Big Pulpit

This is a Novus Ordo, the Vision Will Not Disappoint

. . .this photo was taken four years ago.  It was our first Christmas with the Communion rail. . .

by Father Richard Heilmann,

of Roman Catholic Man

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
An Innocent Bishop Acquitted, Did Anyone Notice? – Michael Cook, Mercatornet
So Fun! Watch These Two Nuns Take Each Other Down in Epic Snowball Fight! – ChurchPOP
Why a Major Story in Australia Isn’t Being Reported – Charles Collins, Crux
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport Appoints a Laywoman To Lead a Parish – Crux
Options Emerge for Handling the ‘Other Sexual-Abuse Crisis’ – Ed Condon J.C.L., NC Register
Reports of Cardinal Pell Guilty Verdict Emerge, Despite Gag Order – E. Condon J.C.L., NCRgstr
Under Attack, the Eucharist Needs Defenders – Tom Hoopes, Aleteia
Millions Will Visit a Church at Christmas, Tips To Make Sure They Come Back! – Catholic Link
Deliver Me, Jesus: The Litany Of Humility – Jessica Fahy, Catholic Exchange
Are You a Teacher? Try This Litany of Fortitude Asking for Strength Thru the School Day – CP
To Rekindle Our Amazement – Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Catholic East Texas
On My Homestead, Advent is Thick & Heavy in Nature – Jason Craig, Catholic Exchange
Make the Sign of the Cross & Start Your Day Right – Pamela Mandela, Catholic Stand
Are Moral Absolutes Unfair to Individuals in Difficult Cases? – Marie Tejklova, Crisis Magazine
Video: Why Does Good Liturgy Matter – Brian Holdsworth, uCatholic
Kindness – Nicholas Lye, Ignitum Today
Irish Midwives & Nurses Join Doctors in Abortion Bill Protest – CNA via The CWR
Making a Plan for Advent – Joannie Watson, Integrated Catholic Life™
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

The Culture War Neutron Bomb

. . .Ross Douthat recently wrote that Aldous Huxley was the real prophet who foresaw what we’ve become: a society of tech-addled wankers. . .

by Rod Dreher,

Aztecs, Human Sacrifice & the Catholic Faith – Steve Ray, Defenders of the Catholic Faith
A Stunning New Exhibit about Armenia Illuminates the World’s First Christian Nation – CJ
Rome’s Catacombs Witness to the Catholic Faith of the Early Church – Stephen Beale, Aleteia
Helping the Poles Throw Off Moscow’s Yoke – Seth G. Jones, Law and Liberty
Can America Become a Christian Society Again? – Thomas Ascik, The Imaginative. . .
Religion Declining in Importance for Many Americans, Especially for Millennials – Jana Riess
Why Catholics Should Sympathize with Nationalism – James Kalb, Crisis Magazine
U.K.’s Aging Issues – Marcus Roberts, Mercatornet
Will White House Sacrifice Thousands of Christians in Syria, To Appease Turks? – The Stream
China’s Regional Demographics – Marcus Roberts, Mercatornet
Syria & the Unintended Effects of Toppling Evil Tyrants in the Middle East – Mercatornet
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

Support the Anglican Patrimony Within the Catholic Church

. . .a number of Catholics have asked me if there are traditional, orthodox, & reverent societies that celebrate the Holy Mass in English.  The answer, of course, is yes! . . .

by Shane Schaetzel,

of Complete Christianity

A Warning from the Anglican Communion – The Anglicanorum Coetibus Society Blog
Breathtaking Digital Recreation of 17th-Century London Won 1st Prize – J-P Mauro, Aleteia
God Created Them Man & Woman, the Church of England Knew Better – Mat. Archbold, CMR
As a Historically Black Episcopal Church Closes, Others Face Strong Headwinds – Y. Shimron
Elsewhere: An Anglo-Catholic Designer You Should Know – Rick Yoder, The Amish Catholic
Church of England Transgender ‘Confirmation’ – Rod Dreher, The American Conservative
I’m Grateful for the Hurdles the Catholic Church Placed for Me to Enter as an Anglican – TACS
Anglican & Catholic? – Charles A. Coulombe, The Anglicanorum Cœtibus Society Blog
The Journey Home Features “Anglican Ordinariate” Member – Deborah Gyapong, TACS
Coleridges & Billabongs – Fr. John Hunwicke, Fr Hunwicke’s Mutual Enrichment
Two New Chant Projects for the Ordinariates – Steven Rabanal, The Acolyte’s Toolbox
George Bush, Global Leader, & Episcopalian – Mark Tooley, Providence
Ordinariate Events in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania & Louisville, Kentucky – New Liturgical Mvmnt
A Day in a Life of a Hospital Chaplain – Deborah Gyapong, The Anglicanorum Coetibus Society
Professor Feulner Receives a Second Knighthood for Work With Catholic Church – TACS
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

Democrat Representative Ted Lieu: ‘I Would Love’ To Regulate Speech

. . .“I would love to be able to regulate the content of speech,” Lieu said.  “The First Amendment prevents me from doing so & that’s simply a function of the First Amendment”. . .

by Bre Payton,

of The Federalist

Local Catholic Hopeful Abortion Gone After Kavanaugh Sides w/Planned Parenthood (Satire)
Inside Amazon – Dan Hitchens, First Things
Fighting the Dehumanizing Democrats Since 1854 – Fr. Richard Heilmann, Roman Cthlc Man
Medical Expert Confirms Unborn Children Feel Excruciating Pain During Abortions – Lif News
Green Madness – Jerry Weinberger, City Journal
The Conundrum of Progressivism – James Kalb, Crisis Magazine
Catholic Elected as Leader of Germany’s Largest Party – CNA via The Catholic World Report
What Does it Mean to Fight for Your Faith in a Secular Culture? – Ted Flynn, Signs & Wonders
Can There Be a Moderate Feminism? – Scott Yenor Ph.D., Public Discourse
Conservative Democracy – Yoram Hazony, First Things
What Socialism Owes Christianity – David Byrne, Crisis Magazine
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

Parish Priest Faced With Declining Parish Gives Homily Every Priest Needs To Hear

. . .it is no secret that in many (if not most) Catholic diocese across the county, attendance for Sunday Mass has been in steep decline for the last 50 years.  Some would even say the deadline has been precipitous in the post-conciliar-church. . .

from uCatholic

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
The Mysterious Image in the Eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Joan Lewis, Joan’s Rome
An Inside Look at the Hidden Symbols Found in Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Image – Aleteia
Study: 92% Single Catholics Stop Praying for Spouse Seconds Before God Answers (Satire)
Avarice: The Secret Sin that Owns Us – Jason Craig, The Catholic Gentleman
Pope Francis on the ‘Gay Mentality’ That Has ‘Influenced the Church’ – Fr. R. Landry, NC Reg
The Miraculous Roses of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Patti Maguire Armstrong, NC Register
Our Lady of Guadalupe: Miracles, Facts & Fancy – Donald R. McClarey J.D., TACatholic
10 Simple Ways to Grow in Prayer – Fr. Ed Broom O.M.V., Catholic Exchange
Now a C6, Pope’s Advisory Council Sees Three Members Go – M. de Vries, In Caelo et in Terra
The Myths That Sustained the Work of Tolkien & Lewis – Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald
Did Charles Dickens have a Vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary? – Philip Kosloski, Aleteia
Can the Guadalupe Tilma Make An Atheist Convert?! 5 Signs That It’s Possible – Catholic Link
The Case Against CRISPR Babies – Nicanor Austriaco, First Things
A Marvelous Advent Poem – Michael Rennier, Dappled Things
Living Advent With Mary ‘In Haste’ – Edward Sri, National Catholic Register
Council of Cardinal Advisors (C9) Wrap-Up December Meeting – Linda Bordoni, Vatican News
Nicaragua Diocese Feels the Effect of the Clash between Regime & Protestors – Crux
Finding Sacred Time During the Holidays – Jeannie Ewing, Catholic Exchange
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

The Return of Paganism

. . .maybe there actually is a genuinely post-Christian future for America. . .

by Ross Douthat,

of The New York Times

Refuting a Pastor’s ‘Dark Ages’ Myths – Trent Horn, Catholic Answers Magazine
Riots In France Not Just About Gas Taxes, But About The West’s Decline – Auguste Meyrat
Orban vs. Soros University – Rod Dreher, The American Conservative
France: A Tale of Two Faiths – William Kilpatrick, Crisis Magazine
New Study Records Islamization Process in Ancient Christian Lands – Casey Chalk, Crisis
‘The Great Awokening’: The Threat of America’s New Political Religions – J. Sunde, Powerblog
Egypt Proposes Scary New Population Control Measures – Shannon Roberts, Mercatornet
Who Needs The Temple Mount? — Ianto Watt, Statistician to the Stars!
Why Putin’s Game of Russian Roulette With Ukraine is a Big Deal – Douglas V. Mastriano
A Gunman Who Attacked Christmas Market in France Yelled “Allahu Akbar” – Aleteia
The Winter of Love – Matthew Schmitz, First Things
Enforceable Subjectivity – Theodore Dalrymple, City Journal
Protest of the French Provinces – Nathan Pinksoski, First Things
Macron’s Failures – Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review
Remembering – & Still Learning from – Solzhenitsyn – Douglas Kries, The Catholic Thing
In Europe, Faith’s Stronger in Post-Soviet East Than Secular West – Claire Giangravè, Crux
Euthanasia Deaths in Quebec Rising Rapidly – Michael Cook, Mercatornet
Shooting Near Christmas Market in France – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
Christmas Market Shooting Suspect Fits the Familiar Criminal-Jihadist Profile – France24
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

The Vlaming Children’s Christmas

. . .I wrote the other day about a Virginia school board firing veteran teacher Peter Vlaming over his refusal to call a biological girl by a masculine pronoun.  He was willing to use the child’s new masculine name, but would not say “he” or “him.”  In this Virginia Gazette story about a student walkout in support of the fired teacher, we learn what exactly it was that triggered the dismissal.  You are not going to believe this. . .

by Rod Dreher

Is Kavanaugh Keeping a Promise to Pro-Choice Susan Collins? – John Zmirak Ph.D., The Strm
And Now, England – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
At Trump’s Hotel, Spiritual Warriors Pray for the President in His ‘Darkest Hour’ – J. Jenkins
Justice Thomas Blasts Supreme Court for Sidestepping Planned Parenthood – David L. Gray
13 Illustrations of the Benevolence of Capitalism – George Reisman, Mises Institute
A Way Back From Secularism – Rev. Anthony Perkins, Acton Institute
The Transgender Movement Is Not Interested In Compromise – John D. Davidson, The Fdrlst
Why Spiritual People More Inclined to Embrace Free Markets Than Materialists – J. Miltimore
Why the Poor in Free Nations Have Incomes 8x Higher Than Poor in Least Free – E. Andreou
Texas GOP Dispute Pits Religious Freedom Against Claims of ‘Stealth Jihad’ – Bobby Ross Jr.
US Supreme Court Will Not Hear Case of States Defunding Planned Parenthood – NCRegister
Free Will and the Market Place – Frank Chodorov, Mises Wire
2019: What’s Next for Religious Freedom? Faith Leaders & Policymakers Weigh In – K. Dallas
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

Why Traditional Hymns are Superior to Modern Ones

. . .I’m sometimes accused, when I write about bad hymns, of wanting to impose a single style upon everyone.  That’s strange.  It’s like saying that all classical music sounds the same; Bach, Brahms, Dvorak, Debussy, all the same.  I point out that the hymns in a good hymnal were composed over a period of 1,600 years.  I say that their melodies come in a staggering variety: medieval chant (The Golden Sequence), German chorale (Christ Lag in Todesbanden), American revival songs (“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”), English anthems (Silver Street), French carols (Quem Pastores), & so on.  A folk melody from Ireland is not the same as one from Wales, let alone Poland. . .

by Anthony M. Esolen, Ph.D.,

of Crisis Magazine

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
Bishops Unbound – Bronwen Catherine McShea, First Things
Pp. Francis: Our Father Should Say “Abandon Us Not When in Temptation” – Fr. Schneider L.C.
A Holiday Meal, Same-Sex Attraction & Catholicism – Richard G. Evans, Catholic Stand
Despair & False Doctrine – Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Two-Word Advent Campaign Spreads Around the World – Joseph Pronechen, NC Register
Do Wives Have to Be ‘Submissive’? – Todd Aglialoro, Catholic Answers Magazine
New Book: Annibale Bugnini: Reformer of the Liturgy by Yves Chiron – P. Kwasniewski Ph.D.
Would Jesus Have Come If Adam Had Not Sinned? – Msgr. Charles Pope
Brave New World-Trans Edition – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
What is a Lay ‘Parish Life Coordinator’? A CNA Explainer – The Catholic World Report
They Were All Praying: Gunman Kills 4 at Daily Mass in Brazil Cathedral – ChurchPOP
Tolkien, Chesterton, & the Adventure of Mission – Auxiliary Bishop Robert R. Barron S.T.D.
A Beautiful Contemporary Anglo-Byzantine (Romanesque) Style Icon – New Liturgical Mvmnt
Telling the Story of the Shroud of Turin – Jim Graves, National Catholic Register
Our Lady of Guadalupe: Empress of the Americas – CNA via The Catholic World Report
Christmas Ideas: 5 Great Books About Saints Who Inspire – Kathy Schiffer, NC Register
Have a Merry Catholic Christmas; Off the Shelf 102 with Fr. William P. Saunders – Pete Socks
Wait, What!? We Can Be Saints? How? – Bernz Caasi, Ignitum Today
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

5 More Books of Classic Fiction That You Should Know

. . .classic works from Tolstoy, Milton, Cervantes, Brontë, & Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. . .

by Father John P. Cush, S.T.D.,

of the National Catholic Register

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
Tiny Order of French Nuns Takes on Vatican – Nicole Winfield, A.P. via The Kansas City Star
The Ugliness of Catholic #MeToo – Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine
Reincarnation? Transgender Science Has Really Gone Off the Deep End Now – Tom Gilson
The Pope’s Warning About Homosexuals in the Clergy – Msgr. Charles Pope, NC Register
“Ancient Baptists” & Other Myths – Fr. Hugh Barbour O.Praem., Defenders of the Catholic Faith
Another Look at Sola Scriptura’s Best Defense – Mark A. McNeil, Catholic Answers Magazine
God Uses You More Than You Think – Julie Machado, Catholic Stand
LA Archd. to Press Charges Against Sisters Accused of Embezzlement – JD Flynn, NCRegister
Last-Minute Christmas Gift Guide 2018 – The Editors, National Catholic Register
How Big was Noah’s Ark – Steve Ray, Defenders of the Catholic Faith
We’re Taking Back Christmas – Steffani Jacobs, Catholic Stand
How to Reclaim Advent from the Tinsel of the Season – Sherry Antonetti, NC Register
The Eternal Convert – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
Memorization & Catechesis: What Really Works? – Nicholas Senz, The Catholic World Report
Vatican Creates New Office to Serve Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement – NC Register
A Priest’s Advice on End-of-Year Giving: “Don’t Ask” – Brice Sokolowski, Catholic Fundraiser
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

The Quiet Man Headed Home

. . .Josephine’s example & prayers had their intended effect. According to his biographies, John Wayne was a spiritual person who hand-wrote letters to God as a way of praying.  He also befriended Archbishop Tomas Clavel of Panama. . .

by Brian Fraga,

of Legatus Magazine

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
Our True Home is in Heaven – Fr. George W. Rutler Th.D. Ph.D., National Catholic Register
On Veils for Christian Women – Shane Schaetzel, Complete Christianity
Were the Three Wise Men History or Myth? – Fr. Dwight Longenecker, NC Register
1959 Documentary on the Carmelite Nuns – Gregory DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement
In Praise of an Ordinary Catholic – Timothy J. Williams, Crisis Magazine
Aristotle & Aquinas – Restore-DC-Catholicism
Love Has No Limitations: The Life of Léonie Martin, Sister of The Little Flower – C. Sprtl Drctn
The Necessity of Confession & Its Seal – Fr. Jn. M. McDermott S.J., Homiletic & Pastoral Rev.
Cardinal Slipyi on the Need for Beauty in the Liturgy – Gre. DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement
A New Catholic Hymnal from Corpus Christ Watershed – Fr. Christopher Smith, New Lit Mov
A Vision – Noel Ethan Tan, Ignitum Today
Two New Inspiring Books for Advent – Cathy G. Knipper, Catholic Stand
How to Have a Fruitful Advent, According to St. John Paul II – Philip Kosloski, Aleteia
Author’s Quest to Make the Holy Veil of Manoppello Better Known – J. Pronechen, NC Register
Angels of Advent – Peter J. Leithart, First Things
Advent with Our Lady of Fatima – Cathy G. Knipper, Catholic Stand
Journaling Through Advent – Pete Socks, Catholic Stand
The Good Shepherd: Seeking to Lead All to Heaven – Edward Monti, Catholic Stand
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

7 Facts You May Not Have Known About Advent

. . .we all know of Lent, but what is Advent?  What is it’s history?  Here are seven facts you might not have known on the subject. . .

by Dominic Cassella,

of epicPew

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
Quæritur: Why Should a Protestant Convert & Join the Catholic Church? – Fr. Z’s Blog
Lessons from Contemplative Nuns on Enjoying Life – Cristina Montes, Ignitum Today
I Am Catholic . . . Hear Me Whisper – Kendra Von Esch, Catholic Stand
Preaching the Bad News – Eric Sammons, Catholic Answers Magazine
Mindfulness & Catholic Mystical Tradition – Dan Burke, Catholic Spiritual Direction
Fortitude, a Call to Stay Engaged in Resolving the Abuse Scandal – Msgr. C. Pope, NC Register
Wise Men “from the East”. . .But What Does That Mean? – Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Churches Worth Driving To – California Catholic Daily
Who God Made Me to Be – Kat Larson, Ignitum Today
Why Do You Doubt? – Carol Monaco, Catholic Stand
A Priest’s Advice on End-of-Year Giving: “Don’t Ask” – Brice Sokolowski, Catholic Fundraiser
Pp. Francis Revamps Vatican City State Structures, Laws to Boost Oversight – C News Service
Post-Vatican II Reform of Epiphanytide & Post-Pentecost Collects – New Liturgical Movement
Where Did the Word “Holiday” Come From? – Philip Kosloski, Aleteia
How to Prepare for a Liturgical Feast – Fr. Edward Looney, Catholic Exchange
5 Simple Ways to Make Advent Meaningful for Your Family – Katie Prejean, epicPew
‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’, Winter Fashion Tips – Meghan Ashley Styling (Catholic Fashion)
Tanzanian Cardinal: Reject Ideological Colonization Through Foreign Aid – CNA via The CWR
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

Why Did John Paul II Said This Prayer Every Day?

. . .Saint John Paul II knew the importance of prayer:  he was known to pray for many hours each day, interceding for both the Church & the world & growing ever closer in his relationship to God. . .

by Billy Ryan,

of uCatholic

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Adorecast
Bishop Davies: Sainthood is the One Thing That Matters – Mark Lambert, De Omnibus. . .
How One Diocese is Inviting People Back to the Church This Christmas – CNA via The CWR
New Mass by Frank LaRocca to Premiere in San Francisco on December 8th – New Lit Mov
Scientists Suggest Biblical Sodom Destroyed by a Meteoric Explosion – J.P. Mauro, Aleteia
When Can the Parish Priest Postone a Wedding? – Cathy Caridi J.C.L., Canon Law Made Easy
When Was the Holy Gospel of Saint John Written? – Jimmy Akin, JimmyAkin.com
New Film Documents Pornography’s Harmful Effects – K.V. Turley, Crisis Magazine
A Priest’s Advice on End-of-Year Giving: “Don’t Ask” – Brice Sokolowski, Catholic Fundraiser
Possible Miracles Linked to Virgin Mary Statue Crying Tears of Blood in Argentina – ChPOP
Primacy, Synodality, & the USCCB – Russell Shaw, The Catholic World Report
Messianic Prophesies: Psalm 108: 1-10 – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
6 Epic Facts About the Saint Behind Santa Claus – Matthew Chicoine, epicPew
Our Need for Stillness in Advent – Constance T. Hull, Catholic Exchange
The Will of the Father – Deacon Michael Bickerstaff, Integrated Catholic Life™
Filipino ‘White King’ & Italian Immigrant Wins Church’s Top Chess Title – C. Giangravè, Crux
The History of the Advent Season – Fr. William Saunders, Catholic Exchange
‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’, Winter Fashion Tips – Meghan Ashley Styling (Catholic Fashion)
Advent & Reform – Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time