Liturgical Year

Concerning Mary Never Enough

svfonline2019-06-01T10:28:08-04:00

De Maria numquam satis. Your can never praise, honor, love, exalt or serve Mary enough. You can never sing enough Marian hymns or recite enough of her chaplets, prayers, and litanies, or put enough flowers before her statues and icons. As De Montfort states: all the external glory which Heaven and earth vie with each other to give her is nothing compared to what she has received interiorly from her Creator. In other words, the Almighty has done great things for her; therefore, we should not be hesitant or ashamed to do anything and everything for her and for her honor.

Concerning Mary Never Enoughsvfonline2019-06-01T10:28:08-04:00

Widows and Orphans

svfonline2019-06-01T05:09:12-04:00

Our society has been attacked by a great enemy - Feminism. We have suffered the loss of our husbands and fathers and become a society of widows and orphans (in biblical terms, that denotes those who are in great tribulation, suffering and need). Feminism, created in the 1800s, seeks to eliminate patriarchy and masculine vocations. It wages its war in two ways: [1] by masculinizing women and [2] by feminizing men. We must get over the lie that feminism can ever be good -- it only has rotten fruit. How to resolve this? [1] Reject the evil and purge ourselves from [...]

Widows and Orphanssvfonline2019-06-01T05:09:12-04:00

Unity of One Flock

svfonline2019-05-30T10:20:43-04:00

Let us consider the desire we have for unity and how best to nourish it. Christ calls us to be one as He and the Father are one. He is the only Gate by which to enter Heaven, and thus He has established one Church in which all are to be united in the one true Faith. There is no unity without truth, but a sign of truth is unity. Hence it is one of the marks of the Church. Unity has great attractive power. We can only find it in Tradition and by submitting, not to the spirit of the [...]

Unity of One Flocksvfonline2019-05-30T10:20:43-04:00

Memory is Powerful

svfonline2019-05-29T12:06:58-04:00

“These things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized … yea the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth a service to God … But these things have I told you, that when the hour shall come, you may REMEMBER that I told you of them.” We live in a time of many scandals with many people falling away. We live in a time when Christians are being killed simply for being Christian. Although trials for Christians have always been present, they are presently becoming more universal and closer to home. Our Lord [...]

Memory is Powerfulsvfonline2019-05-29T12:06:58-04:00

Crimes of Homicide-Deicide

svfonline2019-05-29T12:02:43-04:00

The charges of homicide and Deicide were dropped on Easter Sunday, for the Body of the Victim is now risen. Murder charges on Good Friday make no sense with the Resurrection three days later. But having been freed from these charges, let us not crucify Jesus again by our own personal sins.

Crimes of Homicide-Deicidesvfonline2019-05-29T12:02:43-04:00

NotreDame Abandoned Mother

svfonline2019-05-29T11:59:50-04:00

Children who visit their mothers regularly are sorrowful when they see her die, but their grieving is healthy and natural. They are sad but still hopeful. But children who distanced themselves from their mother, even abandoning her in her old age, are struck with a grief at their mother’s death … a grief that can be coupled with a deep guilt. Now consider the scene which horrified us all - Notre Dame burning. Parisians gazed upon their mother dying and they were filled with grief … and with guilt, for so many have abandoned Holy Mother Church. Let us make sure [...]

NotreDame Abandoned Mothersvfonline2019-05-29T11:59:50-04:00

Supreme Act of Christs Infinite Love

svfonline2019-05-20T07:13:19-04:00

The Supreme act of Christ's infinite love is constantly renewed upon the altars of His Church. The Mass is the culmination and center of the Christian religion. It should thus be obvious that this has to be most stable (the rock of our Faith), for if it is radically changed, what will happen to the entire Catholic religion? At the Mass, we offer perfect adoration and thanksgiving to God (incredible!) and God's grace and mercy descends upon us. At Mass, the merits won by our Divine Redeemer are made available to us. Participating actively at Mass is the baptized's chief duty [...]

Supreme Act of Christs Infinite Lovesvfonline2019-05-20T07:13:19-04:00

Faith Like Our Lady

svfonline2019-05-19T22:52:37-04:00

Faith is the virtue by which we firmly believe all the truths God has revealed on the word of God revealing them. it is impossible to be saved without faith. This is a grace which only God can give and He wills to give it to all. Many refuse it. Many fail to nourish it by not studying their catechism or by neglecting the practice of religion. It can wither when one needlessly exposed to things opposed to the faith or via unnecessary interaction with people opposed to the faith or shameless living contrary to it. Nor should one actively doubt, [...]

Faith Like Our Ladysvfonline2019-05-19T22:52:37-04:00

Motherhood and Priesthood

svfonline2019-05-19T22:41:31-04:00

It is helpful to consider how various faithful members of the Mystical Body of Christ act as branches on the vine, supplying what is needed for dying branches to be saved or for dead branches to return to life. This theme naturally leads us to focus on priests, especially in light of the current crisis in the Church. However, on this Mother’s Day, let us consider the connection between motherhood and the holy priesthood. Sacrifice is essential to both. Holy mothers help raise good priests. In particular, let us examine two historical cases: Concepcion "Conchita" Cabrera de Armida (1862-1937) from Mexico [...]

Motherhood and Priesthoodsvfonline2019-05-19T22:41:31-04:00

Two Kinds of Shepherds

svfonline2019-05-12T07:31:51-04:00

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us reflect upon one important way shepherds become good and stay good. A pithy statement expressing this principle is “There are two kinds of priests, those for whom people pray for and those for whom people do not.” I first heard this when the terrible priest scandals were coming to light around the turn of the 21st century. Two historical examples which help illustrate this truth are: St. Nicholas of Cusa (+1464) and Bishop Wilhelm Ketteler of Mainz (+1877).

Two Kinds of Shepherdssvfonline2019-05-12T07:31:51-04:00