Archive: October 2019

On Pharisees and Tax Collectors

For a moment, imagine the Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Lk 18:9-14) unfolding before us. The Pharisee is dressed to the nines. Accompanying his flowing garment is an extra-large phylactery, a leather case containing scripture...

Quo vadis, Australia

“A democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism.” – Pope John Paul II Church law forbids the revelation of any sin admitted in confession under the penalty of excommunication. So far each state and...

Indifference: The Societal Plague of the 21st Century

One of the biggest dilemmas in the social structure of our day is not an ideology proclaimed from the throats of policymakers nor yelled at from behind pulpits. It is an often unspoken essence which has crept its way into the day-to-day existence...

Does Prayer Really Matter?

The subject of the homily in a Church near my own parish was prayer. The homilist declared that praying for Aunt Louise’s cancer to be cured or for one’s prodigal son to mend his ways is pointless and therefore immature. The only meaningful...

True Worship

The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds. I am already being poured out like a libation. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. In these 3 verses from Holy Scripture we have summarized the core of our worship i.e., the genuine prayer of praise...

Getting it Correct

In October of 2017, I wrote an article entitled “A Special Priest: Fr. Vincent Capodanno.” In order to understand what I am about to write, you need to read that article first. I first learned of Fr. Capodanno while watching a documentary about his...

The Nature of Augustine’s Confessions

On Friday, October 18th, I had the joy of attending an interesting lecture given by Rev. Prof. Salvino Caruana OSA on the Confessions of St. Augustine. In this very intriguing lecture, I learned the four characteristics which make up...

The Cookie Girl

I was in my favorite coffeehouse the other day for breakfast, when I was reminded of something that happened there about five years ago. I was reading my newspaper when all of a sudden, I heard this plop on my table. When I looked up some young...