is committed to its destruction. Disenchantment has passive connotations, a dull, impersonal, somewhat tedious but inevitable process. But desecration speaks to the exultation that active destruction of the holy involves. — Carl R. Trueman

… religion is “supposed to be an invitation to the great adventure of life.”  “What’s the great adventure of life?”  “Pick up your cross and follow me,” … efforts in the Catholic Church to make the Gospel message more “relevant” have clouded the Gospel’s true calling.   “As soon as you say that you need to be more relevant than that what you’re doing, technically it is putting something else above that,”— Jordan Peterson

“Christ faced and triumphed over death and hell,” each person must likewise triumph over death and hell in their own lives. According to [Jordan] Peterson, the Catholic Church is currently not challenging Her members to take the difficult path. — Jordan Peterson

Jesus did not practice affirmational inclusion, meeting sinners where they were and affirming them in their sin. To the contrary, He practiced transformation inclusion, meeting sinners where they were and calling them to repentance and forgiveness and new life. — Michael Brown

Need I remind you that God came in Person to the Jews?. . . .[Yet when] we seek him now, in this world, it is you we find, and only you. It is you, Christians, who participate in Divinity; it is you, “divine men,” who ever since his Ascension have been his representatives on earth. — Georges Bernanos quoted by Francis X Maier

We are created in the image and after the likeness of God because we are capable of loving.  Saints have a genius for love. . .the saint is the person who knows how to find in himself, and to make gush forth from the depths of his being, the water of which Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman: “Those who drink of it will never thirst.” — Georges Bernanos quoted by Francis X Maier

Still a little lower and the soul finds herself again in her native element, infinitely purer than the purest water, in that uncreated light that bathes all Creation – in [Jesus Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men. — Georges Bernanos quoted by Francis X Maier

The task of any purifying “re-formation” of our Church and world, begins with each of us. — Francis X Maier

It’s brutally hard to know and speak the truth to ourselves; to acknowledge our own sins and hatreds; to make ourselves useful in the needs and suffering of others.  But it’s only when we do these things that life becomes rich; a magnet for the broken and lost; the beginning of a new world. . .and the seed of sainthood. — Francis X Maier

Papal infallibility never was supposed to be a cover for the personal moral and intellectual fallibility of the men who held that ministry. — Msgr. Richard C. Antall

Dominican theologian Father Antonio Royo Marin defines magnanimity as “the virtue that inclines one to do great, splendid and honorable things in every kind of virtue” (Theology of Christian Perfection, Edizioni Paoline, Rome 1965, p. 704). Confidence, which is a form of magnanimity, is certainly an expression of fortitude, but it does not merely oppose evil, it aspires to a great good, therefore, St. Thomas explains, “since fortitude properly hardens man against evil, while magnanimity hardens him in the attainment of good, it is clear that properly confidence falls more under magnanimity than under fortitude” (q. 129, art. 6, ad 2). — Roberto de Mattei

Much of the garbage one experiences as a “traditional” Catholic comes from the Church herself; it is a penance that one should accept as a penance, during Lent and Advent. The Mother of God, herself, could not book a room in Bethlehem when she was pregnant; her husband, Joseph, gallantly found a stable. —  David Warren

This is the time, because things are so evil, if we remain faithful to the grace God gives us, we will reach a height of perfection that … the saints said they wish they had the opportunity [to reach]. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

The rise in demonic obsession and oppression is ‘because people are doing a lot of evil things’ and because the members of the Church are less holy. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

Every mortal sin is an open door to possession — Fr. Chad Ripperger

[How] exorcisms work, what they call ex opere operantis Ecclesiae. What does that mean? It means how holy the people are in the Catholic Church determines how effective my prayers are when I walk into session. That tells us that there’s a fundamental problem with the members of the Church. They’re not as holy as their counterparts were in the past. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

We’ve been engaged in ‘spiritual warfare’ since the fall The theologian explained that God permits the demons to influence our lives because he wants to call us to greater holiness. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

Because in heaven, you take two things with you: your state of grace, how much grace you have in your soul, and your virtue. That’s all you take. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, they stepped out … from the authority structure of God and stepped underneath the power structure of Satan. From that point on, every single one of us was conscripted into this spiritual warfare. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

The best way to combat demons “is by leading an authentic Catholic life; staying out of sin; avoiding temptations; avoiding person, places, and things that could cause us to fall; receiving the sacraments on a regular basis; prayer on a regular basis. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

Part of the reason prayer is so effective is because it uses the imagination. So, if you’re flooding your imagination with sacred things and the demons are there afflicting it, they’re going to bug out because they don’t want to deal with that stuff being pushed in their head all the time while they’re trying to tempt you, so they’re going to get away from you. — Fr. Chad Ripperger

How can young priests take older prelates seriously if the latter do not return the favor or, rather, if they do not begin with an advance of trust in the young clergy. After all, are we not praying for an increase in vocations? It seems very hard for some bishops to believe that God might call men to the priesthood who are not like they have been. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

The Holy See cannot just issue policy changes like a civil government, not even if these changes are based on pastoral intentions and visions of the pope himself. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

there is no Christendom without Christianity. If we talk about the Church’s “presence and relevance” in (postmodern) societies, we must recognize that this is the language of power, a political concept, based on a postmodern version of Christendom that prevents us from truly doing the work of evangelization. —Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

For our pastoral (and liturgical) ministry, considerations of moral relevance, pastoral or political influence are not primary; what comes first, instead, is trust in God’s revelation and providence.—Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

synodality itself is only fruitful if it is faithful. Doctrinal statements from Rome cannot be content with being “not heretical or blasphemous”; they must leave no doubt whatsoever about their fidelity to Scripture and Tradition. As Pope Francis himself recently said: What counts is “the Lord, not our own ideas or our own projects.”—Msgr. Hans Feichtinger

When you misidentify your real opponent and latch on to the wrong motivation, it’s not surprising when you come out of character, abandon your identity, and perform poorly. — Jason Whitlock

Heathenism is popular because it idolizes the individual will, which to certain people –weak people, selfish people, people interested in money or power or simply themselves above all else – is quite intoxicating. … modern heathenism is obviously a form of drunkenness, of mental and moral impairment, that subverts logic, reason, and the recognition of the good, the beautiful, and the true (including the very idea of objective truth).— H. W. Crocker III

“There are countless horrible things happening all over the country, and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible.” — Auberon Waugh from H. W. Crocker III

For despite the quite wonderful efforts of two recent popes, we have endured sixty years of ecclesiastical decline, in which “reform” has meant only an abandonment of the liturgical inheritance, and a relaxation of ethical standards. — David Warren

There is therefore no hope of teaching the modern generation to understand Christian morality unless they free themselves from the categories of the modern world and replace them with the perennial philosophy of the Church. — Henry Sire

Why therefore did God create a race divided between men and women? The answer must be that He did so for the sake of the Incarnation. The reason why every human being derives his nature equally from a man and a woman is that that was the only way in which a Being could come into the world who was by nature both God and man. — Henry Sire

The alternative would be to think that God invented an arbitrary order of humanity and then improvised the Incarnation from its accidents; that is the absurdity implied by those absorbed in the assumptions of the world. The truth is the opposite: the human race was devised to make the Incarnation possible. The duality of the sexes is the natural precondition for the supernatural duality of the Incarnation. — Henry Sire

A man is the kind of human being that God devised in whom the Incarnation was to be realized; a woman is the kind of human being that God devised as the vessel of the Incarnation. God could only have become incarnate as a man, because the male sex was formed to represent Him; He could only have become man as the son of a woman, because the female sex was formed to bear Him. — Henry Sire

Abortion, sodomy, pornography lost the legal prohibition and the stigma that they had had before, and an ethos of pagan hedonism conquered what had previously been Christian nations.  We learn from this the free rein that is given to the Devil when the Church and the Vicar of Christ fail in their duty. — Henry Sire

“We need someone who knows the truth and is willing to fight for it – not simply someone who will calculate the path of least resistance to accomplish some good on the margins,” — CatholicVote President Brian Burch

While sexual immorality no longer requires the civil punishment of death, such natural-moral-law violations still bring spiritual death to the souls of those who willingly engage in it.  —Matthew A. Tsakanikas

Penalties of civil law in the Old Testament are not necessary to be kept in the New Testament times. Jesus saved the adulterous woman from being stoned to death and showed that civil law is a matter of prudential decision. Severe penalties should be a last resort. Matthew A. Tsakanikas

Romans 12:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”  For the Romans a sentence of exile was given with a decree of aquae et ignis interdictio… privation of water and fire.  You were to be denied the essentials of life precisely so that you were forced to leave the area or die.  … Hence, heaping coals on a person’s head is the opposite of cruelty.  It is a way of waking them up to their true selves.  As St. Augustine put it, your kindness will burn away your enemy’s hatred. — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Demons are masters of semantic manipulation. … Since the foundations of American life began to crumble in the 1960’s, young people have tested many new waters, but to no avail. The vacuum inside us all is often described as “a God shaped vacuum.”  Nothing on earth can fill that space but the Holy Spirit of the living God. — Michael Bresciani

If the academics, the politicians, and the leaders of this world are believing the generational lies of the day, it is a problem of not knowing who their father is, rather than not knowing where their father is.  If they have Satan as their father, the problem is basically demonic not social, political, or academic. — Michael Bresciani

When feelings run deep, it is especially useful to strive to remain calm and wise and to resist the temptations of uncharity, to hate. St. Thomas More’s prayer to resist temptation is helpful. “Almighty God, assist me with your gracious help so that to the subtle suggestions of the serpent I never so incline the ears of my heart but that my reason may resist them and master my sensuality and keep me from them.” — Cardinal George Pell †

Ancient philosophers (especially the Stoics, who have been making something of a comeback these days among troubled non-Christians) often spoke of a state of ataraxia, seeking to remain untroubled by things going on around you – a very wise habit to cultivate when the political world is very much troubled – both then and now. — Robert Royal

You will never recover so long as you continue to reject your Creator,”  “You may say you believe in God, or a ‘higher power,’ but you really don’t. If you did, you would earnestly seek after what He requires of you, rather than inventing your own version of God to fit your own proclivities.” — Letter from Joshua to his sex and drug addicted sister

“You have rejected the Bible, and you have rejected Christianity, and thus you have rejected the truth,” he continued. “No person who rejects the truth can thrive.”— Letter from Joshua to his sex and drug addicted sister

“There will be distance between us, not because I stand in judgment of you, but because we will not even be speaking the same language, and this seeming endless pattern of destructive behavior will continue unchanged,”— Letter from Joshua to his sex and drug addicted sister

I must set healthy boundaries for myself, and in the process give others I love the permission to erect healthy boundaries themselves. Until you acknowledge your need for God and self-responsibility, there is absolutely nothing I or anyone else can do for you. I will no longer participate in your delusion to the contrary.— Letter from Joshua to his sex and drug addicted sister

The problem I take with that, is that words matter,” she said. “The precision of language is important beyond comprehension. It’s the difference between the clarity of truth or the fog of ambiguity.” “God forbid, we tell them right off the bat that they are called to live a life of chastity; they may run for the hills and won’t ever feel welcome in the Church. I say, let them run then. Not because I don’t desire their coming to Christ, but because the Church’s job is to be the arbiter of truth. What good is their presence in the Church if we’ve misguided their soul” — Nancy Charles, healing from SSA and drugs

“Our job is to deliver the truth to people,” she said. “Not to change language in order to trick them into coming into Church.” — Nancy Charles, healing from SSA and drugs

… many Catholics, especially in the Western countries of traditional Christendom, are discouraged.  I do not present this as a criticism of the pope, or of any of the “Princes of the Church,” for my sense is that they are as confused as we are, and given to miscalculation. If one is Catholic, he is obliged to pray for them; even to pray for their conversion. — David Warren

Let us remember Pope Francis’ serious warning on the threshold of his pontificate: “We can walk as we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, it is not right. We will become a humanitarian NGO, but not the Church, the Lord’s Bride…” — Cardinal Robert Sarah

Let us simply answer with the Word of God and the Magisterium and the traditional teaching of the Church. — Cardinal Robert Sarah

Jesus teaches us to defend unity with God and between us against the attacks of the divider. The divine Word is Jesus’ answer to the devil’s temptation. — Cardinal Robert Sarah

“We do not argue with the devil!” said Pope Francis. We do not negotiate, we do not dialogue; we do not [defeat] him by negotiating with him. We defeat the devil by asserting the divine Word against him with belief. — Cardinal Robert Sarah

The peace that Jesus brings us is not a hollow cloud, it is not worldly peace which is often only an ambiguous compromise, negotiated between the interests and lies of each other —  Cardinal Sarah

I have 3 filters:  My first filter is my conscience, that secret core where I find myself alone with God and wherein I discover a law I do not impose upon myself; and where I hear a voice at the opportune moment, “Do this, shun that.”  Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776. The second and third filter in the deposit of faith, are the Bible and Tradition. If someone with authority tells me I may, can, or should do or believe something, I pass it through these filters.If it is consistent in all 3, I conserve it.  If it is not, I let is pass out, just as kidneys filter waste. — Fr. Richard Perozich

Gift, not grift, is what people are seeking. But the endlessly “kind” Church that pits mercy against truth is a grift of the highest order. — Larry Chapp

“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.” — Ernest Hemingway

“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough.” — Frank Crane

Canon 748. §1. All persons are bound to seek the truth in those things which regard God and His Church and by virtue of divine law are bound by the obligation and possess the right of embracing and observing the truth which they have come to know.

The fact is, most of our forefathers lived and died without ever knowing who the pope was or what he was doing. And this is what normal Catholic life was like for centuries and centuries. Do you think Almighty God had a problem with that? Do you think the Almighty wants you to be concerned with the next thing coming out of the Vatican? — T. S. Flanders

Being Catholic is about the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s about communion with Mary and all the saints and the angels, and the glory of paradise.— T. S. Flanders

The authority of the Church is Tradition, not the pope. The pope is not over Tradition, but is its guardian.— T. S. Flanders

“vice of curiosity.” This is something that has really helped me to understand. This vice is defined by St. Thomas an insatiable desire for “useless knowledge.” It means going after all the information that does not assist you in the duties of your state in life. Rather it does the opposite.— T. S. Flanders

When preached on, it enlightens; when thought on, it enlivens, when called on it smoothes and  soothes. … What do you think caused such a sudden shining of faith’s light throughout the world if not the preaching of the name of Jesus?  Has not God called us into His own wonderful light by the radiance of this name? — St. Bernard, abbot

“We … humbly request in the name of the Lord Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever, that you, Peter, withdraw Fiducia Supplicans and abrogate its recognition of same-sex sexual partnerships and its authorization of the blessing of such partnerships or any other type of disordered relationship,” — Eugene F. Rivers III, Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul…” — GILBERT K. CHESTERTON

Unthinking faithful become easy prey. They are the seed along the path: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart.” (Matthew 13:19) An unthinking magisterium becomes tyrannical, not teaching God’s word authoritatively but just imposing its own power. — Fr. Paul Scalia

There is no blessing, not only in public but also in private, for sinful living conditions that objectively contradict God’s holy will. — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

Priests should proclaim God’s love and goodness to all people and also help sinners and those who are weak and have difficulty in conversion with counsel and prayer. — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

Holy Church never refuses a blessing to sinners who legitimately ask for it: but then, this blessing has no other object than to help the soul to overcome sin in order to live in a state of grace. —Don Davide Pagliarani

All the convoluted language and sophistical dressing up of the document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith cannot hide the elementary and obvious reality of these blessings: they will do nothing more than reinforce these unions in their intrinsically sinful situation, and encourage others to follow them. This will merely be a substitute for Catholic marriage. —Don Davide Pagliarani

It needs to be emphasized, however, that blessing individual persons struggling with sin, but striving to do the will of God and conform their lives to Church teaching, are not only allowed, but strongly encouraged. — Rev. Chris Alar

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his – if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connexion between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling. — St. John Henry Newman quoted by Fr. Peter Stravinskas

The Catholic faith isn’t complicated and comes down to one Thing: Jesus. — Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky

The Catholic Church is not just an earthly organization but a supernatural power that, in our world, keeps other supernatural powers at bay. Metaphysics is not an adjunct to the material universe but prior to it. Angels and demons don’t live in our world; we pass our time in theirs. As any exorcist will tell you, what holds back the evil ones is Christ crucified. The mystery of iniquity is kept in check by the One who overcame it. That One is on the altars of the world, not as decoration but as the last and only defense against a murderous and immortal gang moving among us. Hate is, ultimately, of otherworldly origin. The Church is our refuge from it. Without the Church, we are the Devil’s playthings. — Jason M. Morgan

Globalism is built on this. It’s not a class thing. It’s not an economic or political arrangement. It’s a way of staving off the demons by imitating them, of clustering in a way that undoes allegiance to country, family, and religion. … There is no Holy Ghost where globalism takes hold — no reconciliation, forgiveness, or grace. Globalists and those who have thrown in their lot with them — the exalted who hope to remain among the untargeted — huddle in terrified herdings and call it interconnectivity, a world made one. What looks like a global community is a planetary rehearsal for Hell. The Devil’s greatest trick was to get us to stop believing in him. His second greatest trick has been to get us to act as he does, to hate from within a cavernous, lonely, ruined wasteland, and to call it diversity, equity, and inclusion. — Jason M. Morgan

This Advent, don’t forget that Satan hates you; but more importantly, don’t forget that God loves you—so much so, in fact, that He desired to become like you: flesh and bone, born of a woman, hungry, thirsty, tired, and tempted by the enemy. This is your God. This is the depth of His love for you. This is why Satan hates you. — Jared Noyes

I happen to think that woke death cults are evil so I’m gonna tell people to fall in love, get married and have babies. It’s the best decision a good person will ever make. — Robby Starbuck   Arguing in favor reducing humanity is arguing for genocide. The unborn have no voice.  — Elon Musk

There’s long, legitimate place for synods in the life of the Church (“synodality,” by contrast, is quite a different and doubtful thing, since no one seems to be able to say what it is, or isn’t, other than more people talking). … A pilgrimage has the further advantage of  a journey to a specific destination for a clear purpose, not a perpetual “process. — Robert Royal

Ultracrepidarianism Ne supra crepidam is a Latin expression used to tell others not to pass judgment beyond their expertise.

“Seneca thought that anger is a temporary madness, and that even when justified, we should never act on the basis of it because, though ‘other vices affect our judgment, anger affects our sanity: others come in mild attacks and grow unnoticed, but men’s minds plunge abruptly into anger. … Its intensity is in no way regulated by its origin: for it rises to the greatest heights from the most trivial beginnings.’” — Patrice Lewis

The concept of “It’s not how you feel, it’s how you behave” is a new and possibly difficult philosophy for many people to abide by. Our modern society teaches that emotions and feeeeelings are paramount. Every little perceived micro-aggression must be treated as earth-shattering and personal. The government is literally enshrining emotions (hurt feeeeeelings) into law.— Patrice Lewis

“Stoics reflect on character strengths such as wisdom, patience and self-discipline, which potentially make them more resilient in the face of adversity. — Patrice Lewis

Liberal Catholicism is an exhausted project. Essentially a critique, even a necessary critique at one point in our history, it is now parasitical on a substance that no longer exists. It has shown itself unable to pass on the faith in its integrity and inadequate, therefore, in fostering the joyful self-surrender called for in Christian marriage, in consecrated life, in ordained priesthood. It no longer gives us life. — Cardinal Francis George† from an article by Stephen P. White

The answer is simply Catholicism, in all its fullness and depth, a faith able to distinguish itself from any culture and yet able to engage and transform them all, a faith joyful in all the gifts Christ wants to give us and open to the whole world he died to save. The Catholic faith shapes a church with a lot of room for differences in pastoral approach, for discussion and debate, for initiatives as various as the peoples whom God loves. But, more profoundly, the faith shapes a church which knows her Lord and knows her own identity, a church able to distinguish between what fits into the tradition that unites her to Christ and what is a false start or a distorting thesis, a church united here and now because she is always one with the church throughout the ages and with the saints in heaven. — Cardinal Francis George† from an article by Stephen P. White

The temptation to define ourselves by our sins, and especially by our worst sins, is just that—a temptation. Such is the reason that Satan is so often referred to as The Accuser. We are not defined by our sins but by the baptism that made us children of God.  — Sarah Cain

The basics of spiritual warfare are actually quite simple: stop committing mortal sin and avoid the occult, both of which open our lives to the influence of the enemy. Instead, go to confession, pray every day, and live a sacramental life. Beyond that, we can offer prayers of deliverance to command demons to depart from us, sending them to Jesus to be judged by him. — R. Jared Staudt

General deliverance prayers ask God “to make powerless, banish, and drive out every diabolical power, presence, and machination” (38). There are more specific binding prayers against particular spirits when they can be identified, such as praying against a spirit of anger or another source of affliction (18). Once spirits have been commanded to depart, it is also important to pray for a perimeter of protection to be established around the house and family, invoking Our Lady, St. Michael, and the other angels and saints (39) and to pray against retaliation (40). — R. Jared Staudt

A personal relationship with Christ, which exists in varying degrees when a person believes deeply in the Lord and loves Him as he loves his family and friends. To live, to foster, and to enjoy this relationship – this friendship – the person makes the effort to visit the Lord and receive Him as often as possible, as he would make the effort to spend time with other loved ones. — David G Bonagura, Jr

The goal of evangelization is to lead someone into friendship with Christ. … The Eucharist can be the greatest of evangelizers, since it is Christ Himself leading the charge. – David G Bonagura, Jr

Pope Benedict XVI put it in his post-synodal exhortation  Sacramentum Caritatis, “The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize the goal of all mission: to bring Christ to others.” –David G Bonagura, Jr

Knowledge alone does not move the soul to love … A personal relationship with Christ, which exists in varying degrees when a person believes deeply in the Lord and loves Him as he loves his family and friends. To live, to foster, and to enjoy this relationship – this friendship – the person makes the effort to visit the Lord and receive Him as often as possible, as he would make the effort to spend time with other loved ones. – David G Bonagura, Jr

The idea of progress alone. . .weakens the spirit of sacrifice, nor does it give us an effective antidote to despair. . . .[H]ope does not demand a belief in progress.  It demands a belief in justice: a conviction that the wicked will suffer, that wrongs will be made right, that the underlying order of things will not be flouted with impunity.  Hope implies a deep-seated trust in life that appears absurd to those who lack it.  It rests on a confidence not so much in the future as in the past. .— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

Real history honestly remembered is a master class in reality.  And its main lessons are two: First, humans are inescapably fallible and weak.  But, second, humans also have the capacity for nobility, generosity, genius, and the creation of new life. — .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

“The worst is always what the hopeful are prepared for,” Lasch wrote, because their trust in life would not be worth much if it had not survived disappointments in the past, while [their] knowledge that the future holds further disappointments demonstrates the continuing need for hope.  Believers in progress on the other hand, though they like to think of themselves as the party of hope, actually have little need of hope since they [assume] they have history on their side. But their lack of it incapacitates them for intelligent action.— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

“Progressive ideology weakens the spirit of sacrifice. . . .Nor does it give us an effective antidote to despair” – precisely because it derides and ignores the experience of the past and the wisdom it can teach.— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

What Lasch resented most about postwar American culture was its rejection of any sane limits to human achievement and desire, and its transforming of productive, self-confident adults into dependent, appetite-driven consumers.  What he most detested about our modern elites was their treatment of common, everyday Americans not as thinking, responsible citizens but as ignorant (and potentially dangerous) plebeians unable to stumble through life without expert help.— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

His quarrel with social science was its reduction of the human person from a subject with inherent dignity requiring due respect, to an object in need of re-engineering and careful control.— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

Religious faith asserts the goodness of being in the face of suffering and evil.”— .Christopher Lasch by Francis X. Maier

I’m going to be faithful to Christ.  I am still going to do my best to be a successor of the apostles, but what that looks like in the future I don’t know;  but I don’t believe I can just go quietly into that dark night.  I’ve got to share the light of Christ in a world that needs His truth so desperately. — Joseph Strickland.

“Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it.” — Mike Tyson

… the Incarnate Word’s mandate which is the sole source and measure of their authority: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. . .teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  Should they teach otherwise, they’re abusing their apostolic “teaching office” (magisterium) and we must refuse to follow them. We’re also right to contest the manipulative use of the term “magisterium” to describe their wayward teachings. They have no more magisterial authority to change the Gospel than we do. — Timothy Vavarek

We don’t know – and cannot know – via ordinary human reasoning, where the world and we ourselves come from, or where we are going. For guidance in living with those and other mysteries, reason at its best recognizes that we need Revelation, a revelation from the One who does know. And we have a reasonable Faith, therefore, in what He has delivered. — Robert Royal

the overall message is more Augustinian: we need the divine ordo amoris. “O Thou who art love, set my loves in order.” — Robert Royal

Only the Catholic Church has the full range of cultural resources – thanks to its Jewish roots, Greek philosophy, Roman law, medieval theology, etc. – to bring a universalperspective to the world. Catholic simply means, “according to the whole,” (Gk. kata holos), i.e., universal. — Robert Royal

We don’t simply have a list of doctrines, or even moral principles, or a Creed. We have – uniquely have – a vision of the whole that can fit the many things that God created into an intelligible order: A divine order that we’ve been given and need to keep always in mind to guide us through the many confusions that mark this age in the life of the Church. — Robert Royal

Procreation for human beings is not a matter of merely coming into existence biologically but involves nurturance and education. Therefore, we should engage in procreative acts only in circumstances where we have assurance of being able to procreate in this full sense – which requires holy matrimony, and nothing less. — Michael Pakaluk

The life of a new human being begins at conception, at the very start of pregnancy, and not at some later point such as quickening (as the old law books presumed for the purposes of tort law) or hominization (as Aristotelian biology had set down).  Therefore, this new human being – very different from us, to be sure – was endowed with the same rights as you and I. He cannot be killed for our convenience. Whatever else happens, he must be left as free to develop and grow to maturity.— Michael Pakaluk

As a Polish priest once put it, “a saint is someone unafraid of his biography.”  In thinking about our judgment, rather than asking “what am I going to do with this overweight spiritual baggage?” can we aspire to say, “when God looks at my life, will He be able to say, ‘that’s my son!’ ‘that’s my daughter!’” — John Grondelski

In commanding His apostles, “Do this in memory of me,” Christ transmitted the power of transforming the bread and wine into His body and blood to His apostles, the first bishops, who have, in turn, passed on this same power to every bishop and every priest who has ever lived. At their command, repeated in every Mass, the living and true God becomes present in our midst. The Word dwells among us as He did in Galilee by the power of the sacred words. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

The Eucharist’s purpose is not primarily functional, though it certainly has practical ramifications in the human soul: it heals our brokenness, it removes venial sin, it confers God’s grace, it strengthens us to perform God’s will. Its primary purpose, though, is existential: it brings us into communion with the source and goal of our lives. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive a foretaste of eternal life, where we will live together in direct, unmediated union with God face to face. This is the promise of the Eucharist. — David G Bonagura, Jr.

A sophist does not serve truth, he justifies action and the interest he’s pursuing — Peter Kwasniewski

In today’s world, this means that the pope and the bishops must hold firm to the Church’s mission “for the salvation of the world in Christ” and must not attempt to adapt to or earn the approval of the world by “proving their right to exist” through serving secular ideologies, such the “eco-religion” and “anti-rational woke movement.” — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

“Bishops and theologians who have forgotten that in Christ alone we are given the fullness of grace and truth or who … think they can develop the teachings of Christ according to their own liking, should remember the words of St. Paul: ‘If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ: the Gospel I preached did not come from men … I received it through the Revelation of Christ,’” — Cardinal Müller

 “Men will walk along the edge of a chasm in clear weather, but they will edge miles away from it in a fog. . . .One can meet an assertion with argument; but healthy bigotry is the only way in which one can meet a tendency. . . . Against this there is no weapon at all except a rigid and steely sanity, a resolution not to listen to fads, and not to be infected by diseases.”— G. K. Chesterton presented by Robert Royal

Any philosophy divorced from God—the Ultimate Reality—is rubbish; one person’s subjective opinion is no better than anyone else’s. …  If you have a philosophy that contradicts historical facts and reality, please change your philosophy.  I guarantee you that history, nature, and reality are not going to change.  Not for you or anybody else. … Socialists promise heaven on earth.  It never happens.  It never will happen.  It is an entirely nonsense philosophy, and history has proven it to be so.  When human philosophy meets historical reality, history always wins.— Mark Lewis

One longs for nothing other than the Gospel instead of the wordy documents that are supposed to accompany, summarize, and advance the synodal processes everywhere and en masse, but do not have the power of the spirit of a single parable of Jesus. Instead of God’s words and God’s wisdom, we have to read ad nauseam man’s words and man’s wisdom, paraphrases of the Gospel instead of the Gospel itself. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

In my opinion, however, this is nothing other than a creeping schism, which is being veiled, anointed, and legitimized, no, promoted with the new “synodality.” It will prove more and more to be such a schism as soon as the frustration of the reformers begins to boil over if, even in 2024, the reforms do not go far enough for them and once again prove to be merely words. They will then have had enough of words, words, words, and will follow them up with actions, which they are already doing now. — Bishop Marian Eleganti

Next to the danger of being stigmatized, Cardinal Müller also observed the problematic use of the word “Holy Spirit” during the synod sessions: “It has been quite un-Catholic/unorthodox to always speak of the Spirit without considering that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and not a fluid being, and therefore can only ever be mentioned together with the Son and the Father. Cf. 1 John 4:1sq.” — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

In forming seminarians to be good shepherds who give their own lives for the flock of Christ, we must not indoctrinate them by repeating the neo-Marxist and pseudo-psychological phraseology of the cultural revolution of the last century, but we must orient them in the personal love of Christ with respect to Christian anthropology and moral and social theory as the Council did magnificently in “Gaudium et spes.” — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

The unity of the Church is not established by a compromise formula, but has its origin and constant source in Christ, her Head, who holds together all the members of his body, which is the Church. No one can lay any other foundation than that which is already laid: Jesus Christ. This synod of bishops bears fruit only when we follow the new and straight path of Syn-hodos, the companionship with Christ, that is, when we follow the One who has revealed himself in his person as He Hodos, the way, the truth and the life. — Cardinal Gerhard Müller

It does demand that we bring realism, courage, firmness, and an accurate memory to our modern encounter with Islam – both in the Middle East and here at home… . As Jesus himself said, only he is the way to the Father.  And Muslims do not finally know him.  Without our active witness to the Islamic world, they never will.  — Francis X. Maier

The spirit seems to be the zeitgeist – the spirit of the age -, rather than the Holy Spirit,. who by the way, in all my 35 years of teaching scripture if I can remember, never spoke through small groups and such kind of rigged synod discussions.  Jules Gomes

Made in the image of God, man is meant for eternal communion with God. Our faith in him must guide us in every area of our earthly lives, including the realm of politics and temporal power. — Carl E. Olson  

If regarding any problem the magisterium of John Paul II and Benedict XVI is clear and unambiguous, and instead that of Francis appears ambiguous and susceptible to being interpreted in a direction opposite to theirs, from the principle of continuity it ensues that when we faithful do not understand (and the pope does not explain himself), we can calmly turn to his predecessors and follow their teaching as if it were his, since he himself guarantees us that there is no discontinuity. In fact, the religious assent of intellect and will can only be given to what we understand correctly: we cannot assent to a statement whose meaning is not clear to us. — Leonardo Lugaresi on Cardinal Gerhard Müller

What today chooses instead to remain ambiguous also remains irrelevant to conscience, precisely by reason of its equivocality in comparison with what was clearly defined in the past. It is, if I may say so, kept in custody by the principle of continuity. Only at such time as the pope should declare, without ambiguity, that one need no longer give assent to the magisterium of his predecessors because it has been abrogated by his own, then indeed such custody would fall. But at that point much else would fall. And we can trust that this will not happen. — Leonardo Lugaresi

And it is a simple and safe way out. If in fact doctrine is deemed unchanged, and has come to us in a clear form, it is on it that we must rely, should the words and actions of the reigning pope be ambiguous and imprecise. — Leonardo Lugaresi

For a Christian, the God who in Jesus Christ binds himself heart and hand to us men who endured being human for us and among us even unto death and beyond death, is the center of Christianity. The whole quarrel in the history of religions … ends consequently with the gift of love that presupposes the personal being of God. Therefore, for man, too, it ends with the fact that he fully becomes a person by accepting the gift of being loved by God and by handing it on. (28-29) — Dr. R. Jared Staudt quoting Benedict XVI from What Is Christianity?  The Last Writings.

Bishops have no more ability to judge whether taxes should go up or down, whether the trade deficit is too high or not, what level of immigration is best, or what the minimum wage should be than anyone else, even if they are truly holy bishops.  The charism of apostolic authority does not guarantee civic prudence. Thus, ecclesiastical authorities who opine publicly on such practical matters, while ignoring the killing of pre-born children, have mistaken the nature of their charism and authority. — Randall Smith

Instead of constantly looking to Rome, lay Catholics should constantly look to Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We should not be perpetually anxious and troubled by what is going on in Rome. Instead, we should keep our focus fixed on the one thing that matters (Luke 10:41-42). — Daniel Waldow

In the last year, I have witnessed the blessings of same-sex unions in Mainz, Germany.  These were sad affairs for people desperately seeking something.  … The priests who conducted the blessings seemed more interested in burnishing their progressive reputations, and proudly proclaiming their rejection of Catholic teaching on sacramental marriage, than in the care of souls. In the end, there was a lot of showmanship but absolutely no thought given to the future of the lives of these couples. It was all very transactional, sadly secular, one party using the other.  Christ wept.   … The sole mission of the Church is to bring people into an encounter with Jesus Christ and into His presence through the sacraments.  A blessing of the union of two people living in objective sin is a sad facsimile for sacramental grace.  Homosexual persons deserve better and so do the People of God.— Michelle McAloon

Whatever is objectively morally unacceptable is also subjectively morally unacceptable. No one can exempt himself from God’s law by claiming it does not apply to him for some self-interested reason. When someone wants to commit a sin, and denies that it is a sin, this does not make it suddenly no longer a sin. — Fr. Gerald E. Murray

Pastors are called to make that law known to sinners, and to warn them to refrain from any behavior that violates God’s law, no matter what they may claim to justify their behavior. The claim that one is often unable to fulfill God’s commandments may be true – due to weakness and bad habits. But it is false if it means that obedience to God’s commandments, with the help of God’s grace, is impossible.— Fr. Gerald E. Murray

But once you begin modifying Christian doctrine, you cannot stop.  Or even if you personally happen to stop, the people you inspired – for instance, your children and grandchildren – won’t be able to stop.  Step by step, the doctrinal content of Christianity will shrink.  Eventually it will wither away. — David Carlin

In practice, there are no “unbelievers.”  We all believe in something.  That includes every self-described cynic and agnostic, because claiming to believe in nothing is itself a choice to believe – since “nothing” is still a something that involves a choice.  We then build our systems of reasoning and our perceptions of the world on the foundation of our beliefs. — Francis X. Maier

We Americans are a deeply pragmatic, results-driven people. The words novus ordo seclorum – “a new order of the ages“ – are stamped right on the Great Seal of the United States.  They’ve been there since the founding.  This makes us enormously creative and productive. It also, absent a vigorous Biblical faith, makes us the most thoroughly materialist, practically atheist nation in history.  As Biblical faith has declined, we’ve simply switched our religious instinct – our need to sacralize something or someone – to our tools; in other words, to science and technology.  That’s where we really place our trust.  They “deliver the goods,” here and now, in a way that prayer to an invisible God seemingly can’t. — Francis X. Maier

So if we want to turn the world right side up; if we want a more humane and godly future, we need to start by recovering who we are and why we’re here.  That requires the work of remembering; going back to the Word of God and the arduously learned wisdom of our Catholic teachings and tradition.  It requires living like we really mean what we claim to believe.  Not just at home, not just in our hearts, but in our public words and actions. — Francis X. Maier

The tragic temptation to eviscerate the meaning of His [Jesus’] Life through a so-called universalism that renders Him meaningless is a great manifestation of the evil we face today — Bishop Joseph Strickland

There is only one way to eternal life: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. — Bishop Joseph Strickland

In our ongoing journey of faith, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is of critical importance, and we all need to understand that it is a loving encounter with the same Jesus Christ who we receive in the Eucharist. — Bishop Joseph Strickland

Baptism of course is the necessary sacrament of our initial repentance, conversion, and incorporation into the Christian life. It frees us from original sin and gives us sanctifying grace, allowing us to share in His life and love— Bishop Joseph Strickland

As we deepen our understanding of the sacraments, and in particular the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Reconciliation (also called Confession or Penance), we are drawn more deeply into the metanoia we are all called to embrace.— Bishop Joseph Strickland

It is through repentance and sacramental confession that every battle with temptation and sin can be a small victory that leads us to embrace the great victory that Christ has won for us — Bishop Joseph Strickland

We can only reestablish a life of grace through the One who is infinite. — Bishop Joseph Strickland

This line of thinking sometimes progresses to our assuming that salvation will ultimately be offered to all people simply because God is infinitely merciful, and therefore all men will be saved. This is the error of universalism. — Bishop Joseph Strickland

We are all sinners, and we are all in need of a Savior because we are all born into original sin and, therefore, subject to its consequences.) — Bishop Joseph Strickland

He [Jesus] has given us the way, through His grace, to victory over sin and death through repentance and sacramental confession.— Bishop Joseph Strickland

“The belief that all men and women will be saved regardless of how they live their lives (a concept commonly referred to as universalism) is false and is dangerous, as it contradicts what Jesus tells us repeatedly in the Gospel. Jesus says we must ‘deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.’ (Matt 16:24) — Bishop Joseph Strickland

There are people who are experts on how to hold meetings, how to control the message and direction of meetings, changing minds, creating consensus, etc. … You learn early that breaking people into small groups into which you have inserted a committed leader who can wear down opposition is key.   There have to be full-koolaid-slaked agents on deck who can – let’s mix the metaphors even more – nip things in the bud. —  Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on the format of diocesan synods and the synod on synodality

It’s remarkable how when people “wrestle with their consciences” (modern style), they – not conscience – so often win.  – Robert Royal

Your guardian angel passed his moment of trial and became confirmed in grace because he glimpsed who you are supposed to be in God and chose to do everything in his power to bring that vision into reality. — Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

Today, many pretend to be Catholic while denying the Words of Christ.  He says that adultery is bad, they say it is not really that bad (in certain circumstances.)  He says that the just punishment for sin is death, they say that the human person is so dignified in his nature, that he never deserves death.  He commands his disciples to leave the towns that won’t listen to the Word; they say that we should work for a “more inclusive Church.”  The tedious list goes on. More than ever do we need St. Michael to stab the mouths of Satan and his slaves.  More than ever do we need to imitate Mary in her fidelity to Christ’s words. — Fr. Peter Miller OSB

I came to understand that through the Communion of Saints, we have the ability to ask the “Church triumphant” (those in Heaven) to pray for us. I saw that praying to Saints is not worship but is a request for their intercession. I began to see the beauty and wisdom of asking those in Heaven, who are living in for eternity in God’s presence, to pray for us. After all, Jesus often healed people as a result of another person’s faithful request for that healing, such as in the healing of the centurion’s servant in Matthew 8:5-13. And Christ’s own statement that “He is not God of the dead but of the living” (Mark 12:27). — Lindsay Baxter

I used to think that the Saints got in the way of a relationship with Jesus. But I now see that they help us develop a deeper relationship with Him. The Christian life is hard. And the Church, in her wisdom, holds up particular people—the Saints—as examples of those who lived the Christian life well. They had their struggles and faults like we all do, but they continually said yes to God and allowed His love to transform them and create a beautiful masterpiece out of their lives. — Lindsay Baxter

The pastoral reality is the opposite in fact, and the typical person is not so much concerned with “am I welcome in this Church?” as they are with the question, “What is attractive and interesting to me about this Church?” Boredom is the deeper existential threat to our parishes—boredom with an utterly non-provocative Church constantly chasing after the latest boutique shop issues—and this boredom with the Church is grinding her down. —Larry Chapp

We must choose what form our sanctity will take in today’s world of a nullified God. And that will require a true listening to the Spirit of the crucified and risen Christ and not the whisperings of the zeitgeist on superficial hot button issues. —Larry Chapp

The great, indisputable, reasonable misfortune is death. … Revolutionaries interest me, but they have misunderstood the question. They can arrange a better world; we will always have to move. Scientists are a bit childish. They still believe they kill death…; they kill ways of dying: rabies, smallpox. Death is doing just fine.  —Larry Chapp

This is the Christian revolution. It is the revolution of a new intimacy which alone slakes our entire thirst for the ek-stasis of love. And it is a love which alone has no boundaries and no limits, and which cannot be transgressed by being trumped by something “more” or “higher.” — Larry Chapp

The rise of a totally transgressive culture devoted to the erasure of the last vestiges of tradition, natural law, classical morality, religion, sexual mores, and the very concept of “boundaries” has nullified the God linked to such things as an ongoing concern. — Larry Chapp

the roots of such faith are shallow in many believers, which has led to the modern spectacle of the unbelief of the believers.  … there is a loss of the sense of intimacy with Christ with a consequent loss of a sense of participation in the cruciform structure of His existence.— Larry Chapp

Lacking a true Christocentric, cruciform radicality, traditionalism is not nearly traditional enough, Catholic progressivism is not progressive at all but simply the parroting of intellectual fashion, and standard form “conservative” Catholicism is simply Whig-bourgeois liberalism at prayer. — Larry Chapp

I have no “program” or “strategy” for the best way forward in our evangelization. And that is because this is not something that can be “thought out” in advance in some ersatz committee and published as a series of documents from the bishop’s conference, as if the spiritual crisis we face can be met through the development of new bureaucratic maneuverings.    The solution is going to have to bubble-up from below as new saints emerge and new forms of sanctity are inspired by the Holy Spirit in ways that elude anything that can be captured in “listening sessions.”— Larry Chapp

Therefore, the true revolution can only be recovered —as it has always been recovered—by the emergence of the creativity of the saints.— Larry Chapp