For July 5, July 12, July 19, and July 26 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 5, 2026 Readings: Zechariah 9:9–10 • Psalm 145:1–2, 8–9, 10–11, 13–14 • Romans 8:9, 11–13 • Matthew 11:25–30 bible.usc … [Read more...]
Magazine
St. Maria Goretti: A Saint in Need of Revisiting
Nearly everyone has experienced the principle behind the game of “telephone”: i.e. frequent repetition from one person to another lends itself to distortions. On a larger scale, this means that the most popular people, stories, etc. are oft … [Read more...]
Climbing the Mountain of Carmel
In the thirteenth century, a small band of lay hermits settled on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Israel. They were former pilgrims, merchants, penitents, and soldiers who wanted to live a simple, quiet life centered on the Gospels and … [Read more...]
Unfolding Grace: Summarizing and Comparing the Natural Law, the Old Law, and the New Law
Introduction St. Thomas Aquinas, in his summa theologiae, distinguishes three types of law: the Natural Law, the Old Law, and the New Law. While there are more laws than these, these particular laws each present not only truth and law, but … [Read more...]
The Angry Prophet and God’s Hesed
A Psychological Critique of Jonah
Historical questions aside, the book of Jonah lends itself to a plurality of interpretations and resists simple explanations. As with Job, one of the many messages of Jonah is that we do not know how God works.[1. One should recall Isaiah … [Read more...]
Maximizing the Benefits of Christ-Centered Counseling
Introduction Christ-centered counseling is a cyclical step-by-step procedure designed to initiate, promote, and maintain positive, healthy change. It holds out hope that gains made in counseling can be retained without serious backsliding. … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – July 2026
The Error of the Fundamental Option Theory Question One: What is the notion of the fundamental option theory in Catholic moral theology and why do we as Catholics reject it? Answer: The notion of the “fundamental option” emerged in mor … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – July 2026
Making Disciples: Catechesis in History, Theory, and Practice. By Alex Fogleman. Reviewed by Kayla Brion. (skip to review) Bread Grows in Winter. By Ida Friederike Görres. Translated by Jennifer S. Bryson. Reviewed by Rev. Dillon Vita. ( … [Read more...]
Homilies for June 2026
For June 7 (Corpus Christi), June 12 (Sacred Heart), June 14, June 21, and June 28 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – June 7, 2026 Readings: Dt 8:2–3, 14b–16a • Ps 147:12–13, 14–15, 19–20 • 1 Cor 10:16–17 • Jn 6:51–58 bible.u … [Read more...]
Priestly Ministry by Way of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Clergy today could use a boost. Ministerial demands, coupled with decreasing numbers, can be crippling. Diocesan demographic predictions and parish planning strategies show little relief in sight. It may sound like a diversion (or a … [Read more...]
Singing and Believing: Contemporary Communion Hymns and the True Presence
I remember as a child hearing our parish priest preaching about the many studies that show that a supermajority of those who call themselves Catholic do not believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. All this time … [Read more...]
Eucharistic Reverence
Introduction – The Silence Before the Mystery During the Church’s infancy, when the faithful gathered in the catacombs, they came not for a symbol or a story, but rather for the living Christ who had promised, “My flesh is true food and my … [Read more...]
Bring Back Communion Under Both Species
“It is vital, then, that you preserve your traditions without attenuating them, for the sake perhaps of practicality or convenience, lest they be corrupted by the mentality of consumerism and utilitarianism.” (Pope Leo XIV, Address to Par … [Read more...]
Reading the Book of Revelation: A Liturgical Cosmology Understanding
Before offering a liturgical synopsis of Revelation, it may be helpful for the reader to move through two “Reading Guide” sections: (i) General points in reading Scripture, and (ii) General points to remember in reading the book of Rev … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – June 2026
Retirement of Bishops and Popes Question: Why do Bishops have to resign at the age of 75? Why doesn’t the Pope have to resign at 75? Answer: The requirement that bishops submit their resignation at the age of seventy-five is a d … [Read more...]
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