Archives for 2022

Homilies for July 2022

For July 3, July 10, July 17, July 24, and July 31 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 3, 2022 Readings: Is 66:10–14c • Ps 66:1–3, 4–5, 6–7, 16, 20 • Gal 6:14–18 • Lk 10:1–12, 17–20  bible.usccb.org/bible/ … [Read more...]

Stir into Flame: A Response to the Survey Among Recently Ordained Priests

Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy is particularly encouraging to young priests. Being a young priest, I can relate to Timothy and his vocation to shepherd the people of God in the midst of challenging circumstances. Paul writes to e … [Read more...]

The Terminal State of Unbaptized Infants

Since the earliest centuries of the Church, Christians have debated the terminal state of unbaptized babies. (This paper will use the term “unbaptized babies/infants” to represent all who die without baptism and without the cognitive abi … [Read more...]

Solidarity in Suffering

Physical suffering is an unpleasant fact of life. Responses to a chronic disease can fluctuate from creative growth to self-pity. It can bring out the best or the worst in a person as well as sanctify or darken their soul. In other words, … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – July 2022

Roots of the Apostles’ Creed Question: In the Apostles’ Creed we profess: “On the third day he rose again from the dead.” What does it mean to say “again” in this context? Answer: The Apostles’ Creed has a long and pious tradition behind … [Read more...]

Book Reviews – July 2022

The Restless Flame, Daniel Lord, S.J.: Thinking Big in a Parochial World! By Stephen A. Werner. Reviewed by Steven R. McEvoy. (skip to review) The Scandal of the Scandals. By Manfred Lütz. Reviewed by Robert Rooney. (skip to r … [Read more...]

Homilies for June 2022

For Pentecost Sunday, Mary Mother of the Church, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul Pentecost Sunday – June 5, 2022 Readings: Acts 2:1–11 • Ps 104:1, 24, 29–30 … [Read more...]

The Wheat and the Tares

A Reflection upon Contemporary Priestly Formation

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the tares (13:24–30). Some tares had been sown by an enemy and grew up alongside the wheat. The wise owner of the field instructed his servants to let both grow together until the harvest “ … [Read more...]

Ministering Like the Prodigal Trinity

Deep into the weeds of Catholic social media, we can easily fall into the mindset of categorizing people as sinners. Whether the issue is abortion, racism, LGBTQ, gender or another lightning rod topic, we are often inundated with views on … [Read more...]

Eucharistic Competence

By Fr. Winfried M. Wermter C.O. Translated from the German by Dr. William R. Gallagher Introduction Nowadays people everywhere talk about competence. It is truly important that people be on familiar ground in their area of expertise, … [Read more...]

To Be Transformed by God and Others

The mission statement of the St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center in Tucson, Arizona, which is affiliated with the University of Arizona, is “To be transformed through an encounter with the Spirit of Truth and the Love of God.” Having bee … [Read more...]

The Eucharist: The Prima Via of Divinization

The current state of the Church in our contemporary age, and those salient points to which she sets her vision, would suggest that the Eucharist remains at the core of all her efforts and activity.[1. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Citta … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – June 2022

Can Holy Water Be Mixed? Question: Can you replenish holy water that you have for personal use by adding to it with regular water when it gets low? Answer: First it is important to discuss just what holy water is and what it signifies. … [Read more...]

Homilies for May 2022

For the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays of Easter, as well as Ascension Thursday Third Sunday of Easter – May 1, 2022 Readings: Acts 5:27–32, 40b–41 • Ps 30:2, 4, 5–6, 11–12, 13 • Rev 5:11–14 • Jn 21:1–19 or 21:1–14  bib … [Read more...]