The distance between our humanity and the divinity of God is so incomprehensible that to begin to try and imagine this distance through the eyes of faith, is to catch a glimpse of the unfathomable power of God, and immensity of his love for … [Read more...]
Articles
The Solemnities of June
Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This June is a very solemn month. There are six solemnities on the liturgical calendar: Pentecost Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. … [Read more...]
Peter, Mary, and the Cross
An Examination of the Ecclesiology of Von Balthasar’s Dialectic
Hans Urs von Balthasar has proposed that a dialectic, or “reciprocal relationship,” exists between the objective and subjective holiness of the Church—represented by the persons of Peter and Mary—which he associates with its institutional an … [Read more...]
Preaching the Homily and the New Evangelization
Preaching in all its forms is indispensable to the Church’s mission given to her by Jesus Christ: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching the … [Read more...]
On Understanding Priestly Celibacy: A Suggestion
Discussion has recently arisen about priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church. Such discussion is not new. This time the discussion involves a pope, Pope Francis. The discussion springs from an interview with Eugenio Scalfari (published in … [Read more...]
Prayer As Bedrock for Service
Although prayer and service have many splendors within Christianity, one cannot exist without the other. Prayer is spiritual respiration to the soul, which oxygenates Christian service. Pope John XXIII said, “Perfume all your actions with t … [Read more...]
The Beauty That Beckons Us
An Introduction to the Theology of Fr. John Navone, S.J. (Part 2)
(As HPR’s way of honoring the lifelong work of our brother Jesuit, Fr. John Navone, S.J., we are running an essay in two parts by Gonzaga University’s Dr. Cunningham. See the previous issue for Part One.) Part Two Conversion John Nav … [Read more...]
Theology of the Body: Insights for the Synod on the Family
Introduction The upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family, in October 2015, faces a huge challenge. The preparatory document for the synod reminded us that many families find themselves crushed and abandoned. [1. Holy See, "The Vocation … [Read more...]
The Meaning of the Wilderness
It is characteristic of God in Scripture to lead chosen people into the isolation and barrenness of the wilderness or desert.[1. One author calls it “one of the most basic in biblical tradition, and it is to be expected that it should a … [Read more...]
The Thrill of Anticipation: Encountering God in the Eucharist
How Previous Ages have seen the Eucharist At one point during the Communist takeover in China, the Communists came to a remote village where Catholicism was lived with great vigor. They imprisoned the local priest in his own rectory, … [Read more...]
“The Indelible Mark”
Sacramental Character in Patristic and Scholastic Theology
The history of the development of doctrine is, in many ways, a history of language. It is a story of the perpetual struggle to adequately communicate the divine realities in human words, or at the very least, to attempt to do so without … [Read more...]
Promoting Devotion to Wisconsin’s Approved Marian Apparition among Catechists
Parish religious education programs will soon be gearing up for another year of instructing children in their religion. Parents have registered their children; curriculums and lesson plans are being drafted, and catechists are being … [Read more...]
Dean Koontz’s Odd Catholicism
When EWTN aired Raymond Arroyo’s first "World Over" television interview with Dean Koontz on October 18, 2012, many viewers were surprised to learn that the author of over a dozen #1 New York Times bestsellers is a practicing Catholic. The l … [Read more...]















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