The Florida Panhandle suffered the remnants of Hurricane Patricia all day yesterday. It quite literally did not stopped raining/storming for 24+ hours here in Pensacola. This kind of weather is always good for reflecting on suffering. During a search for storm-related quotes to lift my spirits yesterday, I came across the one above attributed to Vincent Van Gogh that reminded … Read More
All My Hope Rests in Your Great Mercy
It doesn’t get much more beautiful than this. From St. Augustine, whose feast is today: Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong — I, misshapen. You were with me, … Read More
Facing Death With Dignity
Liz — living with advanced, incurable kidney cancer wants you to know: “The moment we label suicide an act with dignity, we’ve implied that people like me are undignified for not ending our lives, or worse, we’re a costly burden for society. What a lonely, uncharitable and fake world we live in if we think it’s somehow undignified to let people … Read More
The Dark Night of the Easter Triduum
image: The Lamentation, Peter Paul Rubens c. 1609 Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the … Read More
To Know How to Suffer is to Know How to Live
This week, a fellow Ignitum Today columnist wrote about the connection between the culture of death and our inability to meaningfully connect with human suffering. Her article, which included the quote from Pope Benedict below (emphasis mine), reminded me of an article I wrote myself a few years ago, which I have republished a Catholic Lane for those who may … Read More
Stay A While With Christ and Him Crucified
Hey, where are you going? It’s not Easter, yet. “Stay a while. Do not hurry by the cross on your way to Easter joy, for we know the risen Lord only through Christ and him crucified.” (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Death on a Friday Afternoon). image: The Lamentation, Peter Paul Rubens c. 1609 Jason Hall reminds us that, “It is … Read More
The Apostolate of Suffering…Again
I’ve published it here a few times already, but, in light of a discussion at my local young adult Theology on Tap I thought I’d introduce (a better version of) The Apostolate of Suffering to a wider audience. So this week I published it at Ignitum Today and Catholic Lane. Then I was excited to have it picked up by … Read More
Drinking the Chalice of the Lord
In today’s Gospel reading (Mt 20:17-28) the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” And Jesus replied: “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said … Read More
Faith is Proven in Suffering
Well said, Mother Elvira! Faith is not something magical: “I believe, so God has to give me the miracle I’m praying for,” or “I pray. Why hasn’t God given me what I asked for?” Let’s look as an example at Mary ’s faith, a solid, sure, strong faith. We can’t even imagine how much she suffered! I wonder what her … Read More
Suffering and the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
Yesterday the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of St. Thérèse, a lovable little saint whose example of humility and abandonment is a reminder of the strength that can be found when we embrace the limits of our human nature and place all our hope and trust in God who is “more tender than a Mother.” Humility is nothing more than … Read More