Free Republic

John 2:1-12 One does not have to venture far into the Anglican blogosphere to recognize that the dominant discussion is on the House of Bishops’ report. This morning, I was led to turn my eyes to Mary rather than the bishops. At the wedding in Cana, Mary comes to Jesus, who had not yet performed any public miracles, with a problem–"They have no wine.” She has a childlike trust that Jesus will do something about it–"Do whatever he tells you.” The scripture doesn’t tell us what she did next. I’ve always thought she went back to the party, but I...

Marian Renaissance among Protestants? The surprising answer is yesThe signs do not point to a complete restoration of the Blessed Mother's rightful place in the Church, but the signs are surely intriguing, and thoroughly biblical which is to say, thoroughly Catholic. The Marian renaissance includes pastors from all mainline Protestant denominations: Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists. High -Church Anglicans are mentioned only in passing because they're old hands at this. Here is a favorite quote from the Time Magazine article:In a shift whose ideological breadth is unusual in the fragmented Protestant world, a long-standing wall around Mary appears to...

Humility and Virginity Just as St. Joseph took care to guard his virtues under cover of very holy humility, he was also diligent in hiding the precious pearl of his virginity. If he agreed to be married, it was so that, without anyone knowing it, he could hide his virtue under the veil of a holy marriage. On this subject, virgins and those who wish to live in chastity, are taught that it is not sufficient to be celibate. If they are not humble and do not guard their purity in the precious vase of humility, they will be like...