The first snowfall is flawless,
A blanket of white, blinding, bliss;
Purity untouched by the footprints of man,
By the messy footprints of everyday trespasses.
For a time, for a brief time, in the morning light, it glistens,
Crystals of ice, like glittering particles of gems.
I want to take it all in, to wrap it round me, to consume it,
I want this beauty to consume me within it. …
“In the face of a society that has lost sight of the profound meaning of marital intimacy,” we as Christians need to not merely condemn the modern culture, but impress on our culture a positive sense of its sacredness. Marriage is made in the image of God–in the image of the Trinity and of Christ’s love for His Church–in the image of a love that is a free, total, faithful, and fruitful gift of oneself.
Christ–the one High Priest and one Sacrifice–acts through the priests of His Catholic Church. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine, it is Jesus who offers Himself to us, saying: “This is my Body, which is given up for you.” And when we go to Confession, it is Jesus who says: “Your sins are forgiven–go in peace.”
For the last seven years of her life, Catherine ate nothing besides the Eucharist–Yes, you read that correctly! Astoundingly, by a special miracle she was literally nourished by Christ alone and was able to carry out her many works of service and counsel with surprising energy. Many people had their doubts about whether this was true, but here is why the accounts are strongly convincing:
St. Irenaeus, a bishop from the second century who had a close association with the apostles, writes explicitly about the need to rely on the Church’s oral tradition in order to interpret Sacred Scripture and combat heresy. Here, and in the circumstances of the time, we can see that the early Christians did not believe in relying on the Bible alone, but respected and needed the authority of the Catholic Church, just as we need it today.
What fosters a powerful and fruitful prayer life? How can we start to pray for the first time–or develop a deeper relationship with Our Lord? We all experience difficulty in prayer at times, so I wanted to share with you my reflections on how we can pray well.
What happened on October 13th, 1917, that awed 70,000 witnesses? What shows that this was a phenomenon beyond the explanation of science? Truly, the events surrounding this “Miracle of the Sun” attest that this was indeed a miraculous event brought about through the intercession of Our Lady.
Reading the psalms, I was struck by this terrifying fact: Our modern world is repeating the same sins of the Israelites’ times. Today, many Catholics and other Christians are turning from God, whether intentionally or by their actions, just as the Israelites did. We fall for the lies that the devil speaks through the culture around us–We serve their idols, fall into their sins, commit their atrocities… However–Our hope lies in Christ.
“Sacred Scripture is the written testimony of the divine Word, the canonical memory that attests to the event of Revelation. However, the Word of God precedes the Bible and surpasses it. That is why the centre of our faith isn’t just a book, but a salvation history and above all a person, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh.” – Pope Francis
First of all, thank you. Thank you for your passion for the faith and dedication to Christ. Thank you for your love for God and your zeal for sharing His gospel that I often admire. As for us Catholics, I am truly sorry if any of us have acted in any uncharitable way or have said or done anything that is not in accordance with Christ’s teaching. However, being as such, these actions don’t accurately represent the intention of the Church or her true teachings, which I truly believe are faithful to the teachings of Christ.
Beloved Dreamer 