Saints

St Martin of Tours

DVRodriguez2021-11-20T13:28:06-05:00

Holiness consists in following and imitating Christ and His saints. Consider the life of St. Martin of Tours, a great bishop and confessor. Though born of pagan parents, he had a burning charity for Christ. He destroyed many pagan temples, converted many, and opposed heresies. He built many churches and insisted the faithful act reverently therein. St. Martin performed many miracles, even raising the dead. He practiced intense mortification and is a founder of Western Monasticism. Christian Europe held great celebrations on his feast (Martinmas) and the penitential aspect of Advent traces its origins to St Marin's Lent. May his life [...]

St Martin of ToursDVRodriguez2021-11-20T13:28:06-05:00

Never Deformed Never Reformed

DVRodriguez2021-10-14T07:27:41-04:00

St. Bruno of Cologne (+1101) founded the Carthusians after witnessing the revival of the corpse of a man condemned for all eternity. This order is considered to be the most ascetic. It has never experienced radical change. The Order has never needed to be reformed because has never been deformed. The Carthusian motto: 'The Cross Stands Still While the World Turns.' The world is always restless. Modern man is rarely at peace and easily distracted. Covid and the vaccine have caused great disruptions. The Church too is greatly agitated from within. Yet tradition remains firm and consistent. Our love for the [...]

Never Deformed Never ReformedDVRodriguez2021-10-14T07:27:41-04:00

Take Back the Moral High Ground

DVRodriguez2021-07-12T09:05:08-04:00

In any battle, it is more advantageous to hold the higher ground. John the Baptist held moral superiority over adulterous Herod. John's preaching based on divine authority trumps the opinions of fallen men. Yet today's cultural war suffers from a revolutionary inversion. Church leaders ceded the high ground by choosing to dialogue with the world, trumpeting tolerance and coexistence. Religious indifference and moral ecumenism dominate our pulpits. The anti-prophets now demand affirmation and approval of heinous sins, while condemning and silencing all opposition. They are moral crusaders fully committed to their cause while the Church weakly whispers and compromises. One may [...]

Take Back the Moral High GroundDVRodriguez2021-07-12T09:05:08-04:00

The Cloak of St Joseph

DVRodriguez2021-06-28T04:07:51-04:00

Holy Joseph of the Old Testament serves as a type prefiguring St. Joseph. Numerous details lead us to this spiritual insight, including his parentage, his cloak, his purity, his royalty, and his dreams. Yet the fulfillment is always greater than the prefigurement. He was Christ's example of manhood and an icon of God the Father for the Christ Child. He is the exemplar of what all human fathers should be. See good St. Joseph as a true example of holy masculinity and as a real father to you every day. The Church also possesses several relics from him: his leather belt, [...]

The Cloak of St JosephDVRodriguez2021-06-28T04:07:51-04:00

The Virus of Cowardice

DVRodriguez2021-05-30T05:52:02-04:00

It is extraordinary what fear has done to us as a people. Despite the tremendous decline in virus related cases, which happened well before the introduction of any vaccine, the fear continues. Masks have become part of everyday life. Segregation is back: the vaccinated are ‘privileged’ but others are treated as ‘lepers.’ We have become silly and weak. We are afraid to die. Why? Because we are filled with a worldly spirit as opposed to the Holy Ghost. Can we ever see in our day anything similar to what martyrs and previous Catholics did for the glory of God? Consider the [...]

The Virus of CowardiceDVRodriguez2021-05-30T05:52:02-04:00

St Sebastian and the Purge

DVRodriguez2021-03-28T06:13:29-04:00

St Sebastian joined the Roman army to assist Christians being persecuted by pagan officials. Yet he so distinguished himself by excellent service to the empire that he became commander of the emperor's personal praetorian guard. He survived one execution, rebuked the most powerful man in the world, and suffered a 'second martyrdom.' We have experienced many disappointments this past year and are filled with concerns. I encourage you to fight for the faith and endure whatever trials may come your way. Be alert! A great purge is in progress. Nevertheless, like St. Sebastian we can live and work in this passing [...]

St Sebastian and the PurgeDVRodriguez2021-03-28T06:13:29-04:00

Rejoice Over the Crosses God Sends You

DVRodriguez2021-03-21T15:56:06-04:00

Today, the Church calls those who have been in sorrow to rejoice. This joy is not one connected to pleasures of the senses, but is a fruit of the Holy Ghost which brings great peace and tranquility of soul. It is a spiritual joy that comes from following Christ. It is a lenten joy that does not come without the Cross. It is a joy that comes through much pain and sorrow, yet it endures (unlike the passings joys of the senses). The Cross alone nourishes our love of God. So rejoice and be glad when God favors you with one [...]

Rejoice Over the Crosses God Sends YouDVRodriguez2021-03-21T15:56:06-04:00

Never Jesus Without His Cross

DVRodriguez2021-03-19T08:10:46-04:00

We must always adore Christ - that is at the center of our holy religion. We just die to our self love and offer Him our body, mind and heart. Yet no one can truly adore Christ without adoring His holy Cross. Our love of God is weak because our love of the Cross is weak and our rejection of the Cross all too frequent. Attachment to the world and love of self are so strong in us, that we must unceasingly strive to purify ourselves by fasting, prayer and almsgiving. This is the only way to grow in our love [...]

Never Jesus Without His CrossDVRodriguez2021-03-19T08:10:46-04:00

Te Deum Laudamus

DVRodriguez2021-03-18T05:11:25-04:00

Many people were longing for an end to the year 2020. But perhaps we overestimate just how bad the year was. The Church officially responds to the end of every year by giving thanks to God and providing indulgences. Yes, there were many terrible things, but like the saints and holy Job, let us recognize the Hand of God in disasters and thank Him for it. As Christians we know that all things, save sin, come from the will of God. Let us thank God for 2020. It was a year in which we learned more about ourselves as a people [...]

Te Deum LaudamusDVRodriguez2021-03-18T05:11:25-04:00

Saint Joseph the Sidelined

DVRodriguez2023-05-01T11:35:21-04:00

Not only is St. Joseph silent and hidden in Scripture, but he was often sidelined. For example, he was excluded from Simeon's prophecy and was 'imprisoned' in Limbo during the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord. Many of the terrible sufferings he patiently bore are prefigured by the Patriarch Jospeh. Yet the glory of his bodily resurrection is prefigured in the Ark (type of Our Lady) and the bones of Joseph (type for him) which crossed over the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. If you think "I looked for help but found none," then go to St. Joseph!

Saint Joseph the SidelinedDVRodriguez2023-05-01T11:35:21-04:00