Free Republic

DAY 54 – OUR LADY OF VICTORY, PRAY FOR US NO CROSS, NO CROWN! No cross, no crown. No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. St. James summons us to see the challenges we face as opportunities to rise to new heights of existence, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12). In the military, the cross and crown symbolizes a soldier’s willingness to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other,...

Denver, Colo., Oct 6, 2016 / 12:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wrote a letter to Catholic leaders during a two-day conference in Denver this week, identifying himself as pro-life and vowing to support core values such as religious liberty and school choice. “I have a message for Catholics: I will be there for you. I will stand with you. I will fight for you,” he wrote Oct. 5. “I am, and will remain, pro-life. I will defend your religious liberties and the right to fully and freely practice your religion, as individuals, business owners and academic...

October 7, 2016 Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary Reading 1 Gal 3:7-14 Brothers and sisters:Realize that it is those who have faithwho are children of Abraham.Scripture, which saw in advance that Godwould justify the Gentiles by faith,foretold the good news to Abraham, saying,Through you shall all the nations be blessed.Consequently, those who have faith are blessedalong with Abraham who had faith.For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse;for it is written, Cursed be everyonewho does not persevere in doing all the thingswritten in the book of the law.And that no one is...

Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila has given one of the most powerful elections statements by any Catholic leader. He says Catholics in good conscience can’t support candidates who are pro-abortion.  But Archbishop Aquila goes further. He says Democrats are “aggressively pro-abortion” because they are pushing taxpayer funding of abortions and because they will appoint judges who support abortion. Naturally that includes Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president who is spearheading that agenda.Archbishop Aquila also complains about how Democrats are pushing to overturn the Helms Amendment, which prevents forcing taxpayers from promoting and performing abortions in other countries.  On the other...

The synod will instead focus on 'Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment'The topic of the next synod has been announced as “Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment”, according to a Vatican statement released today. But according to one respected Vatican journalist, the synod – a meeting of bishops which will take place in 2014 – was nearly dedicated to a different theme: priestly celibacy. Edward Pentin, Vatican correspondent of the National Catholic Register, reported that Pope Francis was “known to be keen” for the next synod to examine “priestly celibacy and a possible push to allow married priests”. However, Pentin...

Scurry out and buy two copies of John “Bad Catholic” Zmirak’s The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. Keep one for yourself, and give the other to your priest or clergyman (despite the title, this book is for all Christians). Be quick: get it to him before the election. If you have a clergywoman, buy three copies, because she might throw the first one out the window.

What Conscience Dreads and Prayer Dares Not Ask – A Consideration of a Powerful but Puzzling Prayer Msgr. Charles Pope • October 5, 2016 • The Collect (Opening Prayer) for this week’s Masses (27th Week of the Year), though directed to God, teaches us that our prayer is not always about things with which we are comfortable. Prayer sometimes leads us to look into areas of our life where we struggle with sin or we struggle to desire to be free of sin. Here is the prayer:Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits...

DAY 53 – OUR LADY OF GOOD HELP, PRAY FOR US THE PRECEPTS The Precepts of the Catholic Church are a description of the absolute minimum actions required of Catholics regarding the Church. The Church uses these precepts to remind us that Christian life requires a commitment to prayer and active participation in the liturgy and sacraments. If we fall below this bare-minimum level, then, practically speaking, we can hardly consider ourselves to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. Out of love for Christ and a desire to advance in the spiritual life, you will normally “strive” to...

October 6, 2016 Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gal 3:1-5 O stupid Galatians!Who has bewitched you,before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?I want to learn only this from you:did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,or from faith in what you heard?Are you so stupid?After beginning with the Spirit,are you now ending with the flesh?Did you experience so many things in vain?–if indeed it was in vain.Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to youand works mighty deeds among youdo so from works of the lawor from faith...

What St. Paul’s Example Can Teach Us About Authority Msgr. Charles Pope • October 5, 2016 • In daily Mass we have been reading from second chapter of the Letter to the Galatians. In it, St. Paul recounts his personal history and describes his authority. the reviewing the faith journey of St. Paul, who describes his personal history and also his authority in the second chapter of the Letter to the Galatians. St. Paul’s story is interesting for three reasons. It can help to correct notions that some have that St. Paul’s ascended to the office of apostle (bishop)...

Farmville, VA - On my way into Longwood University for Tuesday night's one and only vice presidential debate, I spotted a protester wearing an anti-Tim Kaine shirt targeting the Virginia senator's abortion record. A Washington Times reporter also found Catholic protesters who traveled several miles to tell Kaine he's giving their faith a bad name. “He says he’s a devout Catholic, but he’s not. He is 100 percent pro-abortion,” she said. “The lie that he perpetuates that ‘I’m personally against it.’ That is a lie because if you are against it you don’t vote for it 100 percent of the...

DAY 52 – OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, PRAY FOR US POWER OF PRAYER The heroes of our faith are the warrior saints who have gone before us. God worked mightily and miraculously through them. Therefore, we must study their ways. In humility, obedience, and trust (H.O.T.), we ask: How did they remain so well connected, in such strong friendship with God, so that his river of supernatural grace could flow so freely through them? What do these “SEALS for Christ” teach us about the ideal spiritual disciplines, the ultimate daily regimen of prayer? Prayer is our outstanding supernatural resource for...

October 5, 2016 Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gal 2:1-2, 7-14 Brothers and sisters:After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,taking Titus along also.I went up in accord with a revelation,and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles–but privately to those of repute–so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,just as Peter to the circumcised,for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the...

St. Francis’ Feast Day and the Things We Can Learn from Cats and Dogs Msgr. Charles Pope • October 3, 2016 • Here at Holy Comforter-St Cyprian Parish in Washington, D.C., we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with the blessing of the animals. Although most folks bring dogs to be blessed, there are usually some who bring cats and a few other animals like ferrets. Once, someone even brought a snake!Over the years, I have shared with the dog owners a list of “Things we can learn from dogs.” When I was growing up, we always...

DAY 51 – OUR LADY OF FATIMA, PRAY FOR US SEEKING HARMONY There are actually three wounds that ravage souls and bring spiritual death to them by turning away from God. St. John speaks of these evils when he says: “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things] — these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]” (1...

October 4, 2016 Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi Reading 1 Gal 1:13-24 Brothers and sisters:You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measureand tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaismbeyond many of my contemporaries among my race,since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apartand called me through his grace,was pleased to reveal his Son to me,so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,nor did I go...

Never Give Up: St. Augustine’s Stirring Call to Pastors Msgr. Charles Pope • October 2, 2016 • Today I would like to present excerpts from a stirring sermon that St. Augustine delivered to the priests and people of Hippo. In times like these we must all be reminded of the need to preach the Word of God even if the recipients of that word revile us, labeling our very proclamation of love “hate speech.” This is not new; St. Augustine calls us to be resolute and to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. This...

DAY 50 – OUR LADY OF AMERICA, PRAY FOR US GO WEAPONS HOT “Go Weapons Hot” is a military command that means to make whatever preparations are necessary so that when you pull the trigger, something happens. In spiritual terms, are we using live ammunition or are we firing blanks? In other words, are we making the preparations necessary to ensure that our efforts to combat evil and rescue souls are ignited by the fire of the Holy Spirit? What are the preparations necessary so that “something (effective) happens” as we exercise the three offices of Christ in the war...

October 3, 2016 Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Gal 1:6-12 Brothers and sisters:I am amazed that you are so quickly forsakingthe one who called you by the grace of Christfor a different gospel (not that there is another).But there are some who are disturbing youand wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.But even if we or an angel from heavenshould preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you,let that one be accursed!As we have said before, and now I say again,if anyone preaches to you a gospelother than...

Why is political discourse so bad right now? How have Christian beliefs, particularly Catholic beliefs, and those who hold them come to be reviled by so many in the secular culture? Where did political correctness, gender conflict, gender confusion — and so many other aspects of the Culture of Death — come from?The answer to these, and many other questions, can be found in the EWTN Original Documentary “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” a chilling look at the impact of Community Activist Saul Alinsky, whose “Rules for Radicals” still wields a huge influence on American culture – and the...