Monthly Archives: November 2023

St Leo the Great

Thoughtful men and women, with hearts craving the truth, have come to seek in the Catholic Church the road which leads to eternal life.

There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return.

Our Lord came to the aid of each great tribulation with a special devotion. The present and future tribulations of the Church and of nations are greater than at any other period, and this persecution is more dangerous than those of previous times. Hence, the devotion which God sends to the succor of His Church and of the nations at the present time is the devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist. It is the highest of all devotions.

St Leo the Great

A Journey of Renewal

‘The Lord of the Rings’: A Catholic journey

C.S. Lewis likened the tale ( Lord of the Rings ) to “lightning from a clear sky … with beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron.

Would it be fair to say that, in our times, the powers of the world appear ever on the rise, hope is rather scarce, those who discern patiently and exercise responsibility are few and far between, and the meek continue to be trampled underfoot? Has not a prevailing sense of gloom fallen upon our world? Do we not yearn for a happiness we have forgotten or not yet known?

As Lewis noted in his friend J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, in “The Lord of the Rings” we are plunged into a darkening world with characters submerged in anguish. But their anguish is of those who desire more than the inevitable doom thrust upon them. They set out on a journey against all odds. And yet, when we have seen them through all their travels and travails across 576,459 words, we, like them, “return to our own life not relaxed but fortified,” as Lewis wrote.

This is the anguish — the heartbreak — that leads to renewal. It is the renewal of one’s own heart. The match that lights that flame is the vision and the witness of those who have hoped great hopes and journeyed great journeys.

Our Sunday Visitor . WEB

All Souls Day

A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, he can help me. When I have been plunged into complete solitude … if I pray I am never totally alone.

This early Jewish idea of an intermediate state ( Purgatory ) includes the view that these souls are not simply in a sort of temporary custody but, as the parable of the rich man illustrates … are experiencing a provisional form of bliss. There is also the idea that this state can involve purification and healing which mature the soul for communion with God.

Pope Benedict XVI