De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

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...

Welcome to my reflection on this week's Sunday readings at Mass, where I look at the Scripture we will hear at Mass on Sunday in its historical, social and theological context to see what wisdom can be gleaned. 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: The Generous Love of Our Lord The Widow's Mite by João Zeferino da Costa: oil on canvas, 1876 The readings are: First Reading:  1 Kings 17:10-16 Psalm  145:7-10; Response v. 2. Second Reading:  Hebr...

Have a look at this extract from the final message of 2012 Synod of Bishops: We do not ignore the fact that today the family, established in the marriage of a man and of a woman which makes them “one flesh” (Matthew 19:6)  open to life , is assaulted by crises everywhere. It is surrounded by models of life that penalize it and neglected by the politics of society of which it is also the fundamental cell. It is not always respected in its rhythms and sustained in its tasks by ecclesial communities.  It is precisely this, however, that impels us to say  that we must particularly take care of the family and its mission   in society and in the Church,  Source:  http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20121026_message-synod_en.html Now, ask yourself……as a result of the 2014/2015 synods on the family … do you NOW FEEL the support of and “particular care” of the Church that the pope and church pledged only 3 years ago???? …...

His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider, one of the most visible prelates working on the restoration of the traditional Latin Mass and faith, has penned a nearly 5,000-word response to the Synod exclusively for readers of Rorate Caeli . RC have generously allowed anyone to republish the text in full. In it, Bishop Schneider, who has become well known for his orthodoxy over many years and who I have blogged about before , analyses the Final Report of the Synod and expresses some serious concerns with what some are referring to as one of the most critical events in Church history. The Bishop sees this synod as providing a "back door" to Holy Communion for adulterers, a rejection of Christ's teaching and a Final Report full of "time bombs." And he is not alone in his conclusions. Ultimately, capitulation to secular morality has been pursued by many churches and, though such pursuit was anticipated as a means to encourage more liberal-leaning church-...