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February 12, 2020

Note from the Assistant Managing Editor:

This week's reflection is from Cardinal Robert Sarah on "What Zechariah Learned in Silence."  "In silence, not in the turmoil and noise, God enters into the innermost depths of our being" and it is there He changes us.

Roger Scruton's piece "Real Men Have Manners" is a must-read.  "In a world of cutthroat competition," he says, "the rude person will be first at the winning post.  So why be polite?"  His answer is an entire philosophy on raising children, table manners, sexual conduct, dress, cellphones, lawsuits, and what it means to be human.

And it seems Martin Scorsese's The Irishman is a must-see.  After Fr. Raymond de Souza's review, I'm definitely going to watch it!  "The Irishman needs to be as long as it is because it is not about how length of years diminishes all the passing goods that mob life grasps at, but it is an experience of that diminishment."

Tying it all together is Father George Rutler, who writes on the Presentation in the Temple.  "God comes to us often in obscurity, through unexpected events and persons, rather than through celebrities."

God bless you all this week! - Meaghen Gonzalez



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"In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot." - Czeslaw Milosz



New Resources


 
What Zechariah Learned in Silence - Robert Cardinal Sarah - The Power of Silence

God achieves everything, acts in all circumstances, and brings about all our interior transformations.


 
Introduction: The Reason for the Seasons - Rev. James V. Schall. S.J. - The Reason for the Seasons: Why Christians Celebrate What and When They Do

Over the years, I have written a number of relatively short essays on various Church feasts.


 
Real Men Have Manners - Roger Scruton - City Journal

Manners, properly understood, are the instruments whereby we negotiate our passage through the world.


 
A Protestant Tribute to Archbishop Chaput - Carl R. Trueman - First Things

"A Catholic archbishop, a Presbyterian professor, and his wife walk into a bar."


 
Our pick of the films of 2019 - Staff of MercatorNet - Mercatornet

A bumper crop of superior viewing.


 
The Irishman's Last Ride - Father Raymond J. de Souza - Convivium

Martin Scorsese's homage to Mafiosos movies is ultimately a tale of life experienced from the perspective of eternity.


 
God comes to us often in obscurity - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor

Luke the Evangelist is the patron saint of artists because he paints pictures with words.

Editorials of Interest:

Is the Pope Catholic? - Claremont Review of Books
Equity Warriors - City Journal
Scrolls of Hate and Hope - First Things
Surviving Sodom - Crisis Magazine

Editorials of Interest


Is the Pope Catholic? - Claremont Review of Books

What Francis hath wrought.


Ugandan archbishop forbids receiving Holy Communion in hands - CNA

"Due to many reported instances of dishonoring the Eucharist that have been associated with reception of the Eucharist in the hands, it is fitting to return to the more reverent method of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue."


Survival of the bees of Notre Dame Cathedral seen as 'almost miraculous' - Aleteia

The 30,000 to 45,000 bees on Notre Dame's roof were near the fire, where temperatures reached 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit.


Liturgical Handbook Published By Archdiocese of Portland - NLM

"This Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook is intended to serve as a guide to many of the aspects of the life of our diocese and our parishes that concern the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and the understanding of the faith it expresses."


How two women pulled off a medieval manuscript heist in post-war Germany - The Conversation

Two manuscripts of the visionary, writer and composer St. Hildegard of Bingen survived the Dresden bombings after a librarian stashed them in a bank vault.


Auschwitz and "Intrinsic Evil" - First Things

The lethal reality of what happened at Auschwitz-Birkenau stands in contradiction to the claim by some Catholic moral theologians — once thought marginalized but now back in business — that there are no "intrinsically evil acts."


Equity Warriors - City Journal

Viewing discrimination as deeply rooted, municipal and school officials are pushing controversial new programs to boost minority outcomes.


Consider Moderating Your Smartphone Usage for Lent - Msgr. Charles Pope

As Lent approaches consider that it is often easier to abstain from something entirely than to moderate its use.


Scrolls of Hate and Hope - First Things

Anti-Semitism is hardly a thing of the past; it's a constant, vicious drumbeat — and it's louder today than it has been in decades


About our epidemic of sexual aggression - The Catholic Thing

Many Catholic parents and educators do not recognize or are in complete denial about the extent of SAB in young people, its support by the contraceptive mentality, and its enablement, particularly by females, who crave acceptance and affirmation.


Surviving Sodom - Crisis Magazine

We have given young people no healthy ways to grow in confidence with one another, no healthy ways of sexual innocence developing alongside sexual maturity.


Where modern marriage is going wrong - Catholic Herald

Selfishness, anger, controlling behaviour, emotional distance. How can couples overcome these pitfalls?


Cardinal Sarah: The Priesthood Today 'Is in Mortal Danger' - National Catholic Register

In an exclusive English-language interview, the African cardinal discusses his new book, the status of the Catholic priesthood, and addresses those who say he opposes Pope Francis.


Trump takes on 'radical left' in defiant and dramatic State of the Union address; Pelosi rips up speech - Fox News

President Trump went on the offensive against socialism and left-wing policies during a defiant third State of the Union address to Congress.


A Stripper Pole at the Super Bowl? - CWR

Let's stop pretending sexual exhibitionism is a fun and harmless path towards happiness.


For South Carolina inmates, Catholic prison ministry changes lives - NC Register

A prison ministry in South Carolina brought five inmates into the Catholic Church this winter, with the help of a dedicated team of ministers offering catechetical formation and sacrament preparation.


China bans Christian funerals as new rules take effect - UCA News

"Clerical personnel are not allowed to participate in funerals" at homes and "no more than 10 family members of the deceased are allowed to read scriptures or sing hymns in a low voice."


Why taking Facebook quizzes is a really bad idea - CBC

Free quizzes offered on social media actually aren't free. You're paying with your personal data that big data companies collect for targeted advertising, or cybercriminals collect to sell on the dark web.


Pints With Aquinas Ep. 190: Dr. William Lane Craig - YouTube

World-famous Christian debater Dr. Craig talks about proofs for God's Existence, the story of how he met Dawkins, Thomism, the best Christian and atheist philosophers today, and Pascal.


Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman and
Saint Justin Martyr, pray for us

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