For March 5, March 12, March 19, March 20 (Solemnity of St. Joseph), March 25 (Annunciation), and March 26 Second Sunday of Lent – March 5, 2023 Readings: Gn 12:1–4a • Ps 33:4–5, 18–19, 20, 22 • 2 Tm 1:8b–10 • Mt 17:1–9 bible.usccb.or … [Read more...]
Archives for 2023
St. Joseph and Fatherhood
Originally delivered as a talk for the Diocese of Paterson Advent Day of Prayer for Priests, St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center, Madison, NJ on December 6, 2022. It is my privilege and pleasure to be with you today at the … [Read more...]
On Becoming A Joyful People
In Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis expresses his desire for spirit-filled evangelizers, ones who are full of “fervor, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction,” people who are eager to enter into an eva … [Read more...]
Magdalene in the Desert
By Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle Translated by Brandon P. Otto Note It is an ancient legend in France that, after the Resurrection, the “Three Maries” — Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacob (the mother of James and John), and Mary Salome — trave … [Read more...]
The Bride’s Response to the Bridegroom
Understanding the Call to Repent
How should one consider the question, “Should the Church repent”? It is a complex question when being considered in both the light of the holiness of the Church and in the darkness of the sinfulness of her members through pre … [Read more...]
God and Man in the Apocalypse of the Cross
The presentation of our holy faith is often hobbled by a failure to demonstrate the organic unity of its constituent parts, a problem much lamented by Pope Francis, who has observed that Christianity is frequently reduced to a “disjointed . … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – March 2023
The Challenges of Priestly Formation Question: How can the challenges of priestly realities be controlled within formation? Answer: Over the years there have been numerous documents approved by the USCCB for priestly formation in the … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – March 2023
Ponder: Contemplative Bible Study for Year C. By Mahri Leonard-Fleckman. Reviewed by Fr. Vien V. Nguyen, SCJ. (skip to review). Christopher Dawson: A Cultural Mind in the Age of the Great War. By Joseph T. Stuart. Reviewed by Thomas V. … [Read more...]
Homilies for February 2023
For the Fifth Sunday, Sixth Sunday, and Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time; Ash Wednesday; and the First Sunday of Lent Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time – February 5, 2023 Readings: Is 58:7–10 • Ps 112:4–5, 6–7, 8–9 • 1 Cor 2:1–5 • Mt 5:13–16 … [Read more...]
The Theology and Heart of Benedict XVI
Adapted from Theology as Prayer: A Primer for the Diocesan Priest, by Rev. John P. Cush and Msgr. Walter R. Oxley (Omaha, NE: Institute for Priestly Formation, 2022). I remember meeting Cardinal Ratzinger on the street when I was a … [Read more...]
Pope Benedict XVI Has Found What He’s Been Looking For
In a relatively recent children’s animated movie sequel, “Sing 2” (yes, the sequel to Sing!), the producers succeeded in getting the famous lead singer “Bono” (from the band U2) to be the voice for the main hero of the movie. Bono is voice-o … [Read more...]
Before and After the First Papal Tweet
How Benedict XVI Promoted “Communio” in a World of Social Communications
Originally presented at a conference on “Catholicity as Gift and Task” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Communio, at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry (Rochester, NY) on October 2, 2022. The historic date was 12/12 … [Read more...]
Hedging the Heart
Five Preconditions of an Authentic Human Formation
Human formation — that pillar of seminary life often affirmed and rarely understood. Certainly, we believe it to be the basis of all priestly formation, and remain convinced by the words of St. John Paul II: “The priest should mold his huma … [Read more...]
The Patterns of Heavenly Things
Sacredness and Beauty in the Liturgy
The history of the Catholic Church has produced an extensive tradition of sacred art, especially in the fields of painting, music, and architecture. Although this tradition has expanded and diversified over time, with variations across … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – February 2023
God “Breaks Into” Time Question: Why do we say that God is breaking into human history when speaking of Jesus? What is God breaking into? The Heaven-Earth divide? Answer: This term, which comes to us from contemporary theology, is act … [Read more...]
Recent Comments