We are living in a world that accepts the unacceptable. One recent example is the 2023 Satancon held in Boston on April 28-30. This satanic gathering, hosted by The Satanic Temple, was billed as the “the largest in history.” Some 800 satanists attended. The event was also promoted as a “weekend of blasphemy.” It included … Read more
“Buona Sera!”—“Good Evening!” With this commonplace greeting, devoid of any solemnity or unction, Francis addressed the thousands of faithful waiting in St. Peter’s Square for their newly-elected pope. These words set the style of his pontificate: informality, abandonment of protocol and disdain for ceremony. Ten years later, recently deceased Cardinal George Pell stated that this … Read more
The prism of death often provides an excellent perspective to influence how to live. Thus, the book Life Stories of Dying Penitents or Sick Calls from the Diary of a Missionary Priest invites the reader to make serious, profound, hopeful and tragic reflections. Originally published in the late nineteenth century, the book is a compilation … Read more
Many aging and retired people express deep unhappiness in their relationships with children and grandchildren. Cries of Anguish The depth of that unhappiness was recently expressed in a pair of articles by the conservative pundit Dennis Prager. In the first, Mr. Prager describes a nightmare situation. Order Today: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy … Read more
Recently, Daily Wire host Michael Knowles commented that of the three transcendentals—goodness, truth and beauty—American conservatives love to frame their arguments in terms of truth, often have recourse to goodness but give little importance to beauty. It is an astute observation that greatly affects their effectiveness. However, what are the transcendentals and why are they … Read more
Before modernity, Christianity guided individuals to live according to human nature and the moral law established by the Creator. This system allowed families and societies to prosper and helped people in their quest for sanctification and the final destination of heaven. The eighteenth-century Enlightenment threw everything into darkness. People claimed they could not have certainties … Read more
July 17 is the feast of the sixteen Carmelites of Compiègne who were guillotined on this day in 1794 during the French Revolution. The Church often, but not always, celebrates the feast of martyrs on the day they died because it is the most glorious day of their lives. They were born to eternal life … Read more
Modernity presents liberalism as the beginning of history. Before liberalism, liberals claim, there was nothing but ignorance, darkness and the gnashing of teeth. Liberalism is credited with all progress and security in the modern world. Its reign suddenly appeared like the creation of the world. Thus, as liberalism crashes and crumbles, most liberals automatically exclude … Read more
At first glance, the book, How and How Not to Be Happy sounds like those innumerable “self-help” tomes that crowd bookstore shelves. However, the mention of how not to be happy intrigues the reader and prompts a second look. It is well worth the effort as this is not one of those repetitive and tiresome … Read more
The subject should not cause much debate since it appears to be a technical issue. Thus, I tended to ignore it when first hearing about it. However, with the passage of a bit of time, I started noticing a general discomfort around the matter. I felt the same uneasiness. The issue is time. Daylight Saving’s … Read more
