Religion
-
To which saints should we pray?
The Marcial Maciel case forces us to confront the question of Evil. Our era avoids engaging with it. What do we know of the devil's work, and what can we do to protect ourselves from it? After attempting to conceal the good in life, should we be surprised that evil is now revealed? The works of the devil are… Continue reading
-
Ernest Hello's news on Fear
But if we move from fear in general to the fear of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Olives, we will find silence more fitting than speech. His Passion is a series of excesses, many of which are unknown to us, says Angela of Foligno. But these sufferings, however dreadful they were, were successive, not simultaneous. In… Continue reading
-
Gregorian chant is intended for the liturgy
Excerpt from "The Holy Mass, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," quote from Mr. Dominique Ponnau, Director of the École du Louvre, lecture given in Le Mans, September 19, 1998. "I remember. This memory is for me an almost daily cultural and human reference point. It was in June 1985, in Pont-à-Mousson, at the end of the colloquium… Continue reading
-
Christian Testimony – 2
When I started this blog, the idea of writing about the liturgy came to me very quickly. Not to claim the status of an expert, but to share my experience of what represents the heart of a Christian's life. So there were two paths that had to converge: I had to describe the Mass (and… Continue reading
-
In the polluted air of our societies
“We are told that the air of the world is unbreathable. I agree. But the first Christians found each morning at their doorstep an atmosphere saturated with vice, idols, and incense offered to the gods. For more than two hundred years, they were relegated, slandered, and marginalized by the current of the social river that swept them away… Continue reading
-
On totalitarian states
“Totalitarian states, which alternately use lies and violence (lies to cover up violence and violence to silence those who uncover the lies), owe most of their success to having paralyzed the forces of reaction against deceit and lies. This is on a moral level… Continue reading
-
Speech by Donoso Cortès (1850)
“Regular armies are today the only thing preventing civilization from descending into barbarism. Today, a spectacle new in history, new in the world, unfolds before our eyes: when, gentlemen, has the world ever seen, except in our time, that civilization is attained through arms and… Continue reading
-
The abandonment of Benedict XVI
“Eli, Eli lama sabachthani?” When Benedict XVI signaled, in a few simple words, that he was renouncing the papacy, it sent shockwaves through the world and deeply affected Catholics. The most outlandish rumors circulated, and everyone wondered about the reasons for this decision, which, even if it… Continue reading
-
A short history of Envy, from hero to scapegoat
The modern world constantly presents us with scapegoats. Lance Armstrong, Richard Millet, Jérôme Kerviel, John Galliano, to name just a few, each in their own field, with completely different causes and reasons, have recently embodied the scapegoat, the justly punished culprit, the troublemaker put in their place. The… Continue reading
-
Christian testimony
When I started this blog, the idea of writing about the liturgy came to me very quickly. Not to claim the status of an expert, but to share my experience about what represents the heart of a Christian's life. So there were two paths that had to converge: I had to tell the story of… Continue reading
-
In the heart of darkness, life
After seeing "The Tree of Life," I long forbade myself from writing about the film. Two forces clashed within me. Captivated by its poetry, by the state of bliss I was immersed in, I was afraid of disturbing the surface of this work. I became so enveloped in the mystery of this film that… Continue reading
-
Another year comes to an end…
As the year draws to a close, we often cast only a fleeting glance. We shouldn't dwell on it too much. We never know how many things we've forced ourselves to bury might resurface, like those impromptu, rude, and irritating pop-up windows on the internet. One exercise we can try is to… Continue reading
-
In the shadow of Ernesto Sabato
When Ernesto Sabato passed away on April 30th at the age of 99, he repeated to himself the words of Maria Zambrano: "To die, this elusive act which is accomplished through obedience, takes place beyond reality, in another realm." In his home in Santos Lugarès ("Holy Places" near Buenos Aires), Ernesto Sabato obeyed this final injunction. He… Continue reading
Argentina , stupidity , Catholicism , counter-revolution , Ernesto Sabato , war , history , forgiveness -
Monsignor Centène…
The people of Vannes are fortunate indeed. Bishop Centène's homily at Saint-Pierre Cathedral in Vannes last Sunday was truly uplifting. This isn't the first time Bishop Centène's homilies have been mentioned on Catholic websites, and given their quality, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Continue reading