De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

In a culture that idolises autonomy and self-assertion, “Thy Will Be Done” asks a far more uncomfortable question: what if the deepest freedom we seek is found not in strengthening our own will, but in surrendering it? This reflection from Katherine moves from a deeply personal memory to a profound spiritual insight, exploring the tension between human determination and divine providence. It is not sentimental piety, but a sober meditation on what Christ Himself revealed — that true authority, true power, and true peace come “from above.” For those who have wrestled with suffering, disappointment, ambition, or loss, this piece speaks directly to the heart of the Christian life. It challenges modern assumptions, confronts the myth of self-creation, and reminds us that the most radical prayer we can pray is also the simplest: Thy will be done. If you care about authentic discipleship in an age of restless self-will, this is an article worth your time. Read it now on Catholic Unscripte...

We live in a culture that cannot tolerate suffering. Katherine's latest must read essay: Anything that asks us to endure, repent, or carry a cross is dismissed as cruel, outdated, or “unhealthy.” But Scripture warns us that the Anti-Christ will not appear as a monster. He will sound compassionate. Reasonable. Therapeutic. He will tell us exactly what we want to hear. This essay explores why the rejection of suffering is not progress but a spiritual danger — and why Christianity without the Cross becomes something else entirely. Read here: 👉 https://www.catholicunscripted.com/p/we-dont-want-to-suffer-and-the-anti If the faith you’re offered never asks you to suffer, it may not be the faith Christ taught. #Catholic #Christianity #Suffering #TheCross #Antichrist #Faith #Truth

Watch this from The Most Rev. Erik Varden, Bishop of Trondheim, Norway. I am increasingly aware of his quality. More bishops like this please Lord! Here he presents “Living with Wounds: The Passion in Theology and in Our Lives,” with an introduction by Bishop Kevin Rhoades. This event was sponsored by the McGrath Institute for Church Life, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, and the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

This is wonderfully profound reflection on human suffering well worth sharing. When I lost my beloved daughter , it felt like I was literally hanging on the Cross. I knew then what it meant to radically enter into Christ's Passion with Him. It was like the only person who could truly empathise with what I was going through was Jesus. It's not an experience I would wish on anyone else, but, if you’re in a hospital, unable to receive Him, remember that especially now, mystically, are ARE Him.

Following on from yesterday , I was wondering what is missing from Justin Welby's theology that made him doubt, or question God in the way he articulated. I was thinking about redemptive suffering and its unique place in Catholic theology- and its absence from Protestant theology. Of course this is something Jesus Himself told us: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mt 16:24 The saints would also often say that their greatest desire can be summed up in one phrase; to love and to suffer. Saint Catherine of Sienna: "...every suffering they bear from any source at all, in spirit or in body, is of infinite worth, and so satisfies for the offense that deserved an infinite penalty...[even though]...these are finite deeds in finite time." Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon S.J.: "Love wants to suffer for the Beloved... Love wants to expiate the sins that have so deeply penetrated mankind. Love wants to...

Purgatory, have we forgotten about it? Is it something the Church made up to garner indulgences? Or is it, in fact, an expression of God's boundless love and desire to be united with the souls he has created? I've noticed quite a bit of internet chat over the last week or so around the idea that, post Vatican II, Purgatory and praying for the dead is no longer a part of Catholic prayer. I find this disconcerting I have to say, because I believe it is important that we pray for the dead and I certainly hope someone will pray for me when I am dead!! November is one of those times we get to reflect especially on those who have left us. Death is an unavoidable part of life, although modern society seems intent on ignoring and hiding it. Purgatory has always made sense to me in my bones, but its one of those teachings that are quite difficult to explain to non-Catholics. Interestingly, I think those who have not been taught a contradictory Protestant narrative find it easy t...

Really there seems so much to pray about at the moment in my life. My morning Rosary seems more urgent and important and is preceded and followed by more urgent pleas than I can remember in a long while. Sometimes when I pray, I pray this way, focused, urgent pleading. Sometimes in my life, I have just laid myself out before God, like a shipwrecked and half-drowned sailor washed up on some foreign shore. I felt like at least one of this morning's urgent pleadings was answered very quickly with a couple of promising developments which were just openings that allowed me to act in a positive rather than a negative way. It may well be that my concern in both these regards was unfounded, and God just showed me there was no need to feel anxious. It could be that he presented me with an opportunity to love and effect the situation through my own generosity of spirit. I discerned the latter and so when that chink appeared, poured all the love I could in. We'll see what comes. I...

"Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Ps 119:105 Welcome to this, the fifty-seventh of my reflections on the theology of the Sunday readings at Mass. I have undertaken this project, regularly posting background information on the readings at Sunday Mass as part of my own prayer life. I have found it helps me to do a little study before I go to Mass about the readings, what the theme of the week is, how it follows on from the previous week's readings and what is being said. In sharing this, I hope to help you too get more from the Bible and Sunday Scripture readings. Perhaps it might give you confidence in the value and legitimacy of the Bible, or perhaps it might inspire you to pray the Divine Office or investigate the weekly readings for yourself. I see this as very clearly part of what the Church teaches about the Bible: This heaven-sent treasure Holy Church considers as the most precious source of doctrine on faith and morals. No won...

The cry is always the same when we hear about events such as the tragic Newtown massacre that took place last weekend and it is all too familiar to me, as I noted in my post yesterday . So where was God? Tanya Marlow wrote beautifully on how this affected her yesterday. Lisa Graas identified with this in just the same way as I do and posted this beautiful reflection . It might seem a little abstract to you if you're not a Catholic or familiar with the spirituality. But suffering is one of the ways we feel close to God: God is not distant or removed from suffering, He is present in it. If you are a Catholic, or at least familiar with this spirituality, you will certainly benefit from reflecting on her post there. In my darkest days, I identified with Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, which culminate in the Crucifixion, which for me, constitutes the death of my child. There's a huge debate raging about gun cont...

The abduction of April Jones, the little girl from Machynlleth, Powys, has touched so many of us. I can't remember a news story that has touched me more, affected me so emotionally and personally, perhaps because I know what it means to lose a daughter. The title and contents of Dr. Peter Saunders blog  this morning struck me as poignant and expresses the deep emotional connection I feel with this tragedy. Tears and prayers and a feeling of helplessness. What I find especially hard is the thought of any child being put through an ordeal the likes of which I cannot imagine. As soon as the tendrils of empathic thought in my mind tentatively explore this direction of thought, they recoil as if burnt. I do not want to consider that any human being could visit such cruelty on a little child, with all their beautiful innocence and potential. The fear and incomprehension she must have felt...It makes me feel physically sick. The loss and desperation her parents must ...

Welcome to this, the tenth of my reflections on the theology of the Sunday readings at Mass.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I sincerely hope that this reflection will inspire you, answer some questions you may have, help you to see how fantastic Sacred Scripture is and perhaps begin to share some of my love and passion for the Bible as you begin to comprehend how layered and multi-faceted, and what a carefully considered part of the Mass the readings are. If you want to know how these posts came about, please read my first post in this series  here . This Sunday the theme for the readings might be summed up as: Jesus the Wisdom of God The readings are: Wisdom 2:12, 17:20 Psalm: 53:3-6,8; Response: v. 6 Second Reading: James 3:16-4:3 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 First, a little preliminary survey of each of the books. I will post the same, or similar prelims week on week, for each book as we encounter them. I've re-done...