Mary heard God’s word and kept it, and so she is blessed. She kept God’s truth in her mind, a nobler thing than carrying his body in her womb. The truth and the body were both Christ: he was kept in Mary’s mind insofar as he is truth, he was carried in her womb insofar[…]
Month: November 2025
Our Lady’s Presentation, and the Perfect Gift of Self
The Presentation of Mary – commemorating Our Lady’s dedication and consecration to God as a young girl of about three years old in the Temple – is found in none of the four traditional Gospels, but rather related in the apocryphal ‘Gospel of James’, which dates from the beginning of the third century. However, as[…]
Francis, Leo and ‘Climate Change’
We’ve written before of the story that Pope Pius XII wanted to use the theory of the ‘Big Bang’ – first proposed by the priest Father Georges Lemaitre in 1929 – in an encyclical to ‘prove’ the doctrine of creation ex nihilo. Father Lemaitre demurred, advising the Pontiff that his theory – which he had[…]
Hot Air Hypocrisy
Irony may be defined as something that goes against expectation, especially radically so. It is the basis of much of literature and films – the small guy who defeats the far larger opponent. David and Goliath – the ruddy runt of Jesse’s brood, defeating with a simple sling and a handful of smooth rocks the[…]
Faith is like a bright ray of sun light. It enables us to see God in all things as well as all things in God. (Saint Francis de Sales, +1622)
Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter, Paul – and the Path to Rome
Today’s memorial marks the dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul – following upon that of the Lateran Basilica last week. More specifically, this is the anniversary of the consecration of the two versions of Saint Peter’s basilica, and more on that shortly. The feast reminds us of the importance of the one,[…]
Did the Founders of America Fear Religion?
Ever since the New Atheism crowd emerged several decades ago, there has been an ongoing campaign to nullify the great historical importance of Christianity throughout Western Civilization. Indeed, efforts continue to be made to prove that Jesus never existed (see my previous article at Catholic Insight, “How Do We Know Christ Really Lived?”). Brooke Allen[…]
Pope Benedict and Elizabeth of Hungary
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Saint Peter’s Square Wednesday, 20 October 2010 Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to speak to you about one of the women of the Middle Ages who inspired the greatest admiration; she is St Elizabeth of Hungary, also called St Elizabeth of Thuringia. Elizabeth[…]
An Intriguing Take on the Titles of Our Lady
Here’s an intriguing take on the controversy surrounding the titles of Our Lady recently deemed ‘inopportune’ by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The key argument is summed up in the final section: Likewise, all of us are called to be mediators or instruments of his grace, a role we carry out whenever,[…]
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
The saint today is one of the patrons of Hungary, Elizabeth (+1320), the niece of Saint Hedwig of Silesia, (+1243) whom we celebrated in October. Elizabeth belongs to the ’24’ club – saints who died at that youthful age, or thereabouts – Saint Therese, Pier Giorgio, Gemma Galgani – all having fulfilled much in a[…]