Articles by Joe Tremblay
USCCB concerned: Religious liberty threatened (part two)
Feb 3, 2012 / 00:00 amThree questions should be asked about the current erosion of religious liberty at the State and Federal levels: How did we get here? How did we contribute to the problem? And how do we press forward?
USCCB concerned: Religious liberty threatened (part one)
Jan 27, 2012 / 00:00 amBishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut addressed the General Assembly of Bishops on November 16th. The topic was religious liberty. By recalling the words from Ezekiel, he called upon his brother bishops to be watchmen: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 33:7) A watchman, as Pope St. Gregory the Great said, is a preacher who always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming.
The admiration of dictators: a growing phenomenon, part two
Jan 20, 2012 / 00:00 amAs for the reasons behind this troubling admiration, there are at least three:
The admiration of dictators: a growing phenomenon, part one
Jan 13, 2012 / 00:00 amIt startles the average person that intellectuals, celebrities and politicians in America are sympathetic to ruthless dictators. In fact, many of them have given public expression of their support and admiration for political leaders like Mao Tse-tung, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and North Korea’s recently deceased Communist leader, Kim Jong-Il.
St. Louis & Christians in the latter times: A reason for hope
Jan 6, 2012 / 00:00 amPeople from all walks of life are making predictions about the future. Most of these predictions are pessimistic and downright bleak; some justifiably so. For instance, economic decline and political instability are causes for concern for a lot of people. Another question that seems to linger is: What is tomorrow's generation of Americans going to be like? Are they going to be equal to their mission of keeping liberty, democracy and progress alive?
What you may not know about the Magi
Dec 30, 2011 / 00:00 amThe consensus of early Christian tradition has it that the Magi were three in number (although the Gospel of Matthew does not record the number). St. Bede, an early Church Father from England (673 A.D. -735 A.D.), assigned them the names of Gaspar, Melchoir and Balthasar. Each of these men were from different regions and deemed to be kings, astronomers and philosophers. One was from Persia (i.e. modern day Iran, Pakistan, India), the other from Arabia (i.e. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq) and the third was from Ethiopia (i.e. Yemen, Ethiopia). People from these regions, especially Arabia and Persia, had a fascination with the stars and luminaries of the night sky. Rabanus, a Church Father and Benedictine Abbot from the 9th century, said that the Magi were often confused with magicians, astrologers or wizards. He said the Magi, who ventured in search for the Messiah, “were men who inquired into the nature of things philosophically, but common speech used ‘Magi’ for wizards. In their own country, however, they were held in other repute, being the philosophers of the Chaldeans [historic Babylon/modern day Iraq] whose lore kings and princes of that nation were taught, by which themselves knew the birth of the Lord.”
What you may not know about Christmas
Dec 23, 2011 / 00:00 amIf you ever watched the History or Discover Channel you may have come across progressive theologians or historians who dismiss out of hand the historical accounts of Christ's birth as told in the Gospels. Quite often scholars look down upon tradition, the testimonies of the early Christians and their ancient writings. For some of these intellectuals, it is beneath them to give any credibility to traditions associated with piety and religious devotion. Yet, by confining their judgments within the narrow circle of contemporary scholarship, they deprive themselves of valuable insights which the traditions of the Church do provide. Perhaps, this may be one of the reasons why many people do not know the following about Christmas.
Reform and tears of the prophets, part 3
Dec 16, 2011 / 00:00 amEvery so often the Catholic Church, much like an individual Christian, needs renewal. As the letter by Pope St. Gregory VII indicated, he felt overwhelmed by the troubling circumstances of his day. But this was God’s way of working through his weakness. With that said, reform not only comes with tears, it can also be inspired by a righteous indignation or anger. The cleansing of the Jewish Temple by our Lord is one such incident. Another incident is by a contemporary of St. Gregory VII by the name of St. Peter Damien, a cardinal of the Church.
Reform and tears of the prophets, part 2
Dec 9, 2011 / 00:00 amHistory shows that prophets and reformers share common characteristics and experiences. One such characteristic was that they were twice-born, that is, born again to a new set of convictions and values. But while these values were new to their generation, they were nonetheless rooted in tradition. Quite often such a disposition was nurtured in monasteries or at least where the discipline of prayer and penance were to be found. From this background, holy men and women were better prepared to carry out their mission without being tainted by human applause or intimidated by the threat of persecution. Insisting on these values and principles they were a blessing to some people and a source of consternation to others. There was no getting around that fact! But let there be no doubt, those who winced from such a challenge failed to reform.
Reform and the tears of prophets, part 1
Dec 2, 2011 / 00:00 am“Because zeal for your house has consumed me.”-Psalm 69:10
Bullet points to sainthood: Through Advent and beyond
Nov 25, 2011 / 00:00 amEvery November the Church celebrates All Saints' Day at the beginning of the month and at the end, the first Sunday of Advent. The timing of these two holy days being celebrated in the same month may be incidental. Nevertheless, it is true to say that living the life of a Saint is but the happy result of Christ’s coming. For this reason a renewed devotion to the Saints during the season of Advent and for the New Year would not only be fitting but it would serve as an effective means of advancing personal holiness and the New Evangelization.
Bureaucracies, dioceses and souls
Nov 18, 2011 / 00:00 am"So many signatures for such a small heart."-Mother Teresa
Five reasons why the Roman Empire fell
Nov 11, 2011 / 00:00 amThere are five reasons (among others) why the Roman Empire fell. The most important of the five have to do with the breakdown of religion, morality and the family. Everything else ripples from these three principles.
Intolerance: The foundation of all stability
Nov 4, 2011 / 00:00 amIntolerance of evil is the best preventative measure against the rigid intolerance of good. Riots, unruly protests, narcissism and dictatorships arise from decades of tolerating too much evil. But the problem in our society is that we do not know what to tolerate and what not to tolerate.
What an exorcist can teach an evangelist
Oct 28, 2011 / 00:00 amEvangelization and exorcisms are two kindred missions of the Church. After all, Church-approved exorcisms are but a dramatic expression of the titanic but often unperceived struggle between grace and sin in every individual. But good triumphing over evil depends on first knowing the truth about this conflict.
God’s answer to Pope Benedict
Oct 21, 2011 / 00:00 amIn 1917, when Our Lady paid three children a visit in Fatima, Portugal, she brought eternity with her. Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco were privileged to experience, in a profound way, heaven and hell. The children’s foretaste of heaven and the glimpse of hell have a great deal of historical significance, considering that Western Civilization had already begun to close in on itself. Indeed, modern man had ceased to see his life within the backdrop of eternity. In part, this was due to great technological achievements and its consequent prosperity. Of course, when conditions are comfortable it is harder to see life as a pilgrimage to heaven.
The Eucharistic Sacrifice: Self-denial in action
Oct 14, 2011 / 00:00 am“Prayer, mortification and silence prepare the soul for the action of the Blessed Eucharist. Once the obstacles are cleared away from the soul this great Sacrament of union accomplishes in its perfection that which is its special effect, namely the creation of a union of spirit between the soul and Jesus.”
When liberty becomes license, the federal mandate is near
Oct 7, 2011 / 00:00 amHistorian William Durant once said, “When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near.” The habit of defining liberty as doing what you want i.e. license, instead of doing what you ought i.e. liberty, has been long touted by supporters of Secular-liberalism as the “freedom” upon which America was founded. But such liberty is not liberty at all. Rather, the so-called “right” or “liberty” to do what one wants without any reference to an objective moral standard or divine law, the very principles which orders and unifies a society, leads, in the end, to social disorder. And in turn, when people are confronted with social disorder and uncertainty, they turn to the State for help. Nevertheless, with such low moral standards having been absorbed by the people, the State, under the pretense of eliminating the social disorder and uncertainty, also eliminates the liberties of its citizenry in order to empower itself. Chief among the liberties politicians seek to eliminate is religious liberty.
The bishop’s house
Sep 30, 2011 / 00:00 amGreat systems, great programs and great schools do not make great men. Only great men can make great men. No one knew this better than the Catholic bishops of the first millennium. In those early years it was in the house of the bishop where priests and deacons were formed and educated. And to be sure, it proved to be a fruitful method of making great leaders, that is, holy leaders of the Church.
St. Padre Pio and Giovanna: The debt he paid for a soul
Sep 23, 2011 / 00:00 amEvery September 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Padre Pio. This holy Capuchin priest from Pietrelcina, Italy was widely known for his supernatural gifts of bi-location, reading souls and the bodily marks of Christ, better known as stigmatas. What may be less known, however, was the debt he willing to pay in order to save souls.