For Jan. 1, Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, and Jan. 27. Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Jan. 1, 2019 Readings: Nm 6:22–27 • Ps 67:2–3, 5–6, 8 • Gal 4:4–7 • Lk 2:16–21 usccb.org/bible/readings/010119.cfm Spiritual Resolutions for … [Read more...]
Magazine
A God with Skin
Recapturing the Incarnational Nature of the Sacraments
January 1, 2019 by Mark C. McCann
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14) Since her beginning, the Catholic Church has been an incarnational institution, a B … [Read more...]
Believing and Praying
The Power of Homilies
January 1, 2019 by Dr. Ralph Martin, STD
It’s often been said that by reflecting on what we have received in the tradition of liturgical prayer we can discover what we believe; prayer as a source of doctrine. The reverse is also true. What we believe determines what we pray — or wh … [Read more...]
A Surprising Beatitude
Dashing the Little Ones upon the Rock
January 1, 2019 by Kevin M. Clarke
In a 2007 class on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesuit Fr. James Swetnam passed along to us two words of wisdom from German Biblical scholar Joachim Jeremias. The first word: read a chapter of New Testament Greek every day. Indeed, very wise … [Read more...]
The Noonday Devil
January 1, 2019 by Fr. William P. Clark, OMI
The ninety-first psalm speaks of “the scourge that wreaks havoc at high noon.” It also expresses confidence in God’s protection from that scourge, as well as other evils. Based on that psalm some spiritual writers speak of the “Noonday Devil … [Read more...]
The Enriching Complementarity of Faith and Science
January 1, 2019 by Fr. Raphael Christianson, OP
“By faith alone do we hold, and by no demonstration can it be proved, that the world did not always exist,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, implicitly making a claim about the proper relationship between faith and science.[1. Thomas Aquinas, Sum … [Read more...]
Happiness — A Thomistic Consideration (Part II)
Continued Reflections on Summa Theologiae I-II, Q 1–5
January 1, 2019 by Deacon Peter Trahan, MATh
Introduction to Part II The three pillars of Catholic social teaching, which springs from natural law and human nature, are human dignity, common good, and subsidiarity. Within societal structures with hierarchical poleis (e.g., federal, … [Read more...]
Mary Is Made for You
December 20, 2018 by Keith Berube
Sometime ago a priest gave what may initially seem a cryptic kind of homily. Personally, I have not heard a homily about Mary such as this, and yet this is precisely the homily that men need (and, by direct extension, what women need men) … [Read more...]
Answers Concerning the Charism of Healing
December 20, 2018 by Mary Healy
The recent article by my colleague Phil Blosser, “Questions Concerning the Charism of Healing,” gives me an opportunity to address the misconceptions, concerns, and fears that many Catholics have about prayer for healing and about the cha … [Read more...]
Happiness — A Thomistic Consideration (Part I)
A Reflection on Summa Theologiae I-II, Q 1–5
December 20, 2018 by Deacon Peter Trahan, MATh
Introduction At some point in the life of every human person the great questions arise in their ponderings: “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” These questions encompass the ultimate question of our own mortality: … [Read more...]
Finding Christ in the Beggar, Finding Christ in the Chalice
December 20, 2018 by Ann R. Morrill
If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice. – St. John Chrysostom.[1. Attributed to St. John Chrysostom, this may be a short paraphrase of Homily 50.4 on the Gospel of Matthew.] The m … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
December 20, 2018 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
The Meaning of Propitiation in the Bible Question: I have found several authors I consider to be orthodox disagreeing on the scriptural meaning of propitiation. One seems to understand it as Jesus placating God’s anger by this sacrifice. H … [Read more...]
Book Reviews for Winter 2018
December 20, 2018 by Book Reviews
Minor Setback or Major Disaster? The Rise and Demise of Minor Seminaries in the United States, 1958-1983 By Robert L. Anello, MSA. Reviewed by Fr. Scott Jones. (skip to review) One Beautiful Dream: The Rollicking Tale of Family Chaos, … [Read more...]
Homilies for December 2018
December 1, 2018 by Fr. Thomas Hoisington
For Dec. 2, Immaculate Conception, Dec. 9, Dec. 16, Dec. 23, Christmas, and Dec. 30. 1st Sunday of Advent – Dec. 2, 2018 Readings: Jer 33:14–16 • Ps 25:4–5, 8–10, 14 • 1 Thes 3:12–4:2 • Lk 21:25–28, 34–36 usccb.org/bible/reading … [Read more...]
A Spirituality of Advent
November 30, 2018 by David Vincent Meconi
Advent is a time of preparation. It has many parallels to Lent: we don the purple, we suppress the Gloria (awaiting the angels to sing it again for the first time at Midnight Mass), and we are given weeks to allow the Holy Spirit to prepare … [Read more...]
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