A German law professor once gave his entire class the same written exam. The case was simple: Two neighbors were in a legal dispute. One had apple trees, and the branches hung over the fence, dropping apples onto the other neighbor’s tulip beds. The falling apples broke the delicate flower stems. Half the class sided with the tulip lover. The other half defended the orchard owner. They all quoted statutes, paragraphs, and showed off their impressive knowledge of German property law. But in the end, the professor pointed out one simple fact: Apples fall in the fall. Tulips bloom in the spring. The situation they had been analyzing so thoroughly could never actually happen. All protests were met with the professor’s calm response: “Before you start quoting the law, try using common sense.”
DAY 2 Meditation State of Purgatory MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN SUFFRAGE OF THE BLESSED SOULS OF PURGATORY Francisco Vitali For the signal... INITIAL SENTENCE O Mary, Mother of mercy: remember the children you have in purgatory and, presenting our suffrages and your merits to your Son, intercede so that he may forgive them their debts and take them out of those darkness into the admirable light of his glory, where they enjoy your sweetest sight and that of your blessed Son. O glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, intercede together with your Wife before your Son for the souls of purgatory. Amen. It is read about every day. DAY 2 Meditation State of Purgatory Although it is true that the Lord can condemn the souls of the deceased to purge the pain of their faults wherever they will please, it is also true that, in the center of the earth, there is a special place properly called Purgatory, where human spirits who are not yet sufficiently perfected to enter heaven are usually detained with serious …More
There is alignment, or at least tacit sympathy, between the Transalpine Redemptorists in Scotland and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, an anonymous priest of the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X (FSSPX) told TheCatholicHerald.com on 2 November. The priest doubts that they will try to work with the FSSPX, saying: "I think they have gone full sedevacantist. They used to be prior to their reconciliation in 2007." In a statement on 16 October, Monsignor Viganò praised the community for distancing themselves from the Church the previous day. He added that he offered the community "full support", whatever that may mean. On 24 October, the Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen stated that the Redemptorists' declaration was "incompatible with the Catholic sense of the Church's unity". He added that the Holy See was examining the matter. #newsVazwvbzsqk
NOVEMBER 2 ALL SOULS DAY breski1 The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed It is very significant and appropriate that after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Liturgy has us celebrate the Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed. The "communion of saints", which we profess in the Creed, is a reality that is constructed here below, but is fully made manifest when we will see God "as he is" (I Jn 3: 2). It is the reality of a family bound together by deep bonds of spiritual solidarity that unites the faithful departed to those who are pilgrims in the world. It is a mysterious but real bond, nourished by prayer and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Mystical Body of Christ the souls of the faithful meet, overcoming the obstacle of death; they pray for one another, carrying out in charity an intimate exchange of gifts. In this dimension of faith one understands the practice of offering prayers of suffrage for the dead, especially in the Sacrament of the …More
A businessman once bought a massive diamond in South Africa — about the size of an egg yolk. But his excitement quickly turned into disappointment when he discovered a crack running through the stone. Hoping for a solution, he took it to a jeweler for advice. The jeweler studied the gem carefully and said, “This can be split into two perfect diamonds, each worth more than the original stone. But one wrong strike could turn it into a pile of cheap fragments. I won’t take that risk.” Other jewelers in different countries gave him the same answer. Then someone told him about an old master jeweler in Amsterdam — a man with “golden hands.” The businessman flew there the same day. The old master examined the stone through his loupe and began to explain the risk, but the businessman interrupted: he had already heard this speech many times. The jeweler agreed to do the job and named his price. When the man accepted, the jeweler called over a young apprentice sitting nearby, his back turned …More
NOVEMBER 1 2025 THE GOSPEL breski1 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5,1-12a. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. "
"Against the Roman Church, you warned, lying teachers are rising, introducing ruinous sects, and drawing upon themselves speedy doom. Their tongues are , a restless evil, full of deadly poison..."