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"I Am Ground, Like a Grain of Wheat" -- A Reflection on the Paradoxical Passion of St. Bernadette Msgr. Charles Pope January 18, 2016 The life of St. Bernadette Soubirous was steeped in paradox and irony. She was the chosen visionary of our Lady at Lourdes and was to bring forth, by heavenly guidance, a spring that would bring miraculous healing to thousands. Yet Bernadette herself was beset with health problems that would cause her dreadful suffering. Her quiet and heroic suffering, something she accepted with obedience and as a kind of mission for souls, is not common knowledge...

A 70-year-old hermit who has spent her entire life in the Siberian wilderness has been introduced to the 21st century after being airlifted to a hospital for leg pain. Agafya Lykova was born in the wilderness after her family fled civilization in 1936, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday she called for help using an emergency satellite phone and said she had pain in her leg, according to a release from the Kemerovo regional government. Lykova's remarkable story first surfaced in the late 1970s after geologists flying overhead discovered her remote family, the Siberian Times reported. When contacted, her family reportedly...

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Saved? This is a question that I have often asked myself. There is no doubt that he had the trappings of a “Christian”, but was he saved as the Word of Almighty God requires (Matt. 7:21-23, Rom. 10:2-4)? This is not a black or white issue but a sound biblical one, for in the END that is what life is ALL about. Yes, Dr. King had a great dream, vision and was fearless about bringing civil rights to America tragically the lawless white and black Left in this country has hijacked and corrupted his...

A Reflection on a Sermon of Dr. Martin Luther King Refuting Atheistic Materialism Msgr. Charles Pope January 17, 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we commemorate this weekend, is best known as a civil rights leader who worked to end racial injustice. But Dr. King had other things to say as he preached each Sunday, first in his own assembly and later as he moved about.Among his recorded sermons is one in which Dr. King addresses the problem of unbelief, of materialism and atheism. His reflections are well worth pondering today because the issues he addresses are...

by Steve Klein CODE 20 We the People rescuing ourselves from the Muslim Terrorist networks in America linked globally with one purpose in mind: To destroy our Freedom replacing our law with Islamic Law. Under the U.S. Constitution built upon Anglo-American Common law it is illegal, unethical and immoral for us NOT to engage in Code 20. Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance is understood to mean the Reformed Protestantism of 1784 is the basis of good government. This painting shows the First Amendment, street preaching as the requisite of good government: The 10 Commandments and the Law Written on...

Biblical Basics about Mother Mary -- A Homily for the Second Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope January 16, 2016 In the gospel today of the wedding feast at Cana, there is a theological portrait of both Mother Mary and of prayer. Let's look at the Gospel along five lines:I. The place that Mary has - The text says, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.A fascinating thing about these opening verses is that Mary almost seems to dominate the...

Msgr. Charles Pope The Catholic Answer Teleology vs. Typology? Q. I am trying to understand the different theological and philosophical terms that we use as a Church. Two big ones for me are teleology and typology. They both seem to point to the future, but how are they different? Typology was used by the Church Fathers, right? Claire, Alexandria, Va. A. Teleology comes from the Greek word telos, meaning “end,” “goal,” “destination” or “perfection.” As such, teleology is that aspect of theology that looks to the end, or goal, of something. In terms of theology, the end goal of the...

Timely words of various Saints and Fathers on Islam In an age of ecumenism, and acceptance of false religions whilst rejecting the True Faith of God as found in Christ our God, there has been a tendency to whitewash one of the most abhorrent and fastest growing religions that grows as canker in the body. Besides the Holy Scriptures, we also have the Holy Fathers and Saints in the history of the Christian Church who have dealt with this false religion, and some have even been martyred under it for refusal to deny faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The...

Scripture’s Sober Assessment of the Hardness of Many Human Hearts and What It Means for Evangelization Msgr. Charles Pope • January 14, 2016 • It is rather a typical assumption of the modern Western mind that differences and hostilities are due mainly to misunderstandings or a lack of proper information; that if we would discuss ("dialogue"), share information, respect pluralism (diversity), and overcome misunderstandings, all would be well and there would be peace.Missing in this approach is the more sober notion of the hardness of human hearts. Information alone does not usually bring peace and an end to trouble....

What the Book of Proverbs Has to Say About the Current Age Msgr. Charles Pope • January 13, 2016 • In the Divine Office, we are currently reading from the Wisdom Tradition. Thus our daily fare consists of passages from Sirach, Wisdom, Proverbs, etc. Praise the Lord. They have a lot to say about the times in which we live.I’d like to review a few of the sayings in the Book of Proverbs. But before doing so, I’d like to explain the use of the word fool in the Wisdom Tradition (as contrasted with the wise one). Without a...

What We Can Learn About Suffering in the Story of Joseph the Patriarch Msgr. Charles Pope January 12, 2016 One of the greatest (but most painful) of mysteries is that of suffering and evil in the world. I was meditating with my Sunday school parents this past weekend on the Old Testament patriarch Joseph. His story is rich with lessons about family struggles, envy, jealousy, pride, mercy, and forgiveness. But it also has a lot to say about suffering and the way that God can use it to bring blessings.While there are many layers to Joseph's story, both personal...

Late Have I Loved You -- On the Delay of Marriage in Our Culture and the Flawed Notions That Underlie It Msgr. Charles Pope-- January 11, 2016 -- In football, if the offense takes more than thirty seconds between plays, they are penalized for "delay of game." The result is lost yardage; they are now farther away from the goal line. The delay thus brings loss; progress toward the goal is hindered; victory becomes less likely, not more. I'm sure the offense would always like a little more time in the huddle in order to ensure that everyone knows...

I have heard something about two tablets that were supposedly written by Enoch or Seth. Have you heard about this? They were supposed to have been written before the flood. I read about this some years ago and have forgotten the details.

Who or What is the Antichrist? A reflection on the Biblical teaching. Msgr. Charles Pope-- January 10, 2016 -- There is much lore about the antichrist, especially among certain Evangelicals that is often out of proportion to the attention scripture pays to the concept, and more importantly is at possible variance from what is actually and certainly taught. It easily becomes the stuff of movies and novels wherein the antichrist figure steps on the scene, deceiving many and mesmerizing the whole world with apparent miracles and a message of false peace.But is this really what or who the Scriptures...

Archdiocese of Washington Jesus Does Not Go into the Water Alone; He Takes Us with Him -- A Reflection on the Baptism of the Lord Msgr. Charles Pope • January 10, 2016 • Today's feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a time to reflect not only on the Lord's baptism but on our own. In an extended sense, when Christ is baptized so are we, for we are members of His Body. As Christ enters the water, He makes holy the water that will baptize us. He enters the water and we follow. In these waters, He acquires...

Called to Communion Msgr. Charles Pope Question: The priest quotes Jesus at Mass, saying, “Take this all of you and eat of it.” There are no caveats like, “unless you are divorced, gay or any number of other qualifiers.” Jesus gave the bread to Judas. Shouldn’t the Church act as Jesus did and remove the caveats and qualifiers Jesus never had?— Bill McKenna, via email Answer: The same Jesus you (rightly) extol as our model is the one who forbade divorce and remarriage, calling the second union an ongoing state of adultery (Mt 19:1-12). He also forbade illicit sexual union...

Why Did Jesus "Mean to Pass by" His Disciples When He Was Walking on the Water? Msgr. Charles Pope-- January 7, 2016 -- The gospel for daily Mass on Wednesday recounted the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water after having multiplied the loaves and fishes.There is an odd turn of phrase (to modern ears) midway through the gospel: About the fourth watch of the night, [Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them (Mark 6:48).This seems odd. Why would Jesus approach them, walking on the water (astounding miracle that it is),...

New interpretations of the Biblical Flood story

New Year's Resolve: Stand Against Physician-Assisted Suicide Msgr. Charles Pope January 6, 2016 1 Comment In the coming year it looks as if there will be very aggressive attempts in both courts and legislatures to advance physician-assisted suicide (or as its proponents prefer to call it, the "right to die"). The recent legalization of physician-assisted suicide in California was a sad harbinger of what is being attempted in other states as well. Here in the Archdiocese of Washington, both the D.C. City Council and the Maryland state legislature are debating bills to make it legal.Thankfully, a rather significant coalition...

Biblical Teaching on the Problem of Deception Msgr. Charles Pope January 5, 2016 One of the more troublesome and damaging human traits is our susceptibility to deception. Scripture speaks often of this problem and we do well to examine some of those texts and consider what they teach us.Perhaps it is good to look first to the Latin and Greek roots of the word deceive.Latin: The Latin root of deceive is decipere, meaning to ensnare (de (of or up) + capere (to seize or take)). And thus the Latin emphasizes our tendency to be easily caught up or carried...