Tag: pastor column

Pastor Column: The Value of Money

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of October 10, 2021      As I mentioned last week, this week is the annual financial report. Please see the handout for more details on numbers, accountability, and where it goes. In this space, I want to address the point of giving in the first place.      First, why does giving matter? Besides the obvious practical aspects, it is an important part of our spiritual lives. If what we believe about God is true - that he loves us, gave us his only Son, and calls us to eternal life with him - then it should affect...Read More

Pastor Column: Casti Connubii IV

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of October 3, 2021      After addressing the sacramentality and indissolubility of marriage, Pope Pius XI’s letter continues with a lament of social conditions that work against the good of marriage in society. He lists a variety of mediums of entertainment (radio, television, plays) and nots that they increasingly extol sin (like adultery and fornication) as good or at least as something less than terrible.      From there, he targets a particular falsehood that we’ve seen play out in the worst way in our society today. There were and increasing number of philosophers and social commentators who...Read More

Pastor Column: Casti Connubii II

Posted on by Father Albert
     After that brief interruption for the sake of the Ember Days, we return to Pope Pius XI’s letter on marriage. We are still addressing the second blessing of marriage. The last thing mentioned was the virtue of chastity, which applies even in marriage. Chastity always means self-control so that we can love others as people and not objects. Outside of marriage, this takes the form of physical self-denial, but the aspect of self-control still applies even within marriage. There are many nasty and prejudiced jokes out there about Catholics having large families and how women are treated. These insults...Read More

Pastor Column: Christ The King

Posted on by Father Albert
     Having completed our journey through John 6 and its special focus on the Eucharist, we return to our ongoing study of teachings throughout Church history. Just before the detour, we learned a little about Pope Pius XI (1922-1939). Today, we pick up with his document on Christ the King, titled Quas Primas, which means “which is first.” It was the document he wrote when he added the feast of Christ the King to our Church calendar.      Since he was reigning in the time between the wars and the all the chaos that that ensued, Pope Pius XI was...Read More

Pastor Column: Preaching the Word of God

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of May 2, 2021      Our first encyclical from Pope Benedict XV is called Humani Generis Redemptionem, published in 1917. Translated, that title means “the Redemption of the Human Race.” The pope begins the encyclical by quoting St. Paul (Rom 10:17), “ Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” This sets up the primary theme of the letter, which in proper preaching of the Gospel to the world. Right away, Pope Benedict notes that there are more preachers of the word than ever before, but that the “state...Read More

Pastor Column: Benedict XV

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of April 25, 2021      Returning now to our journey through the teachings of recent popes, we come to Pope Benedict XV, who reigned from 1914 until his death in 1922, which was of course during World War I. Pope Benedict XV called the war the “suicide of Europe,” and made a concerted effort to bring peace and understanding. Though prominent in his papacy, the war was not his only focus. But first, a little history of this man who became pope.      Born in 1846, Giacomo Paolo Battista della Chiesa grew up in Genoa, Italy as...Read More

Pastor Column: Modernism I

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of March 21, 2021      Continuing with the documents of Pope St. Pius X, we come to one of his better known encyclicals, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, subtitled “On the Doctrine of the Modernists,” published in 1907. “Modernism” is the name that the pope uses to describe a collection of erroneous beliefs which were becoming popular at the time. As the pope, he sees it as his responsibility to point out and correct these errors as directly as possible.      The first error he tackles is what he calls “agnosticism.” This refers to the belief that human reason...Read More

Pastor Column: The Morality of Vaccines

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of January 10, 2021      As Covid-19 vaccines are becoming more available, now is a good time to consider some of the controversies around their production. First, we should make it clear what the Church says about vaccines in general. As a scientific and medical practice, it’s not the Church’s job to judge their effectiveness on a medical or scientific level. Still, the Church’s job (and mine) is to teach the truth about God and about the moral life we are called to live. Inasmuch as vaccines are meant to protect and promote health, the Church affirms...Read More

Pastor Column: Winter Ember Days

Posted on by Father Albert
From the bulletin of December 13, 2020           We’ll pause temporarily on our journey through Rerum Novarum to remember an ancient practice called the “Ember Days.” You may remember that we’ve observed these before. The Ember Days are a traditional time of prayer and fasting connected to each season of the year. The idea is to sanctify – to make holy – each  season. While not as popular now, the practice of fasting has always been a central part of the Christian call to holiness. It purifies our attachment to food, reminds us of the fact that many go without,...Read More