When Karl Marx put forth his philosophies on the ruling class and the working class, he framed his argument in terms of “the oppressor” and “the oppressed.” It wasn’t long before this way of thinking not only caught on and gave rise to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, but also…
May’s Lecture “WWMD?”
In the mid 1990’s, if you wandered into any convenience store or supermarket in America, among the gum and candy and lighters and other impulse buy items at the checkout you would see an array of different-colored “WWJD” bracelets. The “What Would Jesus Do” phenomenon swept the nation, alongside Beanie…
January 2024 lecture — “Conflict of Truth”
In 1899, a young Dutchman named Anno entered the Carmelite novitiate. He enjoyed the austerity, silence, fasting, prayer, and especially the study. Anno also encouraged other students to write articles on faith-related topics and submit them to magazines and newspapers, and eventually he got enough students writing that he started…
December Lecture: “Pagan Lands” by Brother Mike LaMorte
When the Spanish arrived in the middle of the 16th Century in what is now Central Mexico, what they saw was shocking. Cortez and his companions found that the Aztecs had created a complex system of government and sprawling urban centers. The cities hosted dramatic musical and theater performances as…
November Lecture: “Warning Labels” delivered by Brother Mike LaMorte
“This bag is not a toy.” “May contain peanuts.” “If side effects occur, discontinue use and consult your doctor.” “Handling this product will expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.” Everywhere we look, we…
October Lecture: “Hope” delivered by Brother Richard Wade
October is the month of the Rosary. We have done a great job working our way through the three divine virtues. We first discussed the virtue of Charity, the founding principle of our order. We also discussed the virtue of Faith, recalling that faith is an enabler that allows the…
September lecture: “Seed of Christians”
In the spring of 1682, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Kara Mustafa, had a great opportunity to expand his empire. The Protestants and Catholics were fighting in Hungary, and the Protestants came to him and asked for help. So with 200,000 troops, Mustafa swept through Hungary and set his…
August Lecture: “Out of Water” presented by Mike LaMorte
One of my favorite hobbies is fishing. I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid. I can spend all day fishing, I don’t care if it’s hot, cold, or rainy. I don’t even care if I catch anything. Call me crazy, but I love the challenge of outsmarting something…
June lecture: “Faith”, delivered by Brother Richard Wade
Brothers, please reach into your pocket and pull out your rosary. For those of you who don’t have a rosary in your pocket, why not? When we entered our order, we made a promise to ourselves in the silence of our heart, to carry it with us always and pray…
“Read the Manual” delivered by Brother Mike LaMorte
There are few things that bring a smile to a man like getting a new power tool. We eagerly open the box, tear through the packaging, set all the accessories in a pile, and without even plugging it in we immediately start pushing all the buttons, twisting the knobs, and…