Blogposts

God,the Blessed Trinity, Desires Our Friendship

05-10-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

In Rublev’s icon painting he depicts the three heavenly visitors to Abraham, reported in Genesis chapter 18, sitting at a table with a cup placed before them on the table. Rublev depicts the three as One Lord. Each holds a rod in his left hand, symbolizing their equality. Each wears a blue cloak, the color of divinity. And each face is the same, depicting their oneness.

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Addressing the Amnesia about the Evil of Communism - Go to St. Joseph

05-03-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

The Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Church contains the following about communism:

With the Encyclical Letter Divini Redemptoris, on atheistic communism and Christian social doctrine, Pope Pius XI offered a systematic criticism of communism, describing it as “intrinsically perverse,” and indicated that the principal means for correcting the evils perpetrated by it could be found in the renewal of Christian life, the practice of evangelical charity, the fulfilment of the duties of justice at both the interpersonal and social levels in relation to the common good, and the institutionalization of professional and interprofessional groups.

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Are We As We Want To Be Or As The World Wants US To Be?

04-26-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

We embrace prepackaged models, silently but forcefully “suggested” by a world that guides tastes, desires, and behaviors. Song lyrics enter everyday language, shaping the way we express ourselves and normalizing certain attitudes. Themes like easy success, money, instant pleasure, or superficial relationships are reiterated until they become familiar, almost inevitable. This isn't a direct imposition, but a slow habit that changes our mentality, especially among younger generations.

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Dangers of A La Carte Christianity...

04-19-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

We have heard the passage from the Acts of the Apostles (20:17-38) in which Saint Paul speaks to the presbyters of Ephesus, intentionally recounted by Saint Luke as the testament of the apostle, as a discourse destined not only for the presbyters of Ephesus, but for the presbyters of all time. Saint Paul is speaking not only with those who were present in that place, he is really speaking with us, so let us try to understand a little of what he is saying to us, at this time. [...]

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Some Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

04-12-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

What is the role of the free market (private sector)? There are good reasons to hold that in many circumstances the free market is the most efficient instrument for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs. A truly competitive market is an effective instrument for attaining important objectives of justice: moderating the excessive profits of individual businesses, responding to consumers’ demands, bringing about a more efficient use and conservation of resources, rewarding entrepreneurship and innovation, making information available so that it is really possible to compare and purchase products in an atmosphere of healthy competition.

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Words Every Catholic Should Know & Meditate on About the Eucharist

04-05-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

Transubstantiation: The Church makes use of this word in the Catechism to help us understand the meaning of the Holy Eucharist. A substance is what something is. Material substances have an outward appearance: color, weight, size, etc. In the Holy Eucharist bread stops being bread and wine stops being wine. The substance changes.

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