Reality is often a bitter pill to swallow. A good comedian is very intelligent and has a keen sense of irony. Irony requires the ability to contrast the way things are with the way things should be. Religion has similar qualities. Intelligent irony without faith may be amusing, but often...

Among the joys of entering the twilight years of one’s priesthood is the memory of looking back on the “Spirit of Vatican II” in the decades that followed the Council. Except for important pockets of Catholic sanity, the seminary (back in those days) was mostly doctrinally...

Various psychological tests claim to promote self-understanding. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, for example, helps us identify our personality types. Years ago—perhaps less so today—the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was used to screen out potential psychopaths from sensitive...

Those of us who lived through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s understand the gradual breakdown of taboos. Playful rock and roll music (“I want to hold your hand”) devolved over the years into drug-crazed acid rock and even rape lyrics (don’t ask). When we heard the lyrics (always a...

The Church has just undergone a momentous schism. The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ordained bishops without papal approval and suffered ecclesial excommunication. Since the Council of Jerusalem, described in the Acts of the Apostles, the Church has convened councils of bishops to discuss...

The crucifix affixed above the altar signifies that the Sacrifice of the Mass participates in the one Sacrifice of Jesus for our redemption. The Cross defines our worship and provides the path to salvation. But the roadmaps of redemption and salvation vary in the post-Reformation era of fragmented...

When someone walks into a Catholic church, there are often different reactions. Regular parishioners feel at home. Visitors compare it—sometimes favorably, sometimes not—to what they know from their own parishes. Non-Catholics may feel anything from indifference to a quiet pull of attraction. That...

Jesus says, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk. 14:11) Humility is a virtue that avoids arrogant self-estimation. Integral prayer helps us to know our limitations. The Gospel reveals Jesus’ ceaseless prayers to the Father. Jesus is...

In 1510, Dominican friars arrived in Santo Domingo and refused absolution to colonists who would not repent of their exploitation of the Indians. The refusal was not cruelty; it was spiritual medicine. Among those shaken was Bartolomé de las Casas, a landowner whose estates relied on forced Indian...

An amusing Jewish-mother joke worthy of a Seinfeld episode goes like this: A mother telegraphs her daughter with an urgent message. “Bad news coming tomorrow, begin worrying today.” The account of Mary and Martha in the Gospel is lovely. The gentle repetition of Martha’s name is a charming...