Ordinary Old Catholic Me

The Responsibility to Follow Him

When Bishop Barron talked about Catholicism as the privileged way, he got a lot of heat. However, looking at it from another perspective, it makes a lot of sense. We have nothing to do with our becoming Catholic, as infants, should that be our Grace. But having that Grace we have been given an advantage, a benefit, that requires a response--to share it, and to live a life that uses the tools of the Church leading us to Paradise. When a Catholic walks away, it is a failure to accept the gift. 

The Gift of Bruno Lanteri

Always I am in search of a guide. Of course, there isn't just one. Fulton Sheen. Faustina. Teresas of Avila and the Little Flower. And now I add another model of faith, Bruno Lanteri. His way is, "doable" indeed. 

Contradictions

We all handle the reality of existence; we have no choice, except in how we interpret why things are the way they are. Some say there is no God and try to create a meaning. Others believe strongly in God and objective reality, though marred by sin and redeemed by the Act of Jesus on the Cross and His Resurrection. How we handle those things were on my mind when I read the memoir of brilliant psychiatrist/author/therapist Irving Yalom. 

Wake Up Catholics!

Amid the dilution of the faith, it is of great solace to hear a priest from Nigeria remind us of the blessings we have and the struggles in his home country. His homily to raise funds to assist Nigerian Catholics was also a bit of a wake up call for us.

Whither Goes the Synod: Will Somebody Help Me?

Last week, a working document was published apropos the Synod on Synodality. 
When asked about a section related to those who feel unwelcome, the divorced and civilly remarried, the polygamous and the gay community, someone asked Cardinal Hollerich about how these concerns played into the teachings of the Church. I was listening to another podcase presenting his answer, and that answer floored me. My concerns aren't original, but they are very real. And what will be the answer? And why do we need an answer?

This N That

Things come to mind during the week. Three of them this time. Thoughts about the Sacred Heart and how we receive the Eucharist. Thoughts about Hell. Thoughts about my lack of radical trust. 

Focus on Him: The Feast of Corpus Christi

We are living in deeply troubling times. While it might be no worse than say in the time of Pope Urban IV, where relativism reigned, there was moral corruption and a lack of faith, sometimes it feels so. Thank God we are reviving Eucharistic Adoration as part of the Eucharistic Revival. Oh, Lord, give us hope. Help us to focus on You!

What Will Open Our Catholic Hearts

How a bad mood got me thinking about what it will take to open our Catholic Hearts to a true recognition of the indispensability of the Sacraments, especially of the Eucharist. 

Thoughts On Just How Little I Know

I have begun to immerse myself in the riches of the Catholic Faith and her teachings. And the journey (the Journey of the Hero of a Thousand Faces) has revealed to me the dearth of knowledge I have had, despite calling myself a life long Catholic. Thoughts on that on Ordinary Old Catholic Me. 

We ARE Seeing the Chaos

So many of the episodes of this podcast are inspired by things that I observe and read in the course of my week. I find myself responding audibly without anyone else being present, and then I remember:  I can talk about this on the podcast! And so here I am talking about a late diarist, Edward Robb Ellis, and one of his entries and how I see it as, you know, an ordinary Catholic.