By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
This is the second installment in a two-part series on the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
From the outset, the Rite of Ordination of a Priest places this sacrament in the context of Jesus, our great High Priest, choosing “certain disciples to carry out publically in His Name, and on behalf of mankind, a priestly office in the Church.”
As such, priests are called to be co-workers with the order of bishops.
Private foundations and non-profit groups are frequently involved in advocating for particular causes, ranging from cancer research to protecting the environment. Some of these foundations rely almost exclusively on charitable donations to carry out their promotional work.
Potential donors seeking to support these causes face the challenge of exercising “due diligence,” so that their funds are properly utilized and not misdirected or otherwise targeted by the organization to support immoral projects.
We have all read about growing public frustration with deadlock in Washington, bitter partisanship in both Washington and state capitals, and the lack of civility in politics.
Increasingly, the conversation on these topics has triggered renewed interest in an old subject — the process by which states redraw congressional and legislative districts after each census.
Q: I am trying to respect my father’s choices but it is so hard.
We lost my mother last year so he is alone. Since her death he refuses to think about moving to a smaller home or apartment even though he can barely keep up with things.
He is alone much of the time and will not accept help from friends, family, church, or anyone else.
He says he is not depressed but he certainly does not act like he is ready to move on. Is there anything I can do? (From a son in Deerfield).
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This is the first of a two-part series on how Catholics join together as a community of faith as expressed in the Church’s law on parishes (part one) and sacred places (part two).
Man is a religious being. Man is a social being. These two fundamental truths of human nature spring from our having been created with an immaterial soul capable of knowing and loving.
As such, we have an innate desire to use these faculties to be in communion with God and with those around us. This aspect of humanity is expressed beautifully in the account of creation in Genesis 2, in which Adam and Eve are established in a state of perfect harmony with God and with each other.
One result of mankind’s dual religious and social nature is the desire to come together in order to worship, a ritual expressed in every civilization in human history. We naturally join with those around us to pray and worship God, and what’s more, we often set aside some space dedicated to this purpose of communal prayer.
In this two-part article I will examine the way in which we, as Catholics, join together as a community of faith as expressed in the Church’s law on parishes (part one) and sacred places (part two).
By Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB
In the writings of the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the only priest, the sole mediator between God and humanity. This privilege comes from God’s special designation of Him at His baptism, as well as His redeeming work by the Paschal Mystery — His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Conclusion of a four-part series offered as a primer for Catholics on the authority of reason in the defense of marriage. The series is based on author Lillian Quinones’ interviews with Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University.
Author’s note: The need for knowledgeable and articulate Catholics to defend the family as the foundation of society is dire. I am honored to feature Robert P. George, who is hailed by the New York Times as the “country’s most influential Christian thinker.” His clear and concise arguments motivate us to defend traditional marriage courageously and confidently for, as he demonstrates in this article, reason is our strongest weapon.
For the first time ever, all of the major Wisconsin apostolates for men’s faith formation are uniting to be trained and to lead the entire state to the burning love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the fire of love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
This includes the Wisconsin Council of the Knights of Columbus, Relevant Radio, and men’s apostolates from all five dioceses: Men of Christ, Knights of Divine Mercy, Esto Vir, and the King’s Men.
This article is the third in a four-part series offered as a primer for Catholics on the authority of reason in the defense of marriage. The series is based on author Lillian Quinones’ interviews with Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University.
Author’s note: The need for knowledgeable and articulate Catholics to defend the family as the foundation of society is dire. I am honored to feature Robert P. George, who is hailed by the New York Times as the “country’s most influential Christian thinker.” His clear and concise arguments motivate us to defend traditional marriage courageously and confidently for, as he demonstrates in this article, reason is our strongest weapon.
On July 22, 2013, during the flight to World Youth Day, Pope Francis said that “Youth are the future.” He quickly added that “the aged are also essential.”
He stated that he did not want World Youth Day to be a meeting with young people in isolation because when we isolate them, we do them an injustice.
Like us, he said, they belong to a family, a culture, a country, and faith. To know who we are, and where we are going, it’s helpful to know where we came from.
