Magazine

Here is The Victim Who Vanished in Word

A short time ago, in the Maryland countryside, a priest the humble folk say bears a resemblance to Maximilian Kolbe turned on the ignition of his old silver pick-up and eased out of the parking lot of his St. Michael’s parish. He shifted i … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – April 2023

Did Jesus Suffer for All Sins? Question: There seems to be a way God suffers for souls in sin on earth (related to atonement), but it seems that it cannot be said that God suffers for souls in hell nor for fallen angels. Can you clarify … [Read more...]

Book Reviews – April 2023

The Order and Division of Divine Truth: St. Thomas Aquinas as Scholastic Master of the Sacred Page. By John F. Boyle. Reviewed by Sr. Mary Micaela Hoffmann, RSM. (skip to review) Twelve Great Books: Going Deeper into Classic Literature. … [Read more...]

Homilies for March 2023

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...]

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...]