Dying With Christ

A Mystery Begun in Baptism and Perfected in Death

“What is essentially new about Christian death” — declares the Catechism — “is this: through Baptism, the Christian has already ‘died with Christ’ sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if we die in Christ’s grace, physical death co … [Read more...]

Clericalism: Problems Past, Present, and Future

I am a permanent deacon, married and with children; at the same time, I am ministering in my parish. When I was first ordained, I used to joke that I “had a foot in both camps,” as I seemed to be both laity and ordained. But in reality, we a … [Read more...]

Patristic Ressourcement in the Theology of the Priesthood

I. Introduction Recent years have seen a significant shift in how the people of God — both priests and lay faithful — have come to view the sacrament of holy orders, as well as the baptismal character of the common priesthood of all Chr … [Read more...]

The Our Father: Ladder to the Heavens

In my article previously published in HPR, “Overlooked and Underprayed: the Our Father,”[1. hprweb.com/2015/11/overlooked-and-under-prayed-the-our-father/] I tried to point out several unique and important characteristics of the prayer, the … [Read more...]

Overlooked and Under-Prayed: The Our Father

The Our Father is simple, easy to memorize and recite, and is thus, easily and often, very poorly prayed. I would say it is abused, is misused, and even is, shamefully, to the point of dishonoring the Lord, who personally gave this prayer … [Read more...]

The “Munus Regendi” of the Priest and the Vocation of the Laity

...the priesthood as a whole, but especially in its exercise of the office of governance, is exercised with the full flowering of the vocation of the laity in mind. The goal of the priesthood is a mature and well-formed laity that embraces … [Read more...]