For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. (Ephesians 5:23) He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. … [Read more...]
Magazine
The Mystery of Hell
As the world has moved towards a relativistic stance in relation to the existence of objective truth, then the idea of hell, and the full reality of this dogma, is not surprisingly something the secular world wants to be confronted with. If … [Read more...]
What is Authentic Intimacy?
This article is a response to a Protestant couple that disagreed with the Church’s teaching on the dignity of the marriage act. It was a pleasant evening and we were discussing some of the books I was reading. The topic of contraception … [Read more...]
Armageddon and the “Kings from the East”
Probing Deeper into the Meaning of Strife
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon that great river Euphrates; and dried up the water thereof, that a way might be prepared for the kings from the rising of the sun. And I saw from the mouth of the dragon, and from the mouth of … [Read more...]
Homilies for November 2017
Homily for the 31st Week in Ordinary Time—November 5, 2017 Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110517.cfm Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10; Ps 131:1, 2, 3; 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13; Mt 23:1-12 By Deacon Peter Santandrieu Is it possible to fol … [Read more...]
Now Is the Time
The Urgency of the New Evangelization
At the beginning of his pontificate, Saint John Paul the Great coined the term “new evangelization” to describe a great urgency facing the Church. Nearly forty years on, the use of the term is now widespread among Catholics involved in alm … [Read more...]
On the Lowly, Yet Vital, Importance of Chastity
A Response to His Excellency, Bishop Robert McElroy
The reader likely needs no introduction to the recent uproar in Catholic media regarding the rescinding of various speaking engagements previously granted to Fr. James Martin, SJ. Those particular waters are so contentious that I think … [Read more...]
St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Cardinal Newman
19th Century Prophets of Lay Spirituality
It is common these days to read of certain figures whose contribution to the Church in some way prefigured the reforms of Vatican II—e.g., de Lubac, Congar—but among them also are the figures of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, and … [Read more...]
Blessed Are Those
The Holy Mass as the Heavenly Wedding Banquet of the Lamb
Amongst the many images of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Catholic Christians are used to constantly thinking of the Mass as sacrifice, fellowship, and fraternal meal, yet few evoke such an intimate sense as that of a wedding feast. … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
Question: There has been a great deal of talk recently about the fact that Christians cannot be rigid, and that rigidity compromises mercy and the Gospel. The Pharisees are used as examples of this. Why is there so much emphasis on this, … [Read more...]
Autumn Book Reviews
Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2015), xi + 279 pp. Reviewed by Dr. Joshua M. Evans. Catholics and Protestants: What Can We Learn from Each Other? … [Read more...]
Homilies For October 2017
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time—October 1, 2017 Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/100117.cfm Ez. 18:25-28; Ps. 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Phil. 2:1-(5)11; Mt. 21:28-32 Religion and Faith Often the Gospels describe a confrontation between J … [Read more...]
Confession of Faith, Eucharist and Martyrdom
With Special Reference to Early Church Fathers of the East
Introduction[0. Paper presented at Theological Colloquium held at St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary, Trivandrum (Jan. 13, 2017). ] The Church of the first millennium was born of the blood of the martyrs: “Sanguis Martyrum - Semen Chr … [Read more...]
Further Dubia for the Confused
The Holy Father is given very special graces to guide the Catholic Church, being the successor of Peter. He is the vicar of Christ to which I adhere. Yet, when reading his latest exhortation, Amoris laetitia, I feel confused. In 1998, … [Read more...]
Under Eden’s Spell
I do not think my students understand Christianity…. Many (students in class) are denominationally Roman Catholic. Some are Protestant. While childhood years spent in pews watching the liturgy or undergoing initiation rites of one sort or a … [Read more...]















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