Dr. K’s Weekly Roundup, December 20, 2025

God is good all the time; it is our eyes that are bleary and shortsighted

What life is all about

Br. John Aidan Cook was a man who tried his Benedictine vocation at Norcia and Pluscarden, and wasn’t able to continue due to various strains. He was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and was advised that further treatment was pointless. Abbot Benedict of Norcia then visited him in Scotland and received his solemn vows as a monk when he could barely even stand. He offered his holy life to God for the salvation of souls, fortified by the sacraments and surrounded by the monks he loved. He is now buried at Pluscarden Abbey.

This is one of the most beautiful and edifying stories you’ll ever read. Please do take a moment to read it.

A great partnership is launched

You’ve probably heard by now that Mass of the Ages has joined forces with Pelican+. Cameron O’Hearn, Tony Shriner, Kennedy Hall, Dan Sevigny, and I met to talk about it the other night:

Watch full interviews

As many of you may know, when the Mass of the Ages team interviewed the people featured in the episodes, they did long-form interviews and then took just a few minutes from each. For example, they interviewed me in my living room for 4 hours, but used 14 minutes (and the same was true of all the other interviewees — that’s how it goes with documentaries that involve many, many people). However, the unabridged interviews are available in the vault, which is now on Pelican+. You can watch the first part of my interview here.

Liturgical Lessons

A key point for everyone to remember

Traditionalism is not just about “reverence” or “smells and bells.” It goes much deeper, as Fr. Matthew Solomon explains, in a charitable response to Phil Lawler’s second article on why he’s not a traditionalist (yet).

Fr. Solomon does something very valuable here, namely, explains why traditionalists must NEVER frame the discussion in terms of personal preference or (simply) experience.