For August 2, August 9, August 16, August 23, and August 30, as well as the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady (August 15) Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 2, 2026 Readings: Isaiah 55:1–3 • Psalm 145:8–9, 15–16, 17–18 • R … [Read more...]
Magazine
The American Proposition, Religious Liberty, and the Catholic Imagination
Few subjects have generated more misunderstanding among Catholics than religious liberty. For some, it is viewed as a purely American political concept imported into Catholic thought. For others, it is considered self-evidently compatible … [Read more...]
Defanging the Snake: Why Phone Addiction Demands Meaning, Not Mere Rules
In meetings of rectors, formators, and religious superiors, the same concern surfaces repeatedly: How do we regulate candidates’ use of mobile phones and electronic devices? Rules are proposed — designated usage times, restricted internet ac … [Read more...]
You Cannot Love Both God and TikTok
Governing our digital lives is among the greater challenges facing us as a species, as a Church, and as individuals. Because the Bible’s many books were written thousands of years ago, we might make the mistake of thinking that Sacred S … [Read more...]
The Homilies We Need
I have a confession: I have never heard a homily from the pulpit which I remember the next day. Now, granted, my memory is not great, so part of the fault is with me. But I don’t think I’m unique. Part of the problem might be that pre … [Read more...]
Short on Time: A Weekly Preparation Routine for Busy Preachers
Everyone is busy; schedules fill up quickly and priorities change for priests on a near-hourly basis. Sick calls, funerals, Pre-Cana preparation, school talks, meetings, meetings, and more meetings. Deacons and lay catechists … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – August 2026
What Do Muslims Believe About Jesus? Question One: Someone said on a podcast that Islamic theology is tied to a Christian heresy. How can this be the case? Answer: The emergence of Islam in the seventh century cannot be separated from … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – August 2026
Growing into God: The Fathers of the Church on Christian Maturity. By John Gavin, S.J. Reviewed by Fr. Joseph Briody. (skip to review) Plato and Christian Personalism. By D.T. Sheffler. Reviewed by Fr. M. Ross Romero, S.J. (skip to … [Read more...]
Homilies for July 2026
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...]
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...]
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