Remembering the Dead
It remains one of the enduring consolations of my life that, joined as I am to Christ’s Body, the Church, I may at any time interact with the dead, with those cherished and faithful souls who have gone home before me to God.
The Gaze That Burns Twice
Why not use the time of Lent to help speed things along for those in purgatory who, while saved, are yet not fully ready to reach across the finish line where the final Epiphany awaits them?
Mona Lisa’s Mustache
The other day on an obscure channel on TV I saw a fundamentalist preacher interviewing two young Catholics at the Minnesota State Fair. The two Catholics were utterly unable to match wits with the Protestant old-time-religion preacher. It was painful to watch, almost as painful as reading Vatican press releases over the last several years … Read more
The Profit to Be Gained from Praying for Holy Souls
Sometimes you hear stories too good to be true. This was just such a story. It returned to my mind this month as it involves a spiritual work of mercy—praying for the dead. Indeed, as I was to discover, the reported tale was even better than I had been told. We all know what we … Read more
The Gift of Purgatory
The room is air conditioned, and cold. Admittedly, the heat outside is uncomfortable, but the chill inside manages to be worse. Unnatural. Sterile. Like the air churning out of the vents, the atmosphere feels forced. Two greeters, with expressions and attitudes to match the manufactured climate, greet my parents and me as we enter. One … Read more