Fathers of Mercy Examinations!
Some Catholics think this examination of conscience is the best out there. Only you and God can judge that, I guess, but it is really clear and thorough. The Fathers of Mercy offer it in many languages. You can download the PDF in English or Spanish here, or you can go straight to TheFathersOfMercyExams
St Josemaria Insitute podcasts!
The Saint Josemaria Institute is off and running in the new year with a new season of recorded meditations and presentations. Yours truly got to offer the first one (but don’t let that stop you…!) LearningToSeeWithHope
Diocesan priests retreat opportunities!
The PDF brochure below lists the places and dates of upcoming diocesan priest silent retreats sponsored by Opus Dei in the USA this season. Not a priest yourself? Feel free to pass it along to any priest you think might benefit (you’ll benefit as well)!
The four Marian dogmas!
This article is a good summary of the Marian dogmas, although it is ad heavy! FourMarianDogmas Here is also the petition regarding the recent CDF document: WorldwideMarianPetition
Demonic tactics to shame us!
An exorcist’s thoughts on how demons can influence ours… ShameTactics
Daily meditations!
This is a link to the Opus Dei website where a brief daily (written) meditation theme is offered. It’s usually very timely, and tied to the liturgical calendar. Happy praying! DailyMeditation
Papal photo op!
Here is the official photo of Pope Leo XIV, as issued by the Vatican. If you want a high quality copy, it’s free (for the moment!) so just click here for your very own copy… PopeLeoXIV
Do I Need an Exorcist?!
I hope not, but these articles give some interesting thoughts on the topic. They reiterate the importance of Catholics having a regular and solid sacramental life. Exorcism article; Identifying and casting out one’s demons article; and Habits article.
Questions about cremation!
The relationship between the body and soul remains interesting for many people and cultures. Here’s an article about the Church’s position on cremation as a reflection of its proclamation of the dignity of the human person. Click here: Church teaching on creation
Prayers of Deliverance!
Here is the manual of deliverance prayers for laypeople available in this PDF form:
Identifying our Predominant Fault!
Accurately knowing ourselves is one of the most challenging aspects of moving forward in the interior life and a life of service. The great theologian Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange (not the Texas town ZZ Top sings about) in his classic spiritual treatise Three Ages of the Interior Life describes how to identify our predominant fault as a good starting point for spiritual growth. Here is a PDF excerpt:
The Pre-Socratics!
Here you can read about philosophical life before Socrates. The outline can be downloaded as a PDF or read right here.
Bill and Ted meet Socrates!
The Perils of Artificial Intelligence!
This is a really informative and thoughtful interview with one of the leading Catholic thinkers regarding the uses, limitations and dangers of AI. AI: Its Promise and Its Peril
Manual of Indulgences!
Below is the manual of indulgences that some of you have been asking about. Right now I only have it in Spanish. Te va a gustar!
Theological Anthropology Notes!
For those of you who have this theology course pending, below you will find the notes for it:
Also, here is the link to the class videos: TheologicalAnthropologyLectures
Best of “luck” (not a precise theological concept) in this exciting course!
But that’s not all!
Here is a really good summary about grace, specifically aimed at understanding better the possibility of holiness for someone who is not baptized. A summary of the article is this: “Those who are outside of the Church, and even those who are not in the state of grace can still receive actual grace. This is the means by which they will be moved to conversion, that is, to sanctifying grace.” Interested in more? Please open this link: GraceOutsidetheChurch
Materials for Grace Course!
Below is a PDF of copy of the classic theological treatise Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott. Check out the section on grace, pages 219 and beyond…
Thomistic Institute Videos!
For our course on grace we often made use of the good Dominican Fathers of the Thomistic Institute. From this video you can reach others of the Institute.
Songs of the Work link!
Here is a link to the audio recordings of some of St. Josemaria’s favorite songs: CancionesDeCasaAudio
PDF of Mark O’Donnell’s white paper: Evangelization in a post-Christian World!
A friend and brother of mine in Opus Dei reflects on personal apostolate in the workplace, arguing that love for Jesus and the Truth is the only way to an authentic witness to our Faith and effective improvement in real people’s lives and our culture in general. I took the editorial privilege to condense it a bit here. Enjoy and learn!
PDF of Fr. Andrew Moss’s Ad charisma tuendum and Opus Dei!
Here’ s a PDF of Fr. Andrew’s article that can be easily downloaded below. Many people have found it interesting! It is also embedded as a post on the homepage.
4 Temperaments Self-Test!
The link below will get you to an open-source a simple survey to see which of the classic Four Temperaments describe your personality. It’s fun and interesting, though I think most people are a balance of the four types…. (click on this link) Open Psychometrics Test
Let's Repent! 