29 March AD 2024

HOLY MONDAY EDITION

The Restoration & Dedication of St Catherine Parish in Trumbull, CT

St Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull, Connecticut, recently completed a restoration, in which the sanctuary was redesigned, a new altar of sacrifice was created, and the tabernacle was relocated to the center of the church. ☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

A Stable New Dystopia

Reader Pacopond shared this e-mail from a friend of his, a brilliant (he says) older lawyer talking about the changes he has seen in young people coming to work at his firm ☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

3 Mental health benefits of fasting, according to Thomas Aquinas

Research has shown there are great physical benefits to going without food, but the practice also does a lot more for us. ☩ Fr. Michael Rennier at Aleteia

Is  Wearing a Veil Still Required of Catholic Women?

The veil is not, however, seen often in Holy Mass celebrated in the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo Mass. Yet, some women like myself feel drawn to the devotion. Although some parishes have a mix of those who do and those who do not, veiling can sometimes lead to a bit of contentious misunderstanding. ☩ Birgit Jones at Catholic Stand

Bel and the Dragon in the Liturgy of Lent

On the Tuesday of Passion week, the Epistle of the Mass is traditionally the episode of the book of Daniel known as “Bel & the Dragon”. . .a portion of the Prayer is read as the Epistle on Thursday of this week; the Song is one of the most commonly used canticles in all historical Christian liturgies, known from its opening word in Latin as the Benedicite. ☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

Why Priests Should Teach in Schools

☩ Fr. Dominic Bouck at National Catholic Register

George Weigel, John Paul II, & What We Need Now

☩ Peter Wolfgang at The Stream

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

The Arguments You Never Hear for Capital Punishment

It would be understandable if Catholics and the public at large believed that the death penalty’s existence depended solely on its effectiveness in protecting society as a kind of self-defense measure. . . ☩ Paul Kniaz at Catholic Stand

Nice Liberal Christians Like Peter Buttigieg Appear as Angels of Light

The biggest threat to religious liberty for Christians in America isn’t terrorists from ISIS. Nor Islamists in Congress like Rep. Ilhan Omar. Or international secularists like George Soros. Nor even the hit men and women of Planned Parenthood. No, the real enemy we must look out for is something much subtler. ☩ John Zmirak, Ph.D., at The Stream

Contemplating God’s Love in the Passion of Christ

One of the things I often ask of God in this season is for the grace to contemplate God’s Love in the Passion of Christ, so that I may live a passionate life for Christ. ☩ Pamela Mandela at Catholic Stand

The problem with Benedict’s essay

Right or wrong, Benedict told us very little—practically nothing—we did not already know. ☩ Christopher R. Altieri at The Catholic World Report

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Beauty

The Ratzinger Letter: A Failure

In the ongoing sexual abuse crisis that has wracked the Roman Catholic Church, it is helpful to remember that the evil transpires on both spiritual and historical planes. ☩ Rick Yoder at The Amish Catholic

Western Civilization

The Jews and the Greeks brought a constellation of ideas into being that were amplified by the Romans, producing unique cultures in Western Europe that gave birth to a civilization known as the West, a daring, ever questing civilization that is perpetually seeking to surpass itself, and which has proven simultaneously attractive and repellent to the other civilizations that inhabit the globe. ☩ Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The American Catholic

This Lent Crucify Your Despair to the Cross of Hope!

Scripture teaches us the difference between despair and hope in the persons and reactions of Judas and Peter. Peter denied even knowing Our Lord three times, felt great sorrow over his actions, and sought Christ’s mercy in loving, selfless, surrender to the Hope synonymous with Divine Mercy ( Mark 14:66-72). ☩ Gabriel Garnica at Catholic Stand

Professors Don’t Teach If Students Don’t Learn the Truth

One can learn much without being taught, but no one can teach without another learning from them. ☩ Edvard Lorkovic at Crisis Magazine

More Evidence Twitter Skews The Media’s Understanding Of What Americans Think

It’s a given that Twitter is a bubble. The size of that bubble is what’s worth reemphasizing, especially for the benefit of the media. According to a new Pew survey, only 22 percent of American adults say they ever use Twitter. That’s compared with 69 percent who say they use Facebook, and 37 percent who say they use Instagram. ☩ Emily Jashinsky at The Federalist