—- See also, Dickens and Thomas Malthus, the father of global population control. Melvyn Bragg and guests (In Our Time, BBC) discuss Charles Dickens’ novella, written in 1843 when he was 31, which has become intertwined with his reputation and with Christmas itself. Ebenezer Scrooge is the miserly everyman figure whose joyless obsession with money… Read More Dickens and the meanings of ‘A Christmas Carol’. Melvyn Bragg.
From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis., 15th Century. God help us. “… a humble tiller of the land who serves God is better than a proud philosopher who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not… Read More On Striving to be Small Towards Christmas.
Jesus Christ: “given unto us” (Isa 9.6): This “true Man” has been the subject of the most sublime contemplation, worship, and love imaginable for over two thousand years. Even agnostics marvel over his Person and teachings. And His enemies, of whatever variety, obsess over Him to this very day. For in that crib, the Church… Read More Jesus Christ, Light of the World
Advent and Penance “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust,adulterers, or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week, I give tithes of… Read More “Extortioners, adulterers, tax collectors…”
The Imitation of Christ, and the Contempt of All the Vanities of the World. Ch. 1. HE that followeth me, walketh not in dark-saith our Lord. Jn 8:12. These are the words of Christ, by which we are admonished, that we must imitate his life and manners, if we would be truly enlightened, and delivered… Read More The doctrine of Christ surpasses all the doctrines of the saints
“Our whole life ought to be one continued penance“. Joel 2:12: “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all of your heart,with fasting, weeping, and with mourning“ “if the wicked do penance. . . . .I will not remember all his iniquities.”—Ezek.xviii.21 The Nature and the Necessity of Penance — > “As soon as… Read More Frs. Francis Spirago, Richard F. Clarke On Penance
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen writes, “If we save our life in this world, we lose it in the next; if we lose our life in this world, we save it in the next. If we sow in sin, we reap corruption; if we sow in truth, we reap life everlasting. But we cannot do both.… Read More The fast or the feast?
“THE first purification to be made is from mortal sin. The means whereby to make it is the sacrament of penance. Seek the best confessor within your reach, use one of the many little books [if needed] written in order to help the examination of conscience. Read some such book carefully, examining point by point… Read More The First Purification. By St. Francis de Sales.
“The Saint is a medicine because he is an antidote. Indeed that is why the saint is often a martyr; he is mistaken for a poison because he is an antidote. He will generally be found restoring the world to sanity by exaggerating whatever the world neglects, which is by no means always the same… Read More Saints of Flesh and Blood
By Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, O.C.D O my Savior, Word of God, how can I doubt that You are coming upon earth to save and sanctify me? Why do I not go to You with complete, loving confidence, when You have spared nothing to show me Your infinitely merciful love? Your Incarnation, Your… Read More The Greater Interior Silence of Advent
Catholic Critique 