Lorica

Lo the Blessed Cross is displayed Where the Lord in the flesh was suspended And by his blood from his wounds Cleansed and redeemed his Elect.

As Christ and his followers spend the week in prayer; the Enemy gathers his men for preparations of their own. The listless wanderers of the night at last set about to a purpose. The practitioners of impiety have suffered what little they can stand, and they will have payment for it. For they have never been known to forgive even the smallest of debts. “Behold: I set before you life, and death; bl...

“As was his custom” These are the words used by St. Luke the Evangelist to describe the prayer life of Christ. Yesterday we were given an example in Mary, sister of Lazarus, of piety, devotion, and sacrifice. But what of the Lord himself? Today Fr. Patrick discusses the piety and devotion of the Son of God. The perfect manifestation of the Law of God, who lacks nothing in his love for the Father a...

“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” The age in which we live seeks to divorce Religion and Spirit. To put a rift between a heartfelt, genuine faith - and any real, tangible acts or expressions of that faith. “Be spiritual, not religious” is a maxim found on many street corners and rear windshields. But who can actually separate thes...

“Let the proud be confounded, for they go wickedly about to destroy me; but I will be occupied in thy commandments. I am small and of no reputation; yet do I not forget thy commandments.” Behold: the Humble and Holy Man. He who fills the hungry with good things, but sends the rich away empty. Who puts down the mighty from their seat, and exalts the humble, and the meek. Fr. Patrick today reflects...

Our Lord is on the battlefield, sword in hand; and is making his way to the place of his ultimate victory. Met with the propaganda of his enemies today, he proclaims the certainty of their doom, and sets the terms for those who would ally with him in the great battle. Fr. Patrick discusses faith, unity, and the call to action today. It is not enough to not be evil. It will not do simply not to hur...

As we march the long and winding road to Jerusalem and Good Friday, surrounded by penitent reminders of what is to come. We are given a curious detour up Mt. Tabor. And though it is not given full celebration until later in the year, we witness the Transfiguration of Our Lord. One last brilliant revelation before the darkest moment that will ever come to pass. Fr. Patrick talks about faith and hop...

“The Lord hath put on his apparel, and girded himself with strength” Lo, the time for battle has come! Into the wilderness our Great Champion has gone before us, and we are to follow. For who is God beside the Lord? Who teaches our hands to make war, and makes bronze bows of our arms. He has set out to destroy all those who would harm his creation. “I shall pursue and overtake them, and will not t...

“Cursed is the ground in your labors. In toil you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” The seed of the Gospel has been scattered in every direction, and it shall land on every heart. But it is up to us to till the ground and prepare to receive it. We must drag away the heavy rocks, and break th...

Fairness. Equality. Justice. We call out for these things ceaselessly. We constantly seek after and await the prize we have decided is our due reward. But what happens when the scales are really balanced? When every person is given an equal share of the perfect, loving, overwhelming, generosity of God are we really satisfied? When our brother is restored to a new inheritance, having already squand...

To whom is salvation promised? In whom do the Saints find joy and rest? What does a faithful community look like? “I thank God upon my every remembrance of you.” These are the words which begin St. Paul’s address to the Church at Phillipi. And they are followed by all manner of confident and joyful proclamations from the Great Apostle concerning both their conduct, and their trajectory. Today Fr....

The Lord will surely come, and will not tarry. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will manifest himself to all nations. Why must so much be hidden from us? Truth is often so shrouded in mystery, and buried beneath symbols and types, that we can hardly see it at all. Fr. Patrick takes on the device of parable itself today, and sheds some light on darkness as a vessel for the t...

The Day of Candlemas. When at long-awaited last the Ancient of Days returns to his Temple in Jerusalem. He who came down to Moses in a Pillar of Wind and Flame again meets face to face with the keeper of the sacred doors.… As Salvation himself is cradled and presented, the First Age looks upon him with peace. At long last his time has run its course; and the darkened eyes of the Old Man find rest...

“If God is good, why is there evil?” “If God is all-knowing, how has an enemy snuck something by him?” These questions have plagued Christians since the very beginning, and can be not only disheartening, but destructive to our faith if we are not careful. Today Fr. Patrick presents the answer the Lord himself gives in the Scriptures; along with some hope-filled refreshment for the long road of lif...

Epiphany IV 2024

Epiphany III 2024

Epiphany II 2024

Feast Of The Nativity 2023

Episode 211 - Vigil Of The Nativity 2023

Gaudete! Hail! Rejoice! This decree and command has been present for all of human history. But how does the Sunday of rejoicing fall in a season before the feast? Shouldn’t we rejoice when the wait is over? What does rejoicing really mean anyway?

Christ is King, he reigns in our age. Why are we still so restless? How long must things go on this way? And what compass will guide us through the age before the end?

We have an enemy, and he has weapons. The sharpest and most insidious of which may also be the most widely accepted and ignored in our modern day. Where is the barb that awaits us today? Into what net does he most desire us to fall? Let us be watchful as we enter this advent season.

The XXV and final Sunday of Pentecost leads us into Advent, and the preparation for Christmas. Why as we prepare to meet Our Lord are we met with apocalypse, and a warning about his dread second coming? His appearance in the manger begins the end of all ages, it is the call to stock our oil and trim our wicks. Prepare the way O Zion, your Lord is drawing near.

Brethren, be sober and vigilant. Your enemy prowls like a lion hoping to devour you. Cast not your pearls before swine. We are given admonishment and warning time and again in the Gospels. But what ought we watch for? And what must we do with this pearl of great price? A great task lies ahead of us, let us rise to meet it in the Name of the Lord.

Why bother with the Saints? Is Christ not enough? Why ask for help from anyone else? And why does St. Paul tell us to imitate himself instead?