Franciscan Fraternity
In Francis’s time, the people of an Italian city like Assisi were divided into the “majores” and “minores”. The upper class was known as “majores” the greater ones; the lower class as “minores”, the lesser
Knights’ Blog
The official blog of the Knights of the
Holy Eucharist
Reaching Out In The Procession
The procession continues from the Three Kings, to the pushing crowds of Judea, to the Lord’s Way of the Cross, to your door. It is all here. The hermeneutic of continuity, the salvation which comes
Invasion of the Vulgars
With all the unbridled web-critique of Catholics by Catholics there is a marked erosion of the respect due the ‘office’ of priest, bishop, and even pope; a tearing of the Eucharistic cloth of Christian unity
Is the Franciscan spirit of poverty at odds with the building of churches?
Is the Franciscan spirit of poverty at odds with the building of churches? Do we still beg for stones? John Paul Haskins touches the issue with clarity. “When the San Damiano Crucifix spoke to St
Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion
Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Personal Prudence and Objective Standards 1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious
St. Michael, Guardian of the Blessed Sacrament
Today is the feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. On Mount Gargano, St. Michael appeared with a censer in his hand, on the spot where a church was to be built; hence
A Knightly Bishop Defender of Church Against State Intrusion
Today is the Feast of St. Francis Laval — a knightly bishop whose diocese extended from Canada to New England, and all the Mississippi Valley, extending even to the Rocky Mountains. St. Laval struggled a
Blessed Clemens August von Galen: Defender of the Faith
“Neither praise nor threats will distance me from God.” Known as the Lion of Munster, Blessed Bishop Clement Galen stood against the full wrath of a totalitarian state to defend his people, and the Church.
Every Man a Penny
A crucial observation from writer Michael Cook on the nature of mercy in Pope Francis’ pontificate: A young officer in the Gestapo has been condemned to death by the French Resistance after the Germans have
A Pure Selfless “Selfie”, Jesus in the Eucharist
Take a real selfie snapshot of yourself. Spend time with the selfless Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and allow him to be your “Total Self-ie”.
What Do You Want?
What do you want? Humility to see Lord. Dr. Alice plumbs the depth of that truthful plea, mirrored through the centuries by the saints, in her interview with an Evangelical Magazine. It is a great
A Franciscan Relationship with Nazareth
The Franciscans have a unique relationship with Nazareth that is enduring and endearing. They are the guardians of the Church of the Annunciation (in Hebrew: כנסיית הבשורה, Arabic: كنيسة البشارة, Greek: Εκκλησία του Ευαγγελισμού της
Why the Tau?
The TAU is the sign with which St. Francis of Assisi loved signing his letters and blessings. Indeed, the TAU, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is indicated in the Bible as a symbol
A Race In Which Everyone Can Be A Winner
I found myself re-reading Blessed Pope John Paul II’s homily of October 2000 on the Jubilee of Athletes as the creative and lavish opening ceremony to the Olympic Games in Sochi began. He writes, “Do
John Adams and the Camino to Independence
Many youth about this time, in the heart of winter, plan their spring and summer adventures. For some it will mean embarking upon the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella — the Camino. For those of
Why Wonder – We Are At War
Fr. Dwight Longenecker in his essay, Understanding the Apocalyptic Vision of Pope Francis gives us a refresher on the battle that has always raged above us. So why should we be surprised that we are
Never Alone in Suffering
At the Votive Mass of The Precious Blood of Christ at Westminster Cathedral (in September 2010) Pope Benedict XVI spoke movingly about Christ the High priest and His solidarity with all those who suffer. Three
What is a real man?
Rolling back the clock to Eden and the first sin, we ask ourselves — what is a real man? The answer hinges on everything Adam failed to be and what Christ is — we must
An Eagle Stricken with an Arrow
The ancient Greek, Aeschylus, (Robert F. Kennedy’s favorite poet) had this to say in one of his tragedies, So in the Libyan fable it is told That once an eagle, stricken with an arrow, Said,
The War Against True Image
In our age, the noise and bombardment of images can submerge true image, and we can loose focus on authentic beauty and the hand of our God who paints us into a grand story. In
God’s celestial poetry!
In the recent sci-fi film, Arrival, the story’s premise pivots on language being a gateway to time. Although such films are esoteric and Gnostic, there is something very true about God who gives us his
They saw a man, and they acknowledged a God!
“If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently they would
O Emmanuel
“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall
God’s Incarnational Poetry
It is the third week of Advent, a time of joyful expectation, and I find myself thinking about faith and scientific inquiry. Or rather, how God places himself and reaches out to us, wherever we
My Dear Little Son
“Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do not fear any illness or vexation,
