Of the many writings from the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, one stands out simply by virtue of its intriguing title — “Life: A Story in Search of a Narrator.”[1. P. Ricoeur, “Life: A Story in Search of a Narrator,” in eds. M.C. Doeser and … [Read more...]
What Is True Mercy?
February 26, 2020 by Rev. Kenneth M. Dos Santos, MIC
Is mercy merely the affirmation, allowance, or clemency an authority figure extends toward a subject — in light of the subject’s understanding of an act he or she desires to engage in given a specific circumstance? Or, is mercy something muc … [Read more...]
Conscience as Relationship, Part II
A Dialogue through Which God Takes Us beyond Ourselves
February 10, 2020 by Francis Etheredge
In the second of these two articles on conscience[1. See Francis Etheredge, “Conscience as Relationship, Part I: General Principles and Personal Experience,” Homiletic & Pastoral Review (Jan 2020), hpr … [Read more...]
Well Directed — Lessons Learned
from Saint Paul
The Importance of Spiritual Direction in the Ministry and Mission of Evangelization in Light of the Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul
January 26, 2020 by Fr. William Dillard
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may … [Read more...]
The “Female Diaconate” after the Amazon Synod
The Mystery of Human Sexuality in the Woman at the Well and the Vital Sacrament of Apostolic Succession
November 25, 2019 by Scott Pauline
In light of the recent Amazon Synod, the question of the female diaconate has once again been raised. It is more than obvious that novelty and change are today’s signs of progress. In the twentieth century, for example, scientific a … [Read more...]
Evil as Good and Good as Evil
September 11, 2019 by Brent Withers
“Woe to those who say evil is good and good is evil . . .” (Isaiah 5:20) The response of a person who has their conscience pricked will range from one of irritation to annoyance, impatience, anger, and, depending on the state of the ind … [Read more...]
Analogy of Analogies
The Joyful Mysteries as Image of All Human History
June 18, 2019 by Scott Pauline
A great tragedy occurred in salvation history in the so-called Enlightenment. An essential mammoth misfortune for this contrarily darkening age of the world, as well as, for that matter, the general period of thought and ideology between … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – May 2019
May 19, 2019 by Book Reviews
The Vatican in the Family of Nations: Diplomatic Actions of the Holy See at the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva By Silvano M. Tomasi. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review) The Papacy: What the Pope Does … [Read more...]
Christ’s Resurrection and Ours
April 20, 2019 by Audrey Yu
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory? (Lk 24:26) After the death of Jesus, it seems that even those who had been closest to Him were blinded by the pain of disappointment and despair. … [Read more...]
Probing the Creed
Pilate and Herod – Images of the Fall
April 20, 2019 by Scott Pauline
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. . . – Apostles Creed. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our t … [Read more...]
The Burning of a Cathedral
The Indestructible and Inconsumable Mysteries that Burn Within
April 17, 2019 by Deacon Thomas Baca
Flames ravage the iconic Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. A priest, along with firefighters, rushes to rescue the Blessed Sacrament as well as the famous relic of the Crown of Thorns. All of this on what might be called Holy or … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – March 2019
March 28, 2019 by Book Reviews
Servant of All: Status, Ambition, and the Way of Jesus By Craig C. Hill. Reviewed by Matthew K. Minerd, PhD. (skip to review) The Priestly Blessing: Rediscovering the Gift By Stephen J. Rossetti. Reviewed by Fr. John Cush. (skip to … [Read more...]
Christian Environmental Love
The Eucharist as Lamb and Predator-Prey Transformation
March 10, 2019 by Robert V. Thomann, DMin, PhD
The ambiance, the setting in which the human person lives, the “waters” in which we swim, is our “environment.” It represents the totality in which the human person lives, relates, and interacts. More than that, for the believer in a transce … [Read more...]
Aquinas as Biblical Exegete
His Interpretation of Paul’s “Thorn in the Flesh”
January 28, 2019 by Lawrence B. Porter, STL, PhD
No doubt Thomas Aquinas is most famous as a systematic theologian who made great use of philosophical sources such as Aristotle’s Metaphysics. Nevertheless, when Aquinas first taught at the University of Paris, he held the title of Magister … [Read more...]
Running in the Bible
Its Implications for the Christian Life
In the United State of America in the early twenty-first century, running is one of the most popular forms of physical exercise. Of these, today’s runners, one might ask: how many know that running has a significant place in the Bible? Many … [Read more...]