The Anti-Modernist

Life is funny. At least, that is what I always say. We can find humor in most things, even in the most serious of circumstances. For example, when I was in the military, I had an unfortunate incident when I got some metal bits into my eye. I had to wait quite a while before I could be removed off post and be taken to the hospital. While there, I joked with the nurses and doctors and needless to say they were a bit amused and amazed by my attitude. I put it simply that I could whine about my condition which would solve nothing and make everyone miserable or I could try to at least joke about it and make the situation a little more bearable. Luckily for me, I regained the sight in my eye after about 2 or 3 days. In this respect, life can be humorous, but there is one respect that is never amusing and that is mortal sin. Oh, how the temptations of the heart and the blindness of the mind lure the soul to misguided judgements and we as human abound in poor judgement, but how the depravi...

Should we ever make a deal with the devil? Of course if I ask the question this way the answer is no. No one would in their right mind want to compromise their soul to eternal damnation and if they beheld his true form, the grotesqueness alone would be enough to kill; however, it is often forgotten that the devil is the master of lies and does not like to appear in his true form, but rather appears as an angel of light. In most American households, we have the hidden grotesqueness of the prince of darkness entering the ears and minds of the faithful by words of politicians, media celebrities and writers and they quite convincingly say that everyone can have healthcare, but we only need relax one little scruple, the scruple which defends the innocent, and we must be willing to sacrifice one other thing...our soul. Joining in this deception, we now have 'catholic' institutions such as hospitals and nuns [ Catholic Group Supports Senate on Abortion Aid ] saying to accept the...

Greetings. For those reading in Singapore, I would like to announce that the Apostolate for Catholic Truth (ACT) has released its newsletter Splendour . I invite you take take a look at the newsletter at the following link: Splendour  ; also, I invite you take part in the apologetics/educational opportunites which are coming up this January 23rd - 24th at the CHOICE Retreat House, entitled Roman Catholicism 101 . The Cost is only $20 per person. For more information you can visit: www.catholic.sg/act or to register you can email actsingapore@gmail.com . Even if you are not residing in Singapore, I invite you click on the Splendour link, as the read will more than likely be an edifying experience. Merry Christmas.

Another day! If we are sitting here reading this, we have been given another day to live. We have been given another with which to work out our salvation. It is really quite amazing to contemplate the great gift that has been given to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ, and it all seems to begin with humility. I have often written about the non-serviam of Satan (I will not serve) and how it seems abundant in the world, but Our Lord begins his sojourn in the world in the most humble of circumstances. He, King of Kings, Master of the Universe, enters into the lowly human form, but not as an aristocrat or some elitist member of society; rather, he is born the son of a simple carpenter surrounded by animals, wrapped in swaddling clothes. From this point on, His life is an exercise in humility even until his death upon the cross, but it all begins with Mary's acceptance of God's will and Jesus humbling himself into human form. We are now in the Christmas season and we celebrate the O...

In Singapore, it is almost Christmas eve and I will now be taking a break from writing. It is time for me to enjoy this special time of the year with family, friends, celebration and prayer. I wish everyone a blessed, joyful and Merry Christmas.

Praying in Latin can be a daunting task, especially if you have never studied the language before. If you are interested in praying in Latin, but are not confident in your pronunciation or don't know where to obtain some of the prayers, there is hope. The Boston Catholic Journal has a webpage that has a number of common prayers written in both English and Latin and includes the Latin audio tracks of the prayers. At the top portion of the page you will find prayers written in both Latin and English. They include: [I've included the Latin Audio Links] • Signum Crucis  - The Sign of the Cross • Pater noster  - Our Father • Ave Maria  - Hail Mary • Gloria Patri  - Glory Be • Angelus  - The Angelus • Confiteor  - The Confiteor (I Confess) • Credo  - Nicene Creed (I Believe) • Salve Regina  - Hail Holy Queen • Gloria in excelsis Deo  - Glory to God in the Highest • Laudes Divinae  - Divine Praises • Regina Coeli ...

Abortion is a plague upon society and every year we lose over 1,200,000 innocent souls in the United States alone . However, the number far exceeds 1,200,000 if you consider the number of abortions that occur due to abortifacient drugs/contraceptives , as many of these abortions are not reported or never known. Further, these abortifacients often have horrible side effects on women and can effect children whom they have later in life. As I am sure, many of us speak out to others about our beliefs and try to present the truth and sanctity of human life to those whom we encounter. However what I wish to bring to your attention is The Human Life International, St. Michael the Archangel Campaign for the Conversion of Abortionists. The Saint Michael prayer was originally composed by Pope Leo XIII and was a response to the great tribulations and evils that he knew would come to attack the Church. This prayer used to be recited at the end of every Low Mass, but what has been proposed is ...

"Via peccatorum complanata lapidibus : et in fine illorum inferi, et tenebræ, et pœnæ. The way of sinners is made plain with stones, and in their end is hell, and darkness, and pains." (Ecclesiasticus 21:11) You can find the article to which I am reacting here[ D.C. mayor signs same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation ] We are fast approaching the time of Christmas, when Our Lord humbled Himself into human form to bring the way of truth and salvation upon the earth. Sadly, even as we ready ourselves to celebrate this time of great joy and light, there are some who promulgate the darkness of lies upon the earth and think of nothing greater than the falsity and fallibility of the human intellect. They spread the death of sin and ignore He who brings salvation and love to the world. They may call good bad and bad good, but it does not change eternal truth. "No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and des...

The incoming Archbishop of Milwaukee, Jerome Listecki, has responded to Young Catholic for Choice and pointed to their idea of conscience. He has quite correctly pointed out that their views cannot be held while being in communion with the Catholic Church, but what I wish to direct my attention at is the idea that people hold which allows them to erroneously believe that conscience is an excuse to defy Church teachings. In the article, posted by Lifesite News  [ Milwaukee Archbishop: You Can’t Call Yourself Catholic and Support Contraception ], it states the following position for the dissents: "Using language first employed by Catholic dissenters to Humanae Vitae, YCFC calls on Catholics to use an "informed conscience" to decide to use birth control and the morning-after-pill, also called "emergency contraception." Their ad campaign states: "Young Catholics are having sex. We are using contraception and condoms. We are having abortions. We are bise...

Life is quite amusing. It becomes all the more hilarious when people use terms and words which they don't truly comprehend. For example, pharisee. Yes, that is right, pharisee. I had the privilege of someone, in not so many words, say that I sound like a pharisee; however, this person does not know me and the discussion, which was transpiring on a mutual friend's Facebook page, was about Eucharistic reception on the tongue and hand. My friend, who shall remain nameless, shared an experience that occurred and his feelings about Eucharistic reception, and of course, a discussion ensued. The reason the discussion progressed to a degree was due to the fact that we cannot receive the Eucharist on our tongue. This has been a diocese wide declaration due to H1N1; however, I made my opinion known that I felt this wrong not only because of the recent letter [you can see the letter here: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2009/11/it-is-not-licit-to-deny-communion-on.html ] that has bee...

I normally try to write on the weekends, but this weekend I will have to skip out as I will be at Catholic Engaged Encounter. I imagine that most people reading this blog know what CEE is, but for the benefit of other readers, I will expand a bit. Catholic Engaged Encounter  (Singapore Link) is an amazing experience which takes place over a weekend. It is intended for couples who are discerning marriage or considering whether or not to even take their relationship to a more serious level. It is comprised of discussions by married couples, and priest(s), but most of all it involves deep discussions between the discerning couples. Participants are led to deal with discussion issues, that if left avoided, could be detrimental to marriage, but most of all they are shown the reality that "A Wedding is a Day...A Marriage is a Lifetime". This weekend my wife and I will be one of two house couples at CEE. Primarily, our job will be to work behind the scenes to make sure the par...

For the life of me, I cannot understand the animosity that I encounter from other Catholics. The animosity is not directed towards me, but is directed towards two things which I hold dear and close to my heart, the Latin Mass and Opus Dei. Before I continue, let me make it clear that I am not a member of Opus Dei, but I have great respect for its members and especially for its founder St. Josemaria Escriva, so my experiences and comments toward them are from non-member perspective. In regard to the Tridentine Mass, it should be understood that I wasn't brought up as a Traditional Catholic, nor was I taught Latin by my family. I began familiarize myself with the Tridentine Mass after my return to the Church and I studied Latin in university and on my own, but for all intents and purposes I was raised and taught the Novus Ordo. I guess I will begin this discussion by mentioning my disdain for the apathetic comments that I hear about Opus Dei. Quite often as I journey and talk with ...

Wisconsin group argues Catholics can use contraception in good conscience  (You can read the article at the posted link) Catholics for Choice are at it again. They are once again claiming teachings contrary to Church belief, stating that Catholics can use contraception and Plan B in good conscience. However, the Church has been abundantly clear on the use of contraception and even more explicit on the sin of abortion. For the life of me, I cannot understand how they can readily proclaim to be Catholic, yet deny the fundamental truths of the Church. There may be some who are unclear about Church teachings for one reason or another, so I will make it make it clear as day. I will bypass the Catechism of the Catholic Church and go straight to the Code of Canon Law. Canon 1398 proclaims that " a person who procures a completed abortion incurs a latae sententiae [automatic] excommunication ". There are no ifs, ands, or buts. Therefore, how can one have a good conscien...

Et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis (And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us). This is a great demonstration of the love and humility possessed by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, yet I find myself walking the streets of Singapore surrounded by an endless barrage of sales and secular symbols of Christmas. How my heart laments over the disregard of a such a momentous sacrifice bestowed upon man by a loving God who has found himself replaced by idols of materialism and capitalism. Our great Creator humbled himself to come into human form and as if this action were not enough, He came into this world in the most humble of circumstances; the son of a carpenter, born in a manger, destined to lead a life of simplicity. Being the King of Kings, He could have easily come into this world in a prominent social family, but He chose to lead by example. Humility and charity would also be demonstrated by the Virgin Mary, His most blessed and chaste mother. Their...

I often wander through websites which debated morality and political issues and I have often read this quote: “Judge not lest you be judged”. However, I often read this quote in reference to positions that run contrary to Church doctrine and morals, and I wish to point to the fact that this verse is often incorrectly cited. It is too often used to portray a point that a person can never judge any action or have any opinion contrary to that which is now politically correct. There is no doubt that Jesus said the words mentioned above, as they were part of His sermon on the mount, but there is much more than the phrase mentioned. Consider the following: “Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out...

-I must emphasize that many of the ideas that you will read are not mine, but were taken from Fr. Euteneuer's talk. I have either paraphrased or used his ideas. I just wanted to share what I had taken from his great talk. Also, what I have written is not verbatim; rather it is just from my notes.- The soldiers marched in to meet one of their captains, but I think some were not ready for the words which he was to speak. Gazing upon the priest, you could tell there was something about him even if you were not aware of his past. The introductions to the meeting began and he was introduced. Again, this was to be a night of amazement as many were taken aback by the opening prayer. Fr. Thomas Euteneuer stood at the front of the room. He immediately broke the tension with a few well placed jokes, but the atmosphere changed. Everyone in the room blessed themselves as he began the prayer and his words rang out in Latin. My personal impression, it was utterly beautiful, but I...

I have desired to write for quite some time; however, I have been quite ill lately. Therefore, I have decided not to write as I usually do, but to share something. I have a prayerbook, Key of Heaven, which I use on a daily basis. My particular version was published in 1909, but this is not what is important. I wish to share one the devout prayers that are included in the book. Under the Devout Prayer section, there is a prayer entitled: A Universal Prayer for All Things Necessary To Salvation . This prayer has been attributed to Pope Clement XI, and it is this prayer that I wish to share. O my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strenghen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do Thou secure them. I love thee with my whole heart: teach me to love Thee more and more. I am sorry that I have offended Thee; do Thou increase my sorrow. I adore Thee as my first beginning. I aspire after Thee as my last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor. I call upon Thee as my sovereign prote...

My body strung out on the couch and pain filled every part of me. This was the changing point of my life. I had thoroughly been a product of modern society, relativistic, an adherent to indifferentism, a modernist in many respects. Many until this point had regarded me as a very understanding guy, compassionate, knowledgeable of the world. In reality, I knew nothing. I was arrogant, filled with pride, and though I had love it was incomplete. I had to be completely humbled to realize my true identity and see the greatness of God who created me. As a child, I learned like most Catholics through Sunday school. I had been baptized at birth, received First Communion, but I wasn't instructed much beyond that. I can remember having a deep love for God, but I wasn't taken to Church very often and I was exposed to the occult. My parents practised Santeria, a practise as a child that I abhorred, but this would be my entrance into the world of the occult and my confusion about religion....