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...]
Articles
Were Adam and Eve Bad Parents?
An Ancient Lesson for Modern Parenting
Were Adam and Eve bad parents? It may seem like a bizarre question, but the challenge of parenting plagues many Catholics who are striving to raise their kids in the Church. Each fall, parents drop their sons and daughters off at college, … [Read more...]
What Would Augustine Say?
From the days of Herodotus, in the fifth century before Christ, when in Book 1 of his Histories he had two sixth-century men, Solon of Athens and Croesus of Lydia, meet who chronologically could not have met, it has been appropriate for … [Read more...]
Forming a Community of Faith
Adult Catechesis in the Cultural Context of Pakistan
Catechesis is the systematic study of the history, nature, goals, principles, and process of deepening of Christian faith and doctrine. Catechesis is concerned with the process of growth in faith, the education of children, young people, … [Read more...]
The Difference Between Imperfect and Perfect Hope
Contrasting Aquinas and Luther
In this short essay, I ultimately seek to lay out a brief explanation of the mechanics of hope as a theological virtue, which must include its synergy with charity. First, I will emphasize that the Thomistic or Scholastic theology of hope … [Read more...]
To Live in His Kingdom
Maintaining a Spiritual Life With a Baby in Tow
I recently had lunch with a religious sister who was excited to meet my baby. This little girl is my first, and in the course of our conversation, the sister asked me how I keep up a spiritual life since my life had obviously changed in a … [Read more...]
The Son as Sacrament
The Eucharistic Poetry of John the Evangelist
The longer I have lived on this earth, the more I have fallen in love with the Eucharist and the sweet song of love it sings to me. As I drink in the Living Water of God’s word each day, I am swept away by the overwhelming flood of grace t … [Read more...]
Why Is the Gate So Narrow?
We know through the eyes of faith that God is to be seen through created things. We are called to see the innate dignity and uniqueness of each human person we meet, and the beauty of a landscape that points to the creative and wondrous … [Read more...]
The Simple Rule of Faith When Seeking the True Church of Jesus Christ
I have often been approached by simple ordinary folk who believe from even a surface reading of the New Testament that Christ did found a Church but are troubled and baffled by the obvious divisions among Christians — all claiming to know w … [Read more...]
Prayer as the Gateway to Mystery
For a Christian, mystery is reverenced as that hidden dimension in things, people, situations and life which is beyond time, place or physical description. We may understand aspects of this esoteric reality beyond us and we can appreciate … [Read more...]
Large Catholic Families as Prophetic Signs
The American fertility rate in 2018 was 1.7. The birth rate was 11.96. The American fertility rate in 2019 was, again, 1.7; the birth rate rose slightly to 11.99. “Fertility rate” is the average number of children born to a woman during her … [Read more...]
The Implications of the Priesthood of John the Baptist
One of the most famous depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus is that of German painter Matthias Grünewald. Grünewald’s most recognized work appears on the center-front panel (when wings are closed) of his polyptych masterpiece, the Ise … [Read more...]
Wisdom for Another School Year
As my holy namesake proclaimed, “It is good for us to be here” (Mt 17:4). So, what are we facing in our upcoming Catholic school year? Our Catholic Education Foundation has received consistent input from teachers, administrators, parents, an … [Read more...]
Thomas Merton’s Spiritual Mother
“What, the great Thomas Merton had a spiritual mother? I never heard of such a thing!” True, in all the literature about Merton there is no mention of his ever having had a spiritual mother. I believe, therefore, that the topic of this art … [Read more...]
Liberating Catholic Adolescents
Freedom is a prominent theme of the Second Vatican Council and the teachings of the Church in the modern world; it thus plays a significant role in the contemporary Church’s reflection on education. The Church does not merely wish to r … [Read more...]
Recent Comments