Bless you and yours, As well as the cottage you live in. May the roof overhead be well thatched, And those inside be well matched. (An Irish proverb)
Month: November 2024
High Virtue, Low Virtue, and the Dangers of Moral Self-righteousness
One of the most mysterious statements in all philosophy comes from the Taoist sage Lao Tzu, who proclaims in the Tao Teh Ching: “High virtue is not virtuous; therefore, it has virtue. Low virtue never loses its virtuousness; therefore, it has no virtue.”[1] At first glance, this saying appears so paradoxical as even to be[…]
Roger Bacon: Seer of Science
(We are soon approaching the feast of Saint Albert the Great, Dominican, teacher of Saint Thomas, and patron saint of scientists on the 15th of this month. As a prelude, here is a reflection from contributor Carl Sundell on Albert’s Franciscan predecessor, Roger Bacon) Ed. Roger Bacon was a contemporary of the great theologian Thomas[…]
Saint Stanislaus Kostka: Travelling Far in a Short Time
Saint Stanislaus Kostka – who died in 1568 just a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday – is one of the most popular saints in Poland. His short life demonstrates two primary lessons: That much can be done in little time, and that whatever time we are given here on earth, it’s all given[…]
Mother Cabrini’s Lasting Legacy
In the United States, November 13th is the memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, or ‘Mother Cabrini’ (1850 – 1917) as she came to be known. From her earliest years, she was drawn to religious and missionary life. Although of frail health limi- or perhaps because of such, as God works best through our weakness[…]
The Perpetual Power of the Holy Rosary
(Eph 6:12) “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” China’s growing hostility towards Taiwan, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all mean the world has never “been closer to[…]
I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:20-21)
The peace of the celestial city is the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God, and of one another in God. The peace of all things is the tranquility of order. Order is the distribution which allots things equal and unequal, each to its own place (Saint Augustine, +430)
Saint Martin and Remembrance
Today is Saint Martin’s Day, (+397), a former soldier in the Roman empire who, inspired by the edifying example of the Christians, decided as a ten year old to convert to Catholicism (people grew up earlier back then). His pagan father objected, and Martin served as a Catholic in the mostly pagan Roman army, completing[…]
Blessed John Duns Scotus, One of the Great Lights of the Franciscan Order, the Church and the world
On the 8th day of November, the Franciscan Order celebrated its important beati, John Duns Scotus. This famous Scottish Franciscan reverbated God’s knowledge and holiness throughout the centuries. In his Apostolic Letter in honour of John Duns Scotus, Alma Parens, Pope St Paul VI praised Scotus’ with these words: Saint Francis of Assisi’s most beautiful ideal[…]