The Great Magdalene

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope that everyone is having a fruitful beginning of Lent! And I pray that you are all strengthened to carry out your resolutions and through them, grow closer to Our Lord! One of my absolute favorite Saints is undoubtedly Mary Magdalene (so be ready for numerous articles about her and other favorites). But I have to confess that my image of the great Magdalene is informed more by her legend than actual fact. Yes, we know that Mary Magdalene was the woman from whom Jesus cast out several demons who became one of the foremost of Jesus' followers, But in my mind, much of her is still colored by the misinterpretation of her being the prostitute, the woman of ill repute, and the sinner who falls madly in love with the person of Jesus Christ. This is the Mary Magdalene I love and the one who colors my side of Catholic imagination.

Liberty Is Liberty, and Love Is Love

The latest chapter in America's ongoing struggle over how to deal with teh gheys in public life has come to a predictable close. Arizona's proposed law, which would permit business owners to refuse to participate in activities which would conflict with their religious beliefs, was met with the Governor's veto.

Although such a law could apply in a variety of situations and to those of multiple faiths, it was fairly obvious that the bill was passed to prevent Christian business owners from having to lend their services to same-sex marriage ceremonies. Multiple lawsuits by aggrieved same-sex couples in other States, which consider sexual orientation a protected class in their public accommodations laws, have resulted in rulings against Christian business owners. Arizona has no such law on the books, and the bill's supporters sought a preventive measure to circumvent such litigation. But for what it's worth, much of the discussion surrounding SB 1062 treated "religious freedom" in nondenominational terms. What is the Catholic response to those with same-sex attraction, and how do Catholics live out their faith in the public square?

"Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth..."

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope this post finds everyone in good spirits — and warm! Traditionally, on February 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Valentine, and the secular world has adopted the feast as a holiday celebrating romantic (and, in many cases, erotic) love. This feast causes a lot of hard feelings and usually results in mushy Facebook posts, resentful memes, and angry words from those who are bitter about their single state. I've also heard people murmur that all the erotic undertones are not a dignified for the feast of a martyr of the Church.

Have You Given All?

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope that everyone's doing well! This little write-up is going to be a bit different from my normal reflections and spirituality articles. (Well, maybe not completely different.) The next cycle for Marian Consecration begins on February 20, which will end with the Consecration on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation. What is Marian Consecration, you ask? Marian Consecration is an act in which we give our whole lives, graces, good works, and our own personal holiness into the hands of the Blessed Mother to do with, where it is needed. There have been many Saints throughout the centuries who have promulgated Marian Consecration, but none has perfected it in the way of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, who created the process of 33 days of preparation based on one of his greatest works, True Devotion. I have made my Marian Consecration three times (two of those times in the same year), and I'm preparing to begin the process again with the Legion of Mary for the Annunciation, and I can attest that the Consecration has let loose an abundance of graces on my life.

CAPTION THIS: When Divine Met Delicious

"I greatly appreciate this gesture, Signor della Vecchia, but I really would have preferred white chocolate!"
(Full story here. Picture c/o: Vatican Radio English)

Mon Dieu! The response to our last caption contest was so overwhelming, we couldn't pick just one winner. So, in the style of the Olympics (minus the exposed wires, contaminated water and confusing toilets), we present the bronze, silver and gold captions: