Author: Paul Zalonski

Hans Urs von Balthasar

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Today marks the 24th anniversary of the great Swiss theologian [and cardinal-elect] Hans Urs von Balthsar. 
Von Balthasar was a brilliant theologian who served the Church well. His theological legacy continues in the publication of his books and articles and through the international Communio journal.
He was nominated by Blessed John Paul II to be a cardinal three times, declining the dignity twice; the third time he accepted it but he died the night before receiving the cardinal’s hat.

Eternal memory!

Do Catholics believe in the use of indulgences today?

A person who attends a bible study I organize asked if indulgences are still possible, in vogue, as it were. “Weren’t they done away with at Vatican II?”, I was asked. I assured this person that indeed indulgences were still a common practice in the Catholic Church and that they have received a renewed sensibility with Benedict XVI. THE thing that catapulted the Church into the protestant revolution is now being talked about with seriousness and sincerity because it is realized that the practice of giving indulgences does help us to know ourselves and the mercy of God better.

In brief, the Catechism teaches that “The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance” (1471ff).

So, what is an indulgence? Why would a Catholic be interested in knowing more about indulgences?

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”

Continue reading Do Catholics believe in the use of indulgences today?

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

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O God, who raised up Saint John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord, give your people, we pray, the grace of spiritual joys and direct the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace.
The key to understanding today’s feast (on a Sunday no less) is the place John the Baptist has in the economy of salvation: making a nation fit for Christ the Lord. Not only was the Baptist a cousin of Jesus’, he opened the doors of salvation by introducing us to His Lord and ours. His encounter with the Messiah is also ours; his dependence on God for everything is also ours. The challenge for us, therefore, is to live as the Baptist lived –with total, unreserved dependence upon God. In Catholic theology and the history of salvation, the Baptist is second only to Mary, the Mother of God in unlocking the door of salvation: Jesus Christ.
The Church celebrates as a feast day few birthdays. They are: the Nativity of Mary, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, and of course the Nativity of the Lord. Note, too, that we celebrate each of these peoples entrances into heaven.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

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On the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I am reminded of Saint Bernard’s image in Sermon 61 on the Song of Songs. There the sainted Cistercian abbot likens the pierced heart of Jesus Christ, and the wounds in his hand and feet to the clefts in a rock. “The secrets of  his heart are laid open through his wounds.” (61:4)


What more can be said of our Lord, our Shepherd and our friend?

A blessed feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Saints Thomas More and John Fisher


TMore.jpgO God, who in martyrdom have brought true faith to its highest expression, graciously grant that, strengthened through the intercession of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, we may confirm by the witness of our life the faith we profess with our lips.


The feast of Saint Thomas More and John Fisher gains more popularity today than it would otherwise with the Fortnight for Freedom being observed here in the USA. The US Bishops have proposed these two English saints –men who faced the persecution of a government over matters of conscience and liberty– to help us focus our prayer and advocacy aright. The Mass prayer is really insightful.

st john fisher detail.jpegThe events of today require us to seek divine assistance. Actually the events of every day require us to seek divine assistance. 

Here’s a prayer of Saint Thomas More

Give me the grace good Lord, to set the world at
naught; to set my mind fast upon Thee and not to hang upon the blast of men’s
mouths. Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help, to lean
unto the comfort of God, busily to labor to love Him. Gladly to bear my
purgatory here, to be joyful of tribulations, to walk the narrow way that
leadeth to life.

Confession: a source of New Life

The Sacrament of Confession (aka Reconciliation or Penance) is a source of a new life for the Christian. It sets the soul ablaze in the love of God. It radically re-orients your life anew.

Change is difficult; admitting that one is a sinner is the grace of God in action. It is only by God’s grace do we have the fortitude and courage to face our ugly self. Who wants to admit one is a sinner? Not many people. But when you realize that holiness is recognized in knowing who you are, that you are a loved sinner, and accepting the invitation to speak with Jesus Christ through the ministry of the priesthood, all is different.
The confession of sins helps us to confront our pride and our wrong-doing in a concrete, loving manner. This sacrament is nothing more, nothing less than taking the merciful hand of God.
Throw yourself onto the mercy of the Triune God. A little encouragement is here in this short video on Confession.

Saint Romuald

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O God, who through Saint Romuald renewed the manner of life of hermits in your Church, grant that, denying ourselves and following Christ, we may merit to reach the heavenly realms of high.



“Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms — never leave it…. And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more. Realize above all that you are in God’s presence, and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the emperor…”


Saint Romuald (+1027)