Recent Posts…
March 25: The Solemnity of the Annunciation, The Date on Which Jesus (May Have) Died, and… and Tolkien Reading Day?
And somehow, J.R.R. Tolkien—who deliberately scheduled the destruction of the One Ring on this exact date—understood this profound connection better than most modern believers.Today, we’re connecting these threads across faith, history, and fantasy to reveal why March 25th might be the most profound date you’ve never thought twice about. For the early Church, determining the […]
The Monk Who Defied a Dying World: How St. Benedict Saved the West
Full Name Benedict of Nursia Born c. 480 AD, Nursia (modern Norcia, Italy) Died c. 547 AD, Monte Cassino, Italy Feast Day July 11 (Catholic Church) Patron Saint Of Monks, Europe, students, farmers, against poison, among others Major Contribution Founded Benedictine monasticism; wrote the Rule of St. Benedict Place of Death Monte Cassino (monastery he […]
Sola Scriptura is a DISQUALIFYING Belief for Authentic Christianity.
I frequent a number of “Anti-Catholic” message boards, and have since I was a neophyte believer. I do it because it’s always good to stay ready and sharpened in your ability to give a defense of the faith – but also because it *is* missionary territory. Sometimes a “doozy” of a claim will come up, […]
Why Do Catholics Have Statues?
Imagine a soldier during WWII. His name is Steve. He’s in a foxhole, and in 45 seconds he and his fellow soldiers will be charging out of their foxhole, through a hail of gunfire, to the next trench. Undoubtedly, some of them won’t make it. In the final seconds before the charge, Steve reaches into […]
Random Posts
A Beginner’s Guide to Suits and Menswear
Because There Are Some Things Guys Just Need To Know… With this entry, I’m taking a break from my usual commentaries and giving some very simple and practical advice to my half of the population. Given all the fashion faux paxs and interesting choices of attire at Mass I’ve seen, I’ve come to learn one […]
The History Of Christianity In One Comic (and a bunch of text)
In the last 500 years in particular, however, what Christianity is has gotten…”muddy.” Cloudy. Hazy. It’s hard to tell what is what, because by modest estimates, there are between 3,000 and 30,000 different Christian denominations in the world today. Some teach that there are no sacraments, some that there are 7. Some teach that Jesus was God […]
The Faces of Hope: Patrick’s Favorite Images of the Popes
Since the election of Pope Francis, Justin has posted several photos of him on Oramus and begged the question of how we cannot automatically love our new pontiff. I’ve recently found myself wondering the same thing. As I was gathering material for my last few entries, I found photos of the popes during whose reign […]
Did Jesus build his church on Peter?
From Facebook: Matthew 16 follows a VERY specific formulation A) Blessing B) ExplanationC) Further Explanation Three times in a row. A) Blessed are you Simon, son of JonahB) FOR flesh and blood has not revealed this to youC) BUT my father in heaven. A) I tell you YOU ARE ROCK B) AND upon this rock […]
A Confession Reflection for the Season that is Lenten
I spoke in my previous entry about Pope Francis’ enthusiasm for the Sacrament of Confession. According to Catholic Radio, he decided to pursue his vocation to the priesthood while attending Confession. The majority of Catholics rarely, if ever attend Confession, a sacrament about which I am very passionate. In a shared objection with non-Catholics, many disagree […]
“This Horrible and Hateful War on People”
This post is about “That Law,” that was passed by the house in Kansas, my home state, but likely won’t go further. More to the point, it’s about all the hullabaloo that has surrounded it, “this horrible and hateful war on people,” as one blogger put it (who, by the way, started her piece with […]