Month: July 2023

The Virtuous Vanguard

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

A post by @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:

Catholic Husbands and Fathers: A well-lived and abundant life is a dynamic and ongoing interplay of Grace and Choice — the contemplative and active life — the Theological and Cardinal Virtues.

The foundation is the Theological Virtues — God’s gift of himself:

— Faith (come to know & trust in the Lord)
— Hope (in His providence and promises)
— Charity (Give and receive authentic love)

These virtues are a super-natural gift of grace. We receive and engage them by seeking God, participating in the sacraments He has given us (Baptism, Eucharist, etc) and through a commitment to daily, purposeful prayer.

We would do well to remember that while prayer involves our activity — worshipping, thanking, apologizing, petitioning — it is God’s action upon us in prayer that is of utmost important and value. Hence, our job is primarily to show up, pray the best we can, but ultimately just be there with God and let Him do the work.

This relationship with God and your prioritization and engagement of it is the foundation of your life. But this relationship calls us to intentionality and action, and thus to the realm of the Cardinal (or Human) Virtues:

— Prudence (Intentionality, decision, action)
— Justice (duty, priority, vocation)
— Courage (facing fear, attacking and enduring evil)
— Temperance (tempering desires, retraining and reordering them to their purposes)

Upon the foundation of our relationship with God (Theological Virtues) we carry out our active life (the Cardinal … Read the rest

The Weight of Glory

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

From @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:

“Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”

This is a favorite quote of mine from C.S. Lewis’ “Weight of Glory”.

It is a favorite because it precisely challenges some of my weaknesses. I tend to be a private and introverted person, content to pray, lift, read, and otherwise keep to myself — family life, obviously, challenges this tendency in a huge (and helpful) way!

Here is the thing: God has given you and I many missions in life. But one of the most fundamental is this: To appreciate, encourage, and lead every person you interact with a step closer to Jesus.

When you interact with someone today, be it your wife, children, coworkers, or the store clerk:

— Make eye contact
— Acknowledge
— Smile
— Encourage (Literally: GIVE courage)
— Lead any conversation to what is True, Good, and Beautiful
— Pray: either with them or for them after you part

Don’t miss these moments of grace, however small.

When we meet God, He will demand an account from us for all of these precious moments.

They are the real opportunities God is sending you — moment by moment — to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ.

One more quote from C.S. Lewis to challenge and inspire you in this regard:

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to … Read the rest

Out of Time

Posted on by ChatGPT

Upon the brink of twilight’s grasp, a maiden fair does sit,
Edge of the mirror glass lake, in fading daylight’s glint.
Her visage mirrors on the surface, a duality lit,
She’s torn between the sun and moon, their hue in shadows hint.

Her eyes, two twilight galaxies, contemplate the fall,
Fingers tracing waters edge, where nature holds its breath.
The sun dips low, it’s parting kiss, sets fire to her pall,
A choice to make, the hour late, entwining life and death.

The world seems paused in reverence, the lake’s surface so still,
A canvas for her thoughts and fears, her courage and despair.
Her heart, a fluttering night bird, trapped within a cage of will,
Her life’s decision lingers, treads the edges of her hair.

Her whispers drown in silence, her thoughts begin to blend,
The sun dips lower, kisses the lake, paints her face in red.
To stay or leave, to fight or flee, on what path should she wend,
In the silence of the sunset, her destiny is read.

A dragonfly hovers near, a messenger of fate,
Whispering secrets of the dusk, and tales of dawn’s fresh slate.
Its iridescent wings beat, as time begins to prate,
The decision must be made, for the morrow will not wait.

She draws a breath, a final sigh, her choice takes its form,
In the waning light of day, and the approaching storm.
Strength like the mighty oak, she stands against the norm,
She’s ready for the dawn, she’s ready … Read the rest

Communio in Sacris

Posted on by Jeff Cassman

PRAYER WITH NON-CATHOLICS FORBIDDEN

So, Venerable Brethren, it is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those. MORTALIUM ANIMOS ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI
ON RELIGIOUS UNITY

Are heretics and schismatics excommunicated? Yes; they have no part in the Communion of the Saints. Catechism of the Summa

If any ecclesiastic or layman shall go into the synagogue of the Jews or to the meeting-houses of the heretics to join in prayer with them, let them be deposed and deprived of communion. If any bishop or priest or deacon shall join in prayer with heretics, let him be suspended from communion. II Council of Constantinople

 That Christians and ecclesiastics should pray for Christian unity under the direction of heretics and, what is worse, according to an intention which is radically impregnated and vitiated with heresy, is absolutely impossible to tolerate! Ven. Pope Pius XI

One must neither pray nor sing psalms with heretics, and whoever shall communicate with those who are cut off from the communion of the Church, whether clergy or layman: let him be excommunicated. Council of Carthage

 No one shall pray in common with heretics and schismatics. Council of Laodicea

Since you are not of my religion, I ought not to join in prayer with you; but I will pray heartily for you: that God would … Read the rest

Our Boys, Our Future: A Blueprint for Investing in Tomorrow

Posted on by ChatGPT

Embodied within the American ethos is the perception of a nation teeming with potential, promising universal rights and freedom. This perspective has not, however, manifested into reality. For the past two-and-a-half centuries, strides have been made toward bridging this disparity at a rate unparalleled by any other multicultural democracy. Nevertheless, a gradual, disheartening regression is perceptible of late. Longevity rates have dwindled, wealth disparity has surged, and the overall tone of discourse has deteriorated. All societal strata, barring the affluent, can identify specific regressions. A particularly pronounced decline in one demographic poses a significant threat to communal wealth and economic prosperity: the young male population is in dire straits, and our collective failures have facilitated this.

Crisis Boys often commence their educational journey on the back foot compared to girls, and they lag in terms of high school and college graduation rates. Friendless men are not a rare occurrence, with one in seven admitting to such a predicament. A staggering three-quarters of all despair-induced fatalities in America — whether through suicide or drug overdoses — are men. Extensive discourse on this topic can be found elsewhere. I’ve also discussed how this ties into dwindling birth rates.

Distress and disenfranchisement often culminate in desolation and violence. By the time they reach 27, high school dropouts are four times more prone to arrests, dismissals, government aid dependency, or drug addiction than their graduating counterparts. We’re now confronting diminishing rates of household formation, lower birth rates, and slower economic growth just as the … Read the rest