Evangelical home, then Oxford and an Anglican priest, now Catholic priest, blogger, husband, dad, read my autobiography "There and Back Again"
Aug 20 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Pope Leo's decision to live in the Apostolic Palace with a small community of his fellow Augustinians is a brilliant move and, IMO, indicates how he will combine continuity with his predecessor while, at the same time putting a fresh spin on it.
So Francis rejected the Apostolic Palace in what many perceived as a bit of showy poverty. Leo moves back in, but brings the simplicity and authenticity of Catholic religious life into the Apostolic Palace.
Jun 10 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
I've been thinking a lot about the death penalty recently, and it seems to me...
That when the death penalty is accepted in a society that, implicitly, the members of that society operate with an underlying acceptance of revenge as an acceptable principle for justice.
May 29 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
From Bishop Martin's liturgical letter:
"The use of a pall is helpful if flying insects are present and drawn to the sugar present in the wine. It is preferable that the pall only be placed over a chalice if such insects are present, leaving the chalice uncovered otherwise." Now this reminds me of a story...
In my days in the Church of England a holy old priest said he was celebrating Mass in a country church one summer morning and a wasp flew in through the open window.
May 29 • 14 tweets • 2 min read
Some time ago we installed a communion rail in the new OLR, Greenville. Here's the story...
The people who (by the way) PAID for the construction of the new church, requested an altar rail.
May 15 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
The only force capable of preserving a thing is the force that created it...
It is completely pointless to pursue a Christian end except by Christian means.
May 10 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
What we should gather from Pope Leo's visit to Genazzano today:
At Genazzano just southeast of Rome is the ancient shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Why is this significant?
Apr 14 • 15 tweets • 2 min read
Various surveys have reported the astonishing lack of belief in the Real Presence among American Catholics. I'm dubious, and here's why:
Firstly, with any survey one wants to know what question was asked and who was surveyed.
Mar 31 • 13 tweets • 2 min read
The Catholic religion has doctrines and devotions that developed from the early church, but are not explicit in the Bible. How can you tell if they are authentic developments and not heretical deviations from the truth?
Anglican priest and theologian John Henry Newman studied the question and came up with seven "notes" of authentic development.
Mar 19 • 12 tweets • 2 min read
Most Americans believe in angels, but should you converse with them, and if so, what should you avoid?
The gospel says each one of us has a guardian angel, but should we attempt to have a relationship with our unseen companion?
Mar 18 • 14 tweets • 2 min read
Why are the vestments of modernist Catholics so awful? Because they never questioned what the vestments are actually for and what they mean. So what is the answer?
First of all, as a convert it appears to me that many Catholics--clergy and laity alike--have simply accepted lots of traditions and customs without ever stopping to think about them. Maybe converts are forced by their own prejudices to question these things.
