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Today in daily Mass we read the well-known story of St. Paul’s conversion. There is a detail in the story that I have often pondered. Although I am speculating on the specifics, I think it ought not to be overlooked. Even my choice of the words “speculating” and “overlooked” (both of which refer to the eyes) indicate that we ought to “give an eye” to St. Paul’s eyes.As you probably recall, St. Paul was not just struck down on the road to Damascus—he was blinded as well.Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he...

On the Chin Paten and How It Was Once Thought Impious Msgr. Charles Pope • February 6, 2017 • Such a small but highly significant thing, the chin paten. It is used is to catch a host or piece of a host that might otherwise fall to the ground. It is another reminder of the real, true, and substantial presence of Christ in even the smallest particle of the host.Today, the chin paten (also called a communion paten) is also symbolic. When one sees one today it is a pretty clear sign that it’s a more traditional parish. Their...

Our Dying Universities Msgr. Charles Pope • February 5, 2017 • The last vestiges of the once impressive institution known as the “university” are disappearing as our culture continues to crumble. Perhaps it is poetic justice, since the universities themselves have been a central cause of the cultural collapse that is burying them.The recent riots at the University of California at Berkeley and on other campuses are the result of a decades-long process that has increasingly sought to silence opinions or facts that are at odds with liberalism. Most universities have become indoctrination centers that tolerate little if any...

Pass the Salt and Put on the Lights - A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • February 5, 2017 • In the gospel today the Lord describes metaphorically (i.e. figuratively) what a Christian is and what He expects of us. Note five things about what He says I. The Definitiveness of his Proclamation – The Text says You are the Salt of the earth….You are the light of the World…..But if salt goes flat it is good for nothing…..No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket.The Lord is definitive in...

The Presentation Q. Why was Jesus presented in the Temple as a small boy? Dan, Elmira, N.Y. A. Two things were operative in this event. In the first place, presenting Jesus in the Temple was the fulfillment of Jewish law, which said, “Consecrate to me every firstborn; whatever opens the womb among the Israelites, whether of human being or beast, belongs to me” (Ex 13:1-2). And since Jesus was Mary’s firstborn (and only) son, He was brought to the Temple to be consecrated to the Lord.In addition, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple seems to have coincided with Mary’s...

Advice on Punishment from St. John Bosco Msgr. Charles Pope • February 2, 2017 • Part of a healthy, well-ordered love is correction of the sinner. Admonishing the sinner is one of the spiritual works of mercy. St. Thomas numbers fraternal correction among the works of charity.Getting correction right is often difficult. Too often our ego gets in the way or our anger taints this necessary work.Parents have the particular responsibility of punishing their children. To be sure, punishment should come after teaching and necessary warnings and admonishments.The purpose of punishing youngsters is to teach them. It is to...

Many Titles of Christ from Scripture Msgr. Charles Pope • February 1, 2017 • There are many, many different titles of Christ in both the New and Old Testaments. If one studies them carefully, they can provide a “mini-catechesis” of the Lord Jesus.Presented below are more than 150 different titles of Christ. For each title, I have included a link to the Scripture from which it was drawn. The list was compiled from various sources, but most come from The Catholic Source Book, which was compiled and edited by Fr. Peter Klein. In addition, some years ago my readers...

What Is the “Sin of Human Respect”? Msgr. Charles Pope • January 31, 2017 • On one level “human respect” seems like a good thing. After all, we ought to respect, honor and appreciate one another. What then is meant by the “sin of human respect”? It is that sin wherein we fear man more than God; we are more concerned with what people think of us than what God thinks of us. This is an unholy, sinful fear, and is at the root of many of our sins, both of commission and of omission.Consider some examples: A man...

A Meditation on the Brevity of Life, As Seen in a Video Msgr. Charles Pope • January 30, 2017 • My cousin, John Clem, died suddenly last week at the age of 52. It was likely a pulmonary embolism. The suddenness of his death shocked and deeply saddened many. He was dearly loved and was a great servant of God and man in the Charlottesville, Virginia area.At the funeral today, my mind drifted back to a photo album my father once assembled not long before his death. In the frontispiece he inscribed a passage from Psalm 103:But as for...

100 Questions Jesus Asked and You Should Answer Msgr. Charles Pope • January 29, 2017 • One of the bigger mistakes one can make is to read Scripture as a spectator, treating it as merely a collection of stories and events that took place thousands of years ago. While these are historical accounts, they are much more than that.Truth be told, these ancient stories are our stories. We are in the narrative. We are Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Peter, Paul, Magdalene, Mother Mary, and, if we are prepared to accept it, Jesus. We cannot simply read about...

A Sobering Reminder on the Liturgy from the Book of Leviticus Msgr. Charles Pope • October 5, 2017 • There is a sobering passage in the Book of Leviticus that speaks to the need for priests to be faithful to the prescribed liturgical norms. While the offense described in this passage is complex, the main point is clear enough: The liturgy is revealed by God and is not the personal plaything of the priest or the congregation. Although some of the liturgical edicts of the Old Covenant have been fulfilled and are therefore no longer binding, only the Church,...

Things We Can Learn from Dogs and Cats Msgr. Charles Pope • October 4, 2017 • 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!In the past I have shared a list of things we can learn from dogs. When I was growing up, we always had a dog, so although I did not compose the...

God Can Make a Way Out of No Way: A Meditation on the Role of Adversity Msgr. Charles Pope • October 3, 2017 • St. Paul in Prison, RembrandtAdversity comes to every one of us. The word’s Latin roots speak to the way in which things can turn against us; the winds, instead of moving us along, turn toward and against us and our progress seems stalled or even reversed.But has it? Or does adversity have a hidden, benign, or even good purpose?Consider the following teach[ing] from St. Paul, which arose from his own adversity. He is in prison,...

Lessons from the Life of St. Francis Msgr. Charles Pope • October 2, 2017 • Many fine histories exist on the life of St. Francis of Assisi so there is no need to replicate that information in this post. (Here is a recently published one that is particularly good.) As we prepare for the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), let’s reflect on a few lessons from his life.1. On the possibility of radical conversion and the role of affliction and humiliation – The son of a successful cloth merchant, St. Francis enjoyed a very affluent, easy...

The Human Tendency Toward Acquired Deafness Msgr. Charles Pope • October 1, 2017 • There was an important passage in the Gospel for Saturday’s Mass (Saturday of the 25th Week of the Year). It displays the human tendency to filter out or ignore what we do not want to hear.Jesus had been casting out demons. We then read,While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning...

God Can Use Anything, but He Shouldn’t Have to - A Homily for the 25th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • September 30, 2017 • In understanding Sunday’s Gospel, we cannot overlook the audience Jesus was addressing. The text begins, Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people …. In other words, He was addressing the religious leaders and religiously observant of His day. He calls at least three things to their attention, three common sins of the pious, if you will: lost connections, leaping to conclusions and lip service.Let’s look at each of...

Confession of sins We are to name and number our mortal sins during confession, which has its roots in sacred Scripture Msgr. Charles Pope 9/27/2017 Question: As a child, I was taught to confess my sins individually by name and the number of times committed. Is this practice legally required? Some confessors say this amount of detail is unnecessary. Also, how did the confession ritual of the Church get established? There is no biblical record that I know of.— Glen Morton, Peoria, Illinois Answer: Confessing sins in kind (by name) and number is required only for mortal sins. For lesser (venial) sins...

What Was the Foundation of Jesus’ Life and Ministry? Msgr. Charles Pope • September 28, 2017 • One of Jesus’ most central qualities was that He loved His Heavenly Father and was loved by Him. To put it colloquially, Jesus was crazy about His Father. He was always talking about Him. Jesus often sought remote places in order to be able to spend extended time with His Father. Clearly He also knew and experienced His Father’s great love for Him.Indeed, Jesus’ public ministry began with this declaration of the Father: You are my beloved Son; with you I am...

On the Loss of Common Spaces in a Politicized World Msgr. Charles Pope • September 27, 2017 • Among the losses in our declining culture is that of “common” or shared spaces and events. In these situations, Americans could come together and enjoy some degree of unity and common purpose. Usually they involved diversions like sports, movies, or other entertaining and uniting activities. Whatever political, religious, or cultural differences, Americans could set aside their differences and enjoy something together. Sporting events, amateur and professional (e.g., local high school football games, March Madness, the Super Bowl, the World Series)Blockbuster movies...

Priests, Parents, and Leaders: Take Heart! Msgr. Charles Pope • September 26, 2017 • Today I would like to present excerpts from the stirring sermon “On Pastors,” delivered by St. Augustine to the priests and people of Hippo. Although it is directed to priests, I hope that parents and leaders in general might also take courage from it.In times like these we must all be reminded of the need to preach the Word of God even if we are reviled and our very proclamation of love is labeled “hate speech.” This is not new; St. Augustine calls us to...