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“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). If we are Spirit-filled, we will have songs of praise in our hearts and on our lips. Once a Christian knows about being Spirit-filled and walking by the Spirit, it is still fair for him or her to ask, “But how can I know if the Holy Spirit is really at work in my life?” Ephesians 5:19 answers this question by declaring one of the unmistakable evidences of the Spirit’s full operation in our lives—we will have...

On Saturday at an ecumenical event in Bochum, Germany, Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx called on Catholics and Protestants "to unite increasingly“. According to German media, Marx said, "One must stop talking about a separation of the churches, because there are important agreements in the Faith." There is widespread doubt whether Marx, a liberal-relativist who belongs to Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals, is still fully aware of what the Catholic Faith is all about. The German Protestant Church (Evangelische Kirche Deutschlands) about which Marx was talking, promotes a theological relativism, disrespects the theological authority of the Bible, promotes gay clergy and...

In honor of the tenth anniversary of the “Liberation” of the Latin Mass by Pope Benedict XVI, a pilgrimage and conference were held in Rome. Pope Francis was notably silent throughout. AbcNews.com/VATICAN CITY — Sep 14, 2017, 12:27 PM ET: Fans of the old Latin Mass descended on Rome on Thursday for their annual pilgrimage, facing indifference to their cause, if not outright resistance, from none other than Pope Francis.Ten years after Pope Benedict XVI passed a law allowing greater use of the Latin Mass, Francis seems to be doing everything possible to roll it back or simply pretend it never happened.In recent...

"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). A righteous life testifies to God’s transforming power and brings Him glory. We've seen the importance of donning the breastplate of righteousness, but Scripture also discusses the consequences of failing to do so. These consequences serve as warnings to anyone who is prone to neglect righteousness. If you're not committed to righteousness, you not only make yourself spiritually vulnerable, but also forfeit some of God's wonderful blessings. David prayed, "Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation" (Ps. 51:13). His sin had robbed him of...

“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). God wants every aspect of the believer’s being to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit. Pleroo, the basic Greek word for “be filled,” offers three shades of meaning that illustrate what Paul’s command to be Spirit-filled means. First, the word describes the pressure of wind filling a ship’s sails and moving the vessel across the water. That parallels the Holy Spirit’s leading us down the pathway of spiritual obedience. We aren’t primarily motivated by our own plans and desires, but we allow the Spirit’s gracious pressure to move us in...

Finding Forgiveness Through the Magnificence of Mercy - A Homily for the 24th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • September 16, 2017 • The Gospel this Sunday draws us into a remarkably sensitive area of the faith, that of forgiving others who may have harmed us. There are many who been authentically hurt and others who in offering forgiveness will become vulnerable to further harm. Forgiveness is something we experience as a very personal call; in some cases, it may be the most challenging thing we are ever asked to do.I have titled this Homily carefully; if...

As reported by Gloria TV (citing orf.at), the arch-Modernist Cardinal Walter Kasper, whose false notion of “mercy” has animated the entire project of Holy Communion for public adulterers, has just declared that “nowadays there are no more significant differences between Protestant and Catholic Christians…” That remark understandably provoked outrage among orthodox Catholics, but on reflection one will recognize that it is merely a statement of the obvious. That is, nowadays, as opinion polls consistently demonstrate, the generality of Catholics are effectively Protestants in terms of their adherence to Church teaching on faith and morals, particularly in matters pertaining to sexual...

DC seminary withdraws speaking invitation to controversial pro-gay priest after backlashWASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - Less than a month after Church Militant reported that Fr. James Martin would be addressing Washington, D.C. seminary alumni at Theological College, the seminary has rescinded its speaking invitation. The press release from the school, issued Friday, explained that the invitation had been sent to Martin "over a year ago." It continues: However, since the publication of his book, Building a Bridge, Theological College has experienced increasing negative feedback from various social media sites regarding the seminary's invitation. As a result, after considerable consultation with various constituencies,...

The group "Spezzare il pane" ("Breaking the Bread") in the archdiocese of Turin, Italy, has officially started with the celebration of "ecumenical masses" where Holy Communion is distributed to Catholics and non-Catholics. The group is headed by Father Fredo Oliviero, an apologist for illegal immigration, who has the support of his archbishop, Monsignor Cesare Nosiglia. The practice of the group to distribute Holy Communion to non-Catholics, is openly promoted in the newspaper of Turin Archdiocese "La Voce e il Tempo". Among the members of the group are "Catholics", Anglicans, Baptists, Waldensians and Lutherans. They gather once a month in one...

On 11 September, Claudio Pierantoni – an Italian Catholic Church historian and philosopher from the University of Chile and an outspoken defender of Catholic orthodoxy – published an article in the German academic journal AEMAT; the title of his article – which is written in English – indicates its importance: “Josef Seifert, Pure Logic, and the Beginning of the Official Persecution of the Orthodoxy within the Church.” Sandro Magister, the well-respected Italian Vatican specialist, already published yesterday some excerpts of the article. Magister himself entitled his own post with the piercing words: “All the Reasons of Professor Seifert, Fired For...

"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). Practical righteousness is moment-by-moment obedience to God. We've seen the importance of putting on the breastplate of righteousness as protection against Satan's attempts to pervert your thinking and emotions. But Scripture speaks of three kinds of righteousness: self-righteousness, imputed righteousness, and practical righteousness. Which did Paul have in mind in Ephesians 6:14? Paul wasn't speaking of self-righteousness because that is what the breastplate of righteousness is designed to protect you from. Self-righteousness deceives a person into thinking, I can please God and reach heaven on...

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Those who walk by the Spirit will lovingly bear one another’s burdens. The Lord Jesus presents love for God and love for our neighbor as the great summary of the entire Law (Matt. 22:37-40). It only makes sense, then, that love will characterize the life of any Christian who is walking by the Spirit. Love will also be an integral part of any Spirit-assisted ministry to others. Paul tells us in today’s verse that when we help other believers hold up their particular burdens, we are obeying...

Pondering the Night of the Senses and the Paradox That We See Farther in the Darkness Msgr. Charles Pope • September 14, 2017 • As human beings we are very visual; there is a certain demand of our flesh to see on its own terms. But of course God, who is pure spirit, will not be seen in this way.How can the human eye perceive what is spiritual? It is not designed to do so. We cannot see God as God any more than we should expect to be able to see justice sitting down to lunch with humility....

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8)The Third answer comes first, in Matthew 24. The Disciples asked Jesus,...

—Fr. Raphael, in your works you devote much attention to the temptation of modernism. How do you understand this phenomenon, and what are its spiritual roots? —Modernism denotes a “new,” “modern” phenomenon. It can manifest itself in art, literature, and religion. The question of modernism in modern Church life interests us. It signifies a rupture with traditional values, concepts, and norms, triggered by the secularization of the human consciousness and a change in moral orientation. In the historical aspect, modernism is a continuation of and new step in renovationism—an anti-Church, avant-garde teaching that arose on the wave of revolution [in...

The Principle of Consensus Patrum and Modern Attacks Against It Priest George Maximov Two paths of Divine revelation Any person, having read at least a few of our theological books, knows that the Orthodox Church believes in Divine revelation, which has been handed on by two paths: through the Holy Scriptures and through Holy Tradition. The first includes the Biblical books, and the second is found in the decrees of the Ecumenical and local councils, and also the works of the holy fathers. This faith is itself anchored in trust in the Savior’s promises that the Holy Spirit will lead...

Inspired by Francis commemorating the Reformation on Halloween of last year, Ecumenical events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation are now coming to a diocese near you! Just a few examples include Grand Rapids, MI, Saskatoon, Canada, Pittsburgh, PA,  Lansing, MI., and Lima, OH. Other dioceses like Orlando. FL and Pueblo, CO already enjoyed their commemorations earlier this year. Far from condemning these events, the USCCB is actually facilitating and encouraging them by posting a “2017 Commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Resource Guide” on their website. As the post-Conciliar Church leadership moves left at breakneck speed,...

In October or November Pope Francis will publish some document, through which he will remove the excommunication of Martin Luther (+1546) according to the anonymous blog Anonimi della Croce. The problem: excommunication is the exclusion of a Catholic from the sacraments. This decision cannot be reversed in the case of Luther as he has died in the meantime.

On the Paradoxical Freedom of Poverty Msgr. Charles Pope • September 13, 2017 • There is a saying that you cannot steal from a man who has nothing and you cannot threaten a man who has nothing to lose. Of Jesus, the Son of Man who had nowhere to lay his head (Matt 8:20), this was surely true. The world had no claim on Him, nothing with which to hook Him or claim His loyalty. Even His life could not be taken from Him, for He had already laid it down freely (cf Jn 10:18).St. John Chrysostom spoke of...

"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). True righteousness begins with a right relationship with God. A Roman soldier would often engage his enemy in hand- to-hand combat. At such times, the weapon of choice was the short sword, with which he sought to penetrate his opponent's vital organs. For his own protection he wore a molded metal breastplate that extended from the base of his neck to the top of his thighs. It helped deflect any attacks aimed at his heart and abdomen. The Roman breastplate has great symbolism in Paul's...