Category: Insights
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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Kindness and Artigas
For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, click here. Its focus is on kindness. After this Sunday, Lent begins. These reflections on books that I have found especially helpful in my life as a Catholic man seem to have turned into reflections on authors I have found especially useful. This…
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Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Optimism and Hope, and the CCC
For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, click here. Its focus is on the natural virtue of optimism and the theological virtue of hope. A final book or author I have found especially helpful is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. As a writer about Catholic things, the Catechism is…
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The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Marriage, and the Problem of Evil
For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, click here. Its focus is on the vocation to marriage and its defense. Another book that has done me a lot of good is hardly a book at all. It is hard bound (like a book should be) but only 46 pages long.…
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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Contrition, and Fr. John Hardon, S.J.
For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, click here. Its focus is contrition. Some theologians, even some who have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, make ambiguous statements that seem to mean it is not necessary for a sinner to repent, that is, to turn away from his sin. Yet,…
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The Baptism of the Lord, the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, and another book
For three Doctrinal Homily Outlines for the Baptism of the Lord (January 8) and one for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 14), please click here and then scroll down. A Catholic philosopher and religious writer that 20th Century popes considered perhaps the greatest of their time was Dietrich von Hildebrand. One of his…
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The Epiphany and Pieper
For four Doctrinal Homily Outlines for the Epiphany, please click here and then scroll down. Another book that has been a big help to me Josef Pieper, a married layman, was a German philosopher who worked in the tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. His dates are 1904 to 1997. He is famous for a slim…
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The Holy Family, Mary the Mother of God, and another book
This is such a beautiful liturgical season. Besides Christmas and its extension beyond the one day, we celebrate the Holy Family (and every human and Catholic family) and our great and good spiritual mother, Our Lady. For four Doctrinal Homily Outlines for the Feast of the Holy Family and four more for the Solemnity of…
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Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas – and books
Books that have been a big help to me For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and for links to the five outlines for the five different Masses for Christmas, please click here and then scroll down. To have a little something to share with you, along with your homiletic link,…
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Third Sunday in Advent and some thoughts
For a Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Third Sunday of Advent, please click here. Some thoughts for you consideration Sin is so foolish. Adam and Eve disobeyed God due to the lie that they would be like God. But they were already “like God,” since they were made in His image and likeness. Is there…
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Second Sunday of Advent and a second (unofficial) modern Father of the Church
Here is a link to a doctrinal homily outline for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Here is a link to the same for the Second Sunday of Advent for Year B. Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J. A second unofficial kind of Father of the Church I wish everyone to know about is the Jesuit priest…
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An (unofficial) Father of the Church – First Sunday of Advent, Year B
This coming Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, with the Lectionary beginning Year B. The Doctrinal Homily Outline breaks down as follows: Central idea: Be watchful! Be alert! Doctrine: Humble vigilance of heart in prayer. Practical application: Being a better servant. To view the complete outline, click here. A modern (unofficial) Doctor of the Church Over the next two…
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The Fourth level of Happiness: The transcendentals and God
For a complete Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Year A, click here. The Transcendentals Fr. Spitzer points out the truth, discussed in the Western tradition for at least 2500 years, that we have five desires we want to be completely fulfilled, that we can pursue in this life and obtain…