The COG Catholic

No, my wife gave me some good reasons to hold off on that (particular to the people I was thinking of). But I still might try it later for a similar purpose.
I use it several times a week to send notes to myself from work, because we have a guy who snoops through my email box. But he can't read my encrypted Hostednowhere messages. 😁

2026-05-30 02:34:37 UTC

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For what it's worth, I use it often. Grateful for it.

2026-05-28 02:27:26 UTC

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I just wouldn't describe someone as "conscientious" if he knowingly rejects his Creator, or gives no thought to the all-important and unavoidable matters of death, judgment, heaven, and hell.
I don't see how God would love that, because in the big picture it's absolutely negligent, irresponsible, and even hostile.
As rational creatures (unlike a chickadee), with minds that are meant to seek, find, and bite down on truth, we are responsible for coming to know the truth about God -- and to know God.
That's our ultimate duty in this life. What else can there be?

2026-05-28 00:58:12 UTC

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Would an atheist even want heaven -- which is eternal communion with God?
Hell is eternal separation from God. That's the natural path of an atheist who denies Him. The atheist freely chooses hell even now, unless he changes before he dies.
We can't expect God to force Himself on those who reject Him. That wouldn't be love. That wouldn't be just. That wouldn't be nice, peaceful, or loving.
Kids laugh at Bugs Bunny when he gives a big sloppy kiss to Elmer J. Fudd, because it's absurd. Elmer is intent on turning him into rabbit stew, and doesn't want Bugs' kiss. To him, it's hell.
I've watched way too many cartoons, sorry.

2026-05-28 00:24:03 UTC

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The Bible is not simply a manual of how to be nice. It doesn't merely assign certain moral standards to live by.
There can be nice atheists who work hard and do good things.
But we are not saved by being nice or good alone. We're saved by how we relate to our Maker, our position in Him.
If we are in Jesus, we will be saved. If we reject, dishonor, and disown our Creator and Heavenly Father (which isn't nice or just or good at all, by the way!), then no amount of "being a good person" -- however that's defined -- is sufficient. It's intolerably ungrateful to the One who continues to hold us in existence.

2026-05-26 11:48:24 UTC

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Yes. Sometimes I think I'm funny. Might not always be the case, though.

2026-05-25 23:27:33 UTC

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I'll have to run it through AI to summarize the main points.

2026-05-25 00:08:32 UTC

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Practically always, because that's usually how we decide our out-of-town trips.

2026-05-24 15:04:03 UTC

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We're out of town this weekend. Our plans beginning right now:
Drive to park.
Walk trail around lake.
Read by water (Padre Pio bio).
Nap.
Mass (TLM)
Cheesecake Factory.

2026-05-22 14:25:28 UTC

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do..." (Matthew 6:7, ESV).
Who seriously expects us to believe this implies that pagan gentiles used to repeat biblical prayers while meditating on the central events of the gospel in order to draw closer to the Blessed Trinity?
Don't let illiterate, theological retards -- no matter how well meaning -- influence you to abandon the rosary. 📿

2026-05-22 09:58:22 UTC

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I don't see how it can hurt as another option (to have your mission's information on its own npub). Those who are interested and have the inclination can explore it further if they wish.
With your friends and family, rather than go through all the technical information, you can simply say that nostr is "censorship resistant" in a powerful way, such that X or FB et al cannot control your speech, remove content, or suspend your "account."
I actually take that very seriously, especially after the COVID lockdowns against free speech. Inevitably we will go through such times again.
That's actually another reason I like Monero, which I used to help anonymously support the Canadian trucker convoy. I did so freely and slept like a baby knowing I could not be stopped or censured financially.

2026-05-20 09:54:49 UTC

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Yes, I went to MeWe eleven and a half years ago. Even then, I loved the idea of escaping the evils of Facebook. (But I didn't entirely leave Facebook until 2020.)
I still pop onto MeWe once in a while because I have two good Catholic friends there that won't budge, not even for Mastodon. They are tech normies, but at least they're not on Facebook. So they're still above average.
They are still stuck in the trap of "But I don't know people on Nostr."
I like the freedom that comes with knowing that once you get into Nostr, your nsec is your nsec for life (if you want it to be), across all kinds of applications, and without losing followers when switching to different clients.

2026-05-20 09:28:13 UTC

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I can't get over men dressing up in too-short, tight slacks to go with white sneakers at the office -- and coming in wearing a backpack. (In my day, kids used to get beat up at school for looking like that.)
And at Mass I even see young women wearing white Nike hightops (1970s style) with their dresses and veils.

2026-05-18 09:33:33 UTC

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Now, if you don't want XMR, feel free to send it back. 😄 I can zap you with the sats I have -- not much -- but I did want to try the XMR thing you made.

2026-05-17 19:29:46 UTC

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I sent you a 0.002583949760 XMR tip.
Great feature.

2026-05-17 18:21:20 UTC

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Nice, Laeserin. You are innovative, a good doer of all things Nostr. I added my Monero address. Thank you.
On a separate note: Can you briefly explain the difference between jumble.social and jumble.imwald.eu? You made both of them?

2026-05-16 19:50:23 UTC

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Beautiful.

2026-05-16 19:49:50 UTC

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It's funny but I notice MeWe has recently gotten its own coins you can earn and send to people. Very annoying now to see promos that say, "Watch this and earn one [whatever it's called]!"
I and many others flocked there years ago because of its freedom, but it has undergone fundamental changes to increase revenue (some I don't fully understand but to me seem more privacy invasive than before).
And you're right -- regular people don't want to hear about digital coins.
Without sounding preachy, I have to say Bitcoiners need to find additional interests in life and talk about those other things, instead of deluding themselves into seeing Bitcoin as their Savior and acting as its apostles.
Imagine if Nostr was full of people who loved nothing more than to talk about penny stocks or certain mutual funds, trying to save up a huge nest egg. Most people don't find that interesting. Just certain nerds, which is fine for them.
What people find most interesting is other people: kids, faith, hobbies, jokes, experiences, insights, advice, pictures, etc.

2026-05-12 12:31:20 UTC

If you're afraid of catching a virus, but you live with your boyfriend or girlfriend, or are hooked on porn, or believe in or act on LGBTQIANEJIFUCYENEKXKSJEBT+ ideology, you're afraid of the wrong thing.
Don't worry about a virus. Save your soul.
#Jesus #Catholic

2026-05-11 02:46:19 UTC

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"You should repent."
What if I don't repent? Will I lose my salvation? 😄
Do I have to repent of thinking repentance is a lifelong necessity?
As a Bible-believing Catholic, I have to say you're butchering those scriptures badly. You're not holding to the Faith once delivered, but to the tradition of Baptist men.
Romans 8 does not say we can't abandon Christ or separate ourselves from him, and Galatians 2 is referencing the works of the Mosaic Law.

2026-05-09 23:20:11 UTC

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I'm a traditional Catholic (I love Trent), and I know plenty of other good Catholics. It doesn't match our experience to describe our lives as "back-breaking labor" with regard to our walk with God toward heaven as our destination.
Our salvation is assured as long as we don't die in a state of rebellion against God.
That doesn't mean life is always easy. We have to carry our crosses like everyone else. We are expected to strive to love God more every day. And when we sin, we must repent. But that's what faith in Jesus tells us to do.
Worshiping God the Father, with Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit, in union with our fellow Christians here below and with Mary and the angels and the saints -- this is not back-breaking labor. It is a privilege and a joy, a joy-filled life.

2026-05-09 19:57:05 UTC

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My "work" for justification was to repent and be baptized. Do you seriously call that working for (earning) justification?
I call it receiving a gift.

2026-05-09 17:46:22 UTC

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I see.
What Catholic view or practice is something that's opposed to saving faith?
We do believe that we're saved 💯 percent by grace alone, and that our initial justification occurs when we believe and are baptized as Scripture teaches. That's faith in action.
(We just don't believe in mere "belief," or mental assent, as even the demons have, although it does start off that way -- and then it flowers.)

2026-05-09 04:05:33 UTC

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"Rome contradicts the Scriptures at the most important point: the pathway of redemption."
How does the RCC contradict Scripture about the pathway of redemption? What is the one thing most significantly bothersome or contradicting to you?
We believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no other way.

2026-05-08 19:42:35 UTC

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I'll probably do some hot and nasty garden work to earn some sweat on my brow till my eyes sting. Then maybe carry bundles of fallen limbs from the yard to start a bonfire, too.
😄

2026-05-08 19:35:54 UTC

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I also prefer the Month of Mary (May) to Jewish Heritage Month. 😁

2026-05-08 19:31:55 UTC

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Thanks for finding the source document.
But it's still there a little at:
"I further call on all Americans to celebrate their faith and freedom throughout this year, during this month, and especially on Shabbat."
As a Christian, I would especially celebrate it on the Lord's Day. There is no benefit or virtue in looking backward to the Sabbath like this.

2026-05-08 18:59:32 UTC

No, no, no. Nooo!
Not even -- no.
Christ is King. How about a national Lord's Day!
#nevent1q…xwzj

2026-05-08 10:04:01 UTC

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I'm pointing out that while you don't trust the Church (which you might see as ridiculous), you prefer to trust yourself (which you think is perfectly reasonable). I would call that a misplaced trust.
I do think I'm right, but not because I trust in myself. I trust in the Church that Jesus built, which is historically verifiable.
Here is a practical example:
The Church has given us the 27 books of the New Testament and has told us they are the inspired Word of God. (These are the same books you have in your New Testament.)
Without the Church telling me this, I would have to trust my own research in figuring out which books were inspired of God. That would be a nearly impossible task - - especially since I wouldn't have even known there were supposed to be 27 books added to existing Scripture (the OT).
Is that what God would expect from all of us, including little old ladies? It would be presumptuous for us to think we could figure that out on our own -- and all agree with each other -- independently of the Church.
I believe it is reasonable to put my trust not in myself but in the apostolic Church, against whom the gates of hell cannot prevail.

2026-05-07 18:16:33 UTC

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"We do not obtain salvation either because we are prepared to embrace every dictate of the Church as true...."
As a Catholic I'd say that the Church -- the Body of Christ -- is always 100 percent reliable in its definitive teachings on matters of faith and morals.
It's more reliable than me acting like my own interpretations of Scripture and right and wrong are guaranteed correct. That would be a very self-centered approach to truth.

2026-05-06 12:31:25 UTC

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Would you be in favor of ditching other medieval terms, like transubstantiation? Consubstantial? Trinity?

2026-05-06 11:34:19 UTC

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I should add, this is very similar to the title Mother of God.
Some people might misunderstand it and think we mean she is the mother of the eternal Trinity. But what we mean is that she is literally the mother of God, in that Jesus is God.
We don't get rid of or hide the title to appease critics.

2026-05-06 11:24:55 UTC

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Well that's where we really disagree. It's not antiquated or overly-poetic rhetoric. It is literal truth.
Mary is literally our co-redemptrix. Jesus redeems us with ("co") Mary.
We can't sacrifice Catholic truth to appease Protestants. They cannot be appeased anyway.
Clarity entails explaining what co-redemptrix means, not erasing our theological vocabulary to avoid hard truths.

2026-05-06 11:21:42 UTC

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If they are not now in communion with Rome, then why is Rome considering disciplinary measures?
They don't go around threatening schismatic groups, because they're already in schism. They don't get feisty at every Orthodox consecration, for example, because the Orthodox reject Rome's authority in *principle* (not just a particular prudential judgment).
The SSPX is working within the Church, as you rightly suggest we should. The SSPX does not claim to have left the Church, and neither do the popes claim the SSPX has left the Church.
There is a huge difference between tension and schism. One has to properly define schism.

2026-05-06 10:22:57 UTC

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The thing is, the SSPX has not split off from the Church. It maintains its loyalty to the Church, her beliefs, and to the pope. That's their whole point. They're afraid that by going along with the latest, novel trends, people will be led away from the Church and the true Faith.
Their concern is founded. We see it happening. No matter how a Vatican official or a pope might undermine Church teaching, we mustn't go along with it, even though many are.
So for example, we can't accept gay ideology or the blessing of homo relationships, or the idea that religions are all basically good and lead to God (and are willed by God), or that the Mass is primarily a sacred meal amongst brethren, or that we must now become a "synodal church," etc.
If we insist on living the Faith of our Fathers, of the Saints, then that's not departing from the Church; it's our duty. Bishops are not middle managers belonging to the pope; each are responsible for handing down the Faith once delivered. Even if an angel were to come down and preach another gospel, the bishops must not swerve from their duty to be faithful.
Obedience is a virtue indeed, but obedience to technicalities in canon law that are not conducive to the salvation of souls is not our duty and is not the intent of the law itself. It's the salvation of souls.
It's a messy situation, but the SSPX is recognized as fully Catholic now (by multiple popes), even though it felt the need to ordain bishops in 1988 due to a crisis in the Church. And if they go through with it in July for the same reasons, it's the same situation.
All they're trying to do is teach and live Catholicism, not Modernism or Catholic Lite, even if Rome currently trends toward those false ideologies.

2026-05-06 01:44:36 UTC

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I'm no canon lawyer, but as I understand it, within the law there is a stipulation that there is no excommunication when the bishop does so sincerely believing there is a state of emergency.
This is the same situation we had back in 1988 - same controversy, same reasons. Except now SSPX leaders say the emergency is even greater. (The "last straw" was when the Vatican's doctrinal guy discouraged the use of the title "Co-Redemptrix" and "Mediatrix of all Graces.")
I'm not comfortable with the whole situation. I'm not "comfortable" with what SSPX is doing in July (though I don't oppose it), but neither am I happy with what has led up to it and how Rome is reacting to the whole thing.
At the end of my daily rosaries, I ask St. Pius X and Sts. Peter & Paul to pray for us (the Church). The whole Church is struggling, going through its own passion.
But we can rest assured things will work out. We as individuals just have to be faithful to the full deposit of the Faith and keep the salvation of souls as our first priority.

2026-05-05 20:05:01 UTC

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I'm not trying to be contentious -- just thinking.
The SSPX is not in schism right now according to B16, Francis, and Leo/Fernandez. But they've had their "own [Catholic] bishops" since 1988.
How would July 2026 be any different?
They are only trying to preserve Catholic Tradition, not overthrow it.
I am not SSPX, but I'm sympathetic.

2026-05-05 17:20:36 UTC

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One might argue that the inventors and hardcore proponents of the New Mass are basically Protestant.
Years back I was disturbed when an ex-Catholic Lutheran convert I worked with told me their worship services are pretty much the same as at the Catholic Church. She equated the two.
I tried to explain the huge theological differences, including the Real Presence, behind the outward appearances of similarity.
But as a common layperson, her beliefs were formed by the liturgy. Since her former New Mass liturgy resembled Protestant liturgies, she developed Protestant beliefs as well.
She was harmed by the Novus Ordo over the span of years, mostly her youth.

2026-05-05 12:12:35 UTC

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I still want someone to tell me what Catholic teachings specifically that the SSPX reject.
I'm not aware of one, but they will get hammered for an act of disobedience made from a Catholic conscience.
What a sorry situation the Church is in. (Though that should never diminish our faith in God's providence -- not in the slightest!)

2026-05-02 15:31:57 UTC

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You have put a lot of thought into this and bolstered your position with hard facts.
But I do get up around 4 or 5 in the morning for rosary and a workout, or to write. I need time to do these things before heading in for my sedentary day job.
My "best" time is probably 8 to 11 a.m.

2026-05-02 15:20:43 UTC

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Extremely happy to see a Monero-favoring Catholic finding Nostr. Welcome aboard and stay awhile! 😊

2026-04-30 10:38:17 UTC

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I will consider it further.
I would think if it's posted in an adoration chapel where people go there for no reason other than to pray, then they are probably the most trustworthy group one could find.
But it only takes one butthole to mess things up.
Thanks for the warning. And thanks for your creative work.

2026-04-30 02:11:46 UTC

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I think hostednowhere is great. Thanks!
My idea for it is to create a local anonymous prayer request forum.
People can make prayer requests / share answered prayers anonymously. And they don't have to understand Nostr to use it.
I can print QRcode and post in our local prayer chapel. 📿👍

2026-04-29 15:33:02 UTC

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"Reading the paper".... What's that?! 😄

2026-04-27 11:18:34 UTC

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I grew up on Jack Chick Tracts.
Good job, Grok.

2026-04-24 02:13:25 UTC

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Thank you, Father. Good words.

2026-04-23 19:26:41 UTC

Sometimes when I think of my former sins, I think, "Oh, aaargh, yuck -- what a goober! Evil b@st@rd!"
But then I remind myself of God's great and tender mercy. His love is great to save a dork-and-a-half like me.
We should focus on God's immense love without entirely forgetting where we came from -- and where we are even now, realistically, on our spiritual path.
That's what humility is: keeping it real.

2026-04-23 16:15:03 UTC

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I would respond by saying that just because people have worshiped a false queen of heaven, it does not follow that there isn't a true Queen of Heaven.
There are also false gods, false lords, false apostles, false religions, angels appearing as ministers of light, etc. They are all cheap knock-offs of the real thing.
As for the other things (e.g., co-redemptrix, Marian doctrines), it is all a bit much to cover in a Nostr comment, but "yes" to the last two questions.
And remember that the "co" in co-redemptix in Latin simply means "with."
Think of it kindalike when a preacher goes on an evangelization tour and saves a hundred souls for Christ. Obviously we know that only Christ does the true saving, but the preacher, as an ambassador of Christ and one who cooperates in His mission, saves a person WITH and in Christ.
It's the same as the fact that only God can create; there is only one "Father" -- in heaven. Yet he shares his fatherhood WITH men. We can pro-create children. But not in a way that usurps God's role as Creator and Father.

2026-04-23 11:33:49 UTC

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Jesus will indeed be fine, except the statue is a visual representation of him. Imagine someone taking a beautiful picture you own of your mom, and ripping it to shreds with the intent of showing you both contempt and disrespect. Your mom would not sustain bodily injury, but it's the intent that's bad.
The solider smashing the statue seems to have had that intent, which is bad for his own soul. And it therefore does not please the One whom the statue represented.

2026-04-23 11:22:19 UTC

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I wondered what you meant by hearing Mary called the Holy Spirit. What you probably heard was that she is the "spouse of the Holy Spirit." That's just a description of her submission to the Spirit, in tune with the Spirit, cooperation with the Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that conceived Jesus in her womb. (I promise the title does not imply anything weird or freaky or kinky!) But Mary herself is never called the Holy Spirit.
The other titles you mention are beautiful titles that signify her connection to Jesus and her role as the Queen Mother (if he is our King, then she is our "Queen Mother," a title found numerous times in the OT).
Lastly, when the exuberant woman shouted, "Blessed is the womb that bore you," notice Jesus did not contradict her. He actually described the qualities Mary had; she heard the word of God and kept it (unlike Eve who listened to the bad angel, Mary heard and said "yes" to the good angel).
Further, when Mary visited Elizabeth, she said under inspiration, "For behold, from now on all generations will call me *blessed*; for he who is mighty has done great things for me...."
Hence, we call her the "Blessed Virgin Mary."

2026-04-23 11:07:32 UTC

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Yes, the understanding that we, too, are her children is profound and exciting.
John is the "beloved disciple" (so are we). He stood at the foot of the Cross (so should we) alongside Mary. Jesus' "Behold your mother" was not a last-minute living arrangement, but a profound gift to his followers. We are John. John took her to his home and honored her as his mother, and she acted as a "mother" to him.
The same writer (John) identified the "Woman" -- the mother of the man child (Jesus) -- as having other offspring. He described them as "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 12:17).
That's us. What a beautiful gift from our Lord.

2026-04-21 17:24:05 UTC

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I'm Catholic. We believe we should honor our father and mother -- that is, to honor them in a special way, more than others.
But Mary is the mother of Jesus, and by extension she is our mother, too. ("Behold, your mother," said Jesus on the Cross.)
So we honor her in a much greater way then our uterine mother. But this kind of reverence is by no means the worship that is due to God alone.

2026-04-20 09:40:28 UTC

The song "Mary Did You Know?" does have some theological problems. Yet there is something good about it.
This may not be well understood by certain Protestants, but it is a great example of mental prayer.
"Mental prayer" is engaging the gospel story with our imagination. It includes seeing Mary and Jesus and others in our mind's eye, and interacting with them, asking them questions, reflecting on our own walk with Jesus and/or our Blessed Mother Mary, seeking their help or intercession.
The heart that sings "Mary Did You Know?" or even Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine," is the heart that can pray the Rosary well, because the Rosary, too, is a combination of vocal and mental prayers.
Whether Protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, take up the Rosary to encounter our Lord in your heart. 📿

2026-04-15 19:56:32 UTC

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I hope one is made for Android. Right now I use it on mobile web.

2026-04-15 19:53:47 UTC

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Having the same problem here. 😪

2026-04-15 13:57:00 UTC

During Mass, priests have practically always joined the laity in facing our Eucharistic Lord in prayer throughout the Liturgy.
It's crazy how many now flip that on its side by describing it as "turning their backs to the people."
Is the Mass Christ-centered or people-centered? The answer to that question reveals who we're actually turning our backs to.
Bishops need to reconsider their novel diocesan bans against saying Masses ad orientum.
https://blossom.primal.net/613ff7ac5d78bfb79e6c832c5ec1b6897b9710fa21027cb286f136b91a3ea7f1.jpg

2026-04-15 01:54:10 UTC

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Nice.
I have several, but pictured is my EDC.
Thinking I should keep a Rugged Rosary in the car, though, because of its durability -- to keep in a glove box in case I need it.
But I think if you get caught praying it in the car, you could get charged with a DWI (driving while indoctrinated).

2026-04-14 21:55:20 UTC

Drop a pic of your daily or regular prayin" #rosary in the comments.
Here's mine.
https://blossom.primal.net/794b4a0bf0d415778a89ee932c2710d7a55d2cb7bc6b50493876611df3a24906.jpg

2026-04-04 22:29:27 UTC

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Just now finished praying my rosary. Soon we'll be headed out to Easter Vigal Mass!

2026-04-01 18:51:36 UTC

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Father, I saw your blog posts on your home page. I will be subscribing to the RSS feed. I liked the one about homilies.
Could you also cross-post to Nostr? (Via clients such as habla.news or Primal "articles"?)

2026-03-28 01:14:33 UTC

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Elaborate, please?

2026-03-25 00:18:38 UTC

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I've grown in my appreciation of him a lot over the last year. Still only halfway through his Confessions. Still reading it. So good.

2026-03-24 14:45:21 UTC

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I met R. W. Schambach several years before he died. My employer at the time in East TX sold their property to Schambach who bought it to be his new world headquarters.
I could be wrong but I don't think his ministry still owns it.

2026-03-24 14:34:04 UTC

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... said none of the apostles.

2026-03-20 22:29:27 UTC

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🙏🙏

2026-03-20 18:06:23 UTC

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True, true.
And many Protestants who display manger scenes during Christmastime understand this concept at least for a season, annually. But how soon they forget.

2026-03-20 18:01:57 UTC

It's many times easier to believe one can randomly guess the seed phrase of Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin address in one try than to believe the physical cosmos came into existence from non-existence -- without an Uncaused Cause, an Uncreated Creator, outside of the cosmos.

2026-03-20 17:19:19 UTC

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I certainly do!

2026-03-20 16:30:17 UTC

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I guess I'm asking the purpose or meaning of those temporal things you just mentioned. All those things will soon (enough) come to an end. Will those things have served a purpose once they're all gone?
People don't go to hell for being good.
But neither is denying or rejecting one's Creator good. In fact it's horrifically ungrateful and pretentious (objectively speaking).
If spitting in the face of a stranger is bad, and spitting in the face of your mom or dad is much worse (it is), then doing so to the one who loved your very soul into existence warrants eternal consequences.
Hell, with its eternal hopelessness and despair, is for those who reject God, refuse to seek him, or in any other way definitively choose to be separated from him.
In the end, he grants what we ourselves choose, because love is not compulsory.

2026-03-20 16:06:47 UTC

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When all is said and done, when you and your wife and kids and friends are dead -- what will it all have meant? What do you see as life's meaning and purpose?

2026-03-20 15:31:37 UTC

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*If it's true that there is NOT a...

2026-03-20 14:54:49 UTC

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One hundred percent.

2026-03-20 14:53:32 UTC

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Yes, with their contradictory views, at most there can be only one true religion.
I'm sure most believe their own religion is true. But that doesn't mean one religion cannot be true.
Many but not all religious people are irrational actors. We also know many non-religious people are irrational.
The fact that some religious people are irrational does not preclude the existence of rational religious people.
If it's true that there is a "man in the sky" (a crudely inaccurate description of God), then the world is a horrific place with no meaning, which invites ever greater evils.
That world would not be a better place.

2026-03-20 14:03:21 UTC

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I did my best to keep it simple for anyone who thinks all religion is stupid.

2026-03-20 14:02:05 UTC

Singing songs of praise in a "worship service" is not the highest form of worship. It's not even necessarily worship in all cases.
Many contemporary love songs are at the same level of "praise," but do not constitute worship.
What is real worship? Sacrifice.
Hence, in continuity with ancient Israel's religion, we have the Holy *Sacrifice* of the Mass (a.k.a. "Divine Liturgy" in the East) -- forbidden to be offered to anyone other than God himself.
It's not a re-sacrificing of Christ, but an unbloody, sacramental re-presentation of his once-for-all sacrifice -- making it present to us and applying its effects.
(* Drums and guitars not required.)

2026-03-20 11:38:56 UTC

It's okay to make artwork out of clay or whittled from wood or fashioned of metal. We see it everywhere.
It doesn't somehow become an IDOL if *religious* art is carved or fashioned from these materials.
The point of the Commandment is that we should have no other "gods" but the one, true God.
Don't worship your Christian artwork, and you will be fine.

2026-03-20 11:26:11 UTC

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False religion is stupid. True religion is...true.

2026-03-18 14:10:31 UTC

If the religious Jews of today oppose the kingship of Jesus Christ, then we should treat them just like infidels, heretics, and pagans.
That is to say, we should love them, pray for them, and help them to convert and turn to Jesus.

2026-03-18 12:55:03 UTC

This morning I had a strong desire to pray the rosary well.
I noticed at the end of the third mystery, my tangle-free rosary had somehow become hopelessly tangled.
I couldn't fix it, but I didn't want to be distracted. And so I continued and finished well.
I still couldn't untangle it afterward, which is very frustrating, so I asked for Mary, Untier of Knots, to help. Then it just came loose.
She's not only Queen of Heaven and Earth; she is also our Mom.

2026-03-16 03:04:19 UTC

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You're right, except the verse does not demand that the bishop be married. Otherwise St. Paul himself would not qualify. Neither would Jesus -- the Bishop of our souls.
The verse means a bishop should be a one-woman man (same word used in verse 12). He can't be a womanizer or remarried or a polygamist.

2026-03-15 11:01:00 UTC

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Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

2026-03-09 23:28:49 UTC

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Best I can tell, Sage is a bot.

2026-03-06 15:12:27 UTC

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National repentance is the only sane "solution."
Christ is King.

2026-03-06 15:09:02 UTC

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Yet at first it's so hard. But worth the "pain."

2026-03-06 11:11:46 UTC

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😆
"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him" (Proverbs 26:4, KJV).

2026-03-06 03:21:51 UTC

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Poetry at least needs to rhyme, right? 😄

2026-03-06 03:12:54 UTC

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You're just taking a random jab at the bishop of Rome rather than addressing what was said. Weird response.
But of course Jesus is not the vicar of Christ; He IS the Christ.

2026-03-04 21:02:12 UTC

If the apostle Paul needs to tell Christians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), then how much more serious is the situation for souls who are not Christian?
Be converted -- and then evangelize!

2026-03-04 20:48:58 UTC

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This is how we can participate on Team Jesus.
St. Paul said to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"
(Philippians 2:12).

2026-03-04 20:38:25 UTC

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Yes, and since Jesus is doing the work for our salvation, we have to give him our sins every day so he can forgive and sanctify us.

2026-03-04 17:08:08 UTC

During times of distress and war and violence and instability, we don't need to freak out.
But the chaos can serve as an impetus for us to confess our sins (yes -- the sacrament of Confession!) and get right with God now before it's too late.
"Too late" can either be a nuclear end-of-the-world scenario... or something like clumsily falling off the ladder wrong when cleaning your gutters.
Be ready always.

2026-02-25 11:33:34 UTC

Before the 1960s and 70s, EVERY Catholic was a "Traditional Catholic," whether a good one or a bad one.
In the big picture, it's twisted to think that "modernized" Catholicism -- only about 60 years old -- is the norm, while "Traditional" Catholicism is the outlier. It's quite the opposite.

2026-02-23 12:32:56 UTC

An insightful prayer from my morning prayer book:
"Make me clearly understand that, if I wish to be completely converted to you, I can never make peace with my weaknesses, my faults, my self-love, my pride."
It's a mistake to neglect cooperating with God in the work of rooting out our sins, assuming they just magically go away when (as we may wish to believe) we go straight to heaven when we die.
Do what needs to be done now.

2026-02-21 04:17:48 UTC

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We don't try to rationalize with those who are irrational. But we reason with those who are reasonable.

2026-02-20 20:13:00 UTC

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Who, me? Why?

2026-02-20 14:38:07 UTC

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Since an atheist doesn't accept the authority of Scripture, Bible condemnations are utterly unhelpful in his or her case.
What we should provide in charity is sound reason they can follow.

2026-02-20 14:15:50 UTC

There are problems -- some greater, some smaller -- in fully siding with
* sedevacantism
* the #SSPX
* the modern Roman church of synodalism.
Best thing to do as lay people is to pray for clarity and resolution in the Church, and to live out the Faith of the saints and the perennial teachings of the Church.
📿 Pray the Rosary.
✝️ Read the Saints.
📚 Read the catechisms of Baltimore, Pius X, Trent, etc.
📖 Read the Bible.
🙏🙏🙏 Pray, pray, pray
Avoid the ditches of (1) rejecting the office of the papacy and the authority structure in the Body of Christ, and (2) embracing the spirit of the world, even if particular popes and bishops seems to do so at their own peril, deceiving even the very elect.

2026-02-17 15:38:53 UTC

IS ECUMENISM BAD?
It's good if it involves clarifications to promote understanding -- for example, explaining patiently and carefully to Muslims why our belief in the Trinity does not mean we are polytheists, or assuring Protestants that our veneration of Mary and the saints is fundamentally different than worship that is due to God alone.
Clarifying is always good.
A different kind of so-called "ecumenism" is bad if it involves compromising the integrity of the tenets of our Faith in order to make it compatible with, or blend with, conflicting faiths.
Fake unity serves no good purpose, and is in fact harmful.

2026-02-15 16:10:11 UTC

Jesus did not build his church to become a glorified Book club with live on-stage bands and breakout sessions.