“My Dove, My Perfect One”: How Canticle of Canticles 6:9 Reveals the Beauty of Mary
There is a moment in Scripture where poetry rises so high that it seems to touch heaven. A line so tender, so exalted, that the Church has always heard in it the echo of a woman unlike any other:
“One is my dove, my perfect one is but one,
She is the only one of her mother;
The daughters saw her and declared her blessed.”
— Canticle of Canticles 6:9
On the surface, the Song of Songs is a love poem between bridegroom and bride. But in the Catholic heart, guided by the saints and the liturgy, this verse unfolds into a luminous portrait of Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the masterpiece of God’s love.
When the Spirit Moves Fast: Discernment, Peace, and the Quiet Strength of the Church
Last night in our study group, something happened that reminded me how important it is to anchor ourselves in the Church when things get spiritually intense.
A young woman came in late, breathless from a nearby worship service, full of emotion, full of questions. She had recently felt what she believed were strong movements of the Holy Spirit. People had prayed prophetic words over her. She spoke quickly about visions, diamonds, denominations, and how God “can’t be boxed in.” Underneath her excitement, I could also hear confusion. A kind of spiritual whirlwind.
Then she shared something that shifted the whole room:
She used to read tarot.
She said this felt different now.
She knew—she thought—it was all from God.
When Peace Feels Strange: Learning to Live in the Grace God Sends
The other day I stepped back and realized something unusual was happening in my home. No yelling. No tension. No slammed doors. My son did his homework without pushback. Bath time didn’t turn into a wrestling match. Even my co-parent apologized about the “ladder issue” — something I didn’t expect but quietly thanked God for.
And the strangest part? I wasn’t fighting for this peace. It just… came.
After weeks of prayer, self-discipline, resisting temptation, and trying to become a man who listens instead of reacts, suddenly the whole atmosphere shifted. The air itself felt different — light, almost fragile. And instead of relaxing into it, I found myself feeling nervous.
Like, “Is this real? Should I brace for the next crazy moment?”
If you’ve ever lived in long-term tension, you know that peace can feel more threatening than conflict.
But I’m starting to learn something:
Know Your Shepherds: Discernment in an Age of Spiritual Noise
There are seasons in the Church when strange teachings start catching fire among the faithful — not because people are gullible, but because the world feels chaotic and Catholics desperately want clarity, certainty, and a sense of meaning. That’s why teachers who speak confidently about private revelations, timelines, hidden knowledge, or cosmic secrets can gain traction fast.
I know this firsthand.
“The Shiny Moment and the Silent One: Discernment in an Age of Spiritual Noise”
This week, something happened that I’ve been praying about ever since. I want to share it—not to judge anyone, but to reflect on what it taught me and about how easily we drift from the anchors Christ gave His Church.
On the same night a fellow member spoke about a sudden vision she received, I was sitting in Adoration before the Eucharistic Lord.
And for the first time in weeks, something unforced happened:
The Fathers, the Catechism, and the Interpretation of Revelation 20
The Catechism only treats Revelation’s millennial imagery in one key place:
CCC 676, which condemns all forms of millenarianism, especially teachings of a future earthly kingdom before the final judgment.
Key point: The Church rejects any literal, political, or earthly “era of peace” before Christ’s final coming.
The reason is that Christ’s Kingdom is already inaugurated through His Resurrection and is made present in the Church.
Checking Our Shepherds: A Gentle Warning for Catholics
I try not to jump on every controversy in the Church. We have enough noise, enough division, enough online theologians arguing in the comment boxes. But every now and then something crosses my path that makes me stop, pray, and say:
“Hey… we laypeople need to watch this.”
That’s where this reflection comes from.