Hope and History, Hope in God

I chanced upon a slim volume this year, by an author whom I greatly admire, Thomist philosopher Josef Pieper. In the midst of what seems a rather ‘hopeless’ year – from one perspective – I read his Hope and History which, as the title promised, provided some buoyance from that all-too-neglected and misunderstood virtue, the middle child between faith and charity. Pieper’s point is one that bears repeating, from Saint Paul, to Pope Benedict, that our hope is not in this world. This may sound sort of trite, but, when men drunk with power and ambition strive to instantiate the obverse – that our hope is only in this world – grave evil ensues. This, as Pieper and our Faith declare, is the spirit of antichrist, the pseudo-and-secular messianism, the false saviour, who will lie and murder to construct a utopia here on earth. Manducemus et bibamus, cras enim moriemur – let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die. A stark message in these Covidian days, that our life is most definitely not about eking out one more dismal day, as we slouch towards entropy, annihilation and eternal oblivion.

How different, how much more joyful are the good tidings of Christianity! That the world was indeed created ‘good’, and man and woman ‘very good. But as good as these good things are, we are a pilgrimage to something far, far greater. Our neither our history, nor our Church, are ordered to an ever-greater ascendancy, towards some omega point of evolution and perfection, a veritable humanist paradise. Rather, this world will be consumed in a cataclysm – or, better, its ‘passing form’, and all of its material – the goodness and virtues, the ‘treasure’ of which Christ speaks – will be transfigured into the Kingdom that will have no end.

There are adumbrations here of Pope Benedict’s 2008 encyclical Spe Salvi, on the theme of salvific hope, and why Christians should never lose their ‘anchor’ and perspective; why so many martyrs went so joyfully to their deaths; and why countless saints accepted suffering as a treasure from God.

Let us never lose that hope, founded on that good news from Christ, which truly sets us free.

Prope est iam Dominus: Venite adoremus!

Carney’s Amoral Majority

After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→

Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress

This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→

A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop

As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→

A Tale of Two Benedicts

A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→

My Name is Bernadette

April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→

Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk

As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→

Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully

Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→

The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus

As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→

Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace

Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→

Payette’s Payout

I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→