I'm James Stone. Biltrix is my blog. Learn more about me at https://biltrix.com/about-the-author/ Author: Biltrix

I'm James Stone. Biltrix is my blog. Learn more about me at https://biltrix.com/about-the-author/

All Posts by Biltrix

Dominus Flevit 5

New Evangelization • Tags: , , , , ,

Today, I decided to reblog an old post related to today’s Gospel reading on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. I added a simple but probably familiar poem at the end for further reflection on the transience of temporal things, which our liturgy invites us to consider this time every year as a perpetual reminder.

Shrine of Dominus Flevit overlooking Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives

“I am waiting for peace.”

“And what is peace?” I asked.

The store owner replied, “When the words of the Prophet in the holy book are fulfilled.”

Of course what he meant was, “When the world is converted to Islam.” More…

3 Lessons from the Divine Teacher 6

New Evangelization • Tags: , , , , ,

Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 20: 27-38) opens with a question aimed at tripping Jesus up. The first word out of the Sadducees mouth reveals how might have known better. Had they known better, they might not have tried to school the Master.

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying: Teacher,…
More…

God’s Mercy: Seeking Out What Is Lost 6

New Evangelization • Tags: , , ,

Today Jesus gives us his mission statement: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Christ's followers are also called to seek out what is lost

Christ’s followers are also called to seek out what is lost

In other words, Christ’s whole life was for others. Everything he did and said was aimed at bringing people back home to the Father’s house, back onto the path of true happiness.

That is still his mission, today. More…

Ask St Paul How the Lowly Are Exalted 6

New Evangelization • Tags: , , ,
Keep your eyes on the finish line

Keep your eyes on the finish line

“I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

More often than not, it is near impossible to find the connection between the second reading and the Gospel for Sunday’s liturgy. The reason for this is that, more often than not, there’s not one, because the liturgy of the word is designed that way. The first reading and the Gospel always have some connection: The Lord fulfilling an Old Testament prophesy, for example. The responsorial psalm, often echoes a sentiment from the first reading, to reinforce its message. But the second reading More…

Dilemmas faced by medical personnel during the SARS crisis 2

Bioethics • Tags: , , , , ,
Fr Joseph Tham

Fr Joseph Tham

Fr Joseph Tham is a Catholic Priest, has doctoral degrees in medicine and bioethics, and is a contributor to Biltrix. In this article he presents a four-fold model for assessing the medical professional’s role in society, based on some reflections ten years after the 2003 SARS epidemic.

In early September, I participated in a conference on “SARS epidemic: ethical reflection and prospects” in Hong Kong. The 2003 global epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome was particularly devastating in Hong Kong.  About 1800 people were infected, 300 of whom died, including 8 medical personnel.  The Bioethics Resource Centre of the Catholic Diocesan Committee for Bioethics of Hong Kong organized the education event with the sponsorship of different hospitals, nursing and doctor guilds. More…

Examine Your Prayer Life 7

New Evangelization • Tags: , , , , ,
Listening is as important as asking in prayer

Listening is as important as asking in prayer

Somewhere between faith and hope lies the virtue of trust, which among the three is perhaps the one that counts most on us.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), the Lord shows us how and where we can exercise and measure our trust. The measure of our trust in God reveals itself when we examine our prayer.

Jesus uses a parable to illustrate this point. More…

Faith, Obedience, and Gratitude — and something a little different for a change… 14

New Evangelization • Tags: , , , , ,


Has Sunday ever snuck up on you before?

That’s what happened to me this week, which is why this post is going to be just a little different, but I’m taking advantage of providence to share what’s on my mind regarding the Liturgy we are gradually walking into this time of the year. But first… More…

How Long Oh Lord! 14

New Evangelization • Tags: , , , ,

The prophet Habakkuk, in today’s First Reading, stresses the power of faith — he also gives us a clearer idea of what exactly faith is.

Habakkuk lived in the 6th century BC, when Israel had been conquered by the Babylonians and the majority of Jews had been deported. It was as if a hurricane, like Katrina, had swept over not just one city, but the entire country. Habakkuk is in the middle of it all, he sees the devastated city and countryside, strewn with corpses, burned and barren.

Habakkuk feels the pinch of poverty and destruction. And he does the most natural thing in the world: he complains to God about it:

How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but you do not listen! More…

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and the Consequences of Sins of Omission 14

New Evangelization • Tags: ,

We often hear people say that they will get to heaven because they haven’t committed any really, really heinous crimes.

“I’m a good guy,” they say, “I haven’t murdered anyone or sold weapons to terrorists.” This attitude is not a Christian attitude.

More…

Creative Ways to Give Christ Our Undivided Attention 15

New Evangelization • Tags: , ,

“No servant can serve two masters.”

Jesus wants our undivided  hearts.

He doesn’t give a third alternative. There are only two paths in life, the one that leads closer to Christ, or the one that leads away from him. More…