CSVF Blog

All three of this weekend’s readings focus on one of the more difficult spiritual works of mercy: fraternal correction.  

However difficult dealing with sin might be in our own lives, as Christians we are duty-bound to confront sin in the lives of others, too.  How do we do this?  In lieu of the audio of today’s show (technical difficulties!), I’m posting several links to articles and homilies that might help us understand and better appreciate our duty in Christ to become active instruments of conversion.

First, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, the preacher of the papal household (pictured above), shares his own thoughts on this Sunday’s Gospel.

Secondly, as you might have guessed, St. Thomas dedicates a whole question of the Summa to fraternal correction.

Lastly, the old Catholic Encyclopedia has an excellent summary of the Church’s classical wisdom regarding the duties we have to our neighbor.

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Statements released this week by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops clarify the Church’s teaching on two issues that dominate today’s cultural and political discourse.  The first concerns the Church’s consistent teaching on life, and the second is a joint statement with Orthodox Jews regarding marriage.  

The first statement is a fact sheet that further contradicts the erroneous summary of the Church’s tradition given recently by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  Her comments necessitated an elaboration of this earlier statement.  The second text bears witness to the Church’s ongoing efforts to find religious allies in its cultural fight to preserve and defend the natural definition of marriage.

From “Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church’s Constant Teaching”:

Thus modern science has not changed the Church’s constant teaching against abortion, but has underscored how important and reasonable it is, by confirming that the life of each individual of the human species begins with the earliest embryo.

Click here for the entire text.

And from “Created in the Divine Image”:

God’s design for the continuance of human life, as seen in the natural order, as well as in the Bible  (Gen. 1-3), clearly revolves around the union of male and female, first as husband and wife, and then as parents. A unique goal of marriage, which is reproduction and the raising of families, exists apart from that of same sex unions, which cannot equally participate in this essential function. While others may claim the right to establish private relationships between persons of the same gender that simulate marriage, the legal classification of such relationships as marriage dilutes the special standing of marriage between a man and a woman. Since the future of every society depends upon its ability to reproduce itself according to this natural order and to have its young people reared in a stable environment, it is the duty of the state to protect the traditional place of marriage and the family for the good of society. 

The entire text can be found here.

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