Real Philosophy for Real People: Tools for Truthful Living. By Fr. Robert McTeigue. Reviewed by T.S. Barbarossa. (skip to review) Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century. By Charles E. Zech, Mary L. Gautier, Mark M. Gray, Jonathon L. … [Read more...]
Finding God in Our Secular Age: Ignatian Insights
Ministry in Our Secular Age Any person who preaches regularly, and who is engaged in pastoral ministry in the Western world, does so under the invisible but all-pervasive influence of our secular age. The secular age is the … [Read more...]
Toward a Causal Account of Priestly Formation
A Reading of Pastores Dabo Vobis
Pope St. John Paul II published Pastores dabo vobis on March 25, 1992, when the Church celebrates the Annunciation, the initial moment of the Incarnation. No doubt he chose this date deliberately — and fittingly so. For when a man enters s … [Read more...]
Father, Receive These Gifts
Pope Francis, in his 2016 annual meeting of the pontifical academies, called for local parishes to be “oases of beauty, peace, acceptance.” This is consistent with the Church being “Mother of us all” (Gal 4:26) — a place where all can be fed … [Read more...]
In the Midst of a Pandemic
The Priesthood Is a Beacon of Light
For centuries nautical explorers traveled the earth seeking new lands and civilizations. For weeks and months, they sailed following their maps by day and the stars by night. Often they would find themselves in the midst of horrific storms … [Read more...]
Liturgical Lessons from the Pandemic
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the world has demanded swift and comprehensive adjustments to the daily life of the Church. Disruptions in the way we celebrate the sacraments, offer catechesis, and perform the works of … [Read more...]
Seeing as God Sees
A Catholic Approach to Pastoral Care for People Affected by Gender Incongruity
Late last December, Homiletic & Pastoral Review ran an article by Stephen Adubato titled “Understanding the Vatican’s Document on Gender Theory and Education.” The document he refers to was released by the Congregation for Catholic Educa … [Read more...]
The Confessional Prudence of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor and Patron of Confessors
During my priestly training, I had the privilege of studying moral theology at a university governed by the sons of St. Alphonsus, and in this environment, I grew to know and to love this saint, a doctor of the Church and patron of … [Read more...]
Accompanying, Discerning, and Integrating Weakness in Marriage
Chapter eight and its footnotes of Amoris Laetitia begins with the above title and has been pilloried extensively by much of the people of God’s thinkers due to some ambiguities in light of sacred Tradition. However, the title is a m … [Read more...]
Pastoral Care of Women Who Have Left the Convent
In the fall of 2014, I got on a train to enter the convent. I was happy and healthy, with an intact family, great friends, a list of accomplishments I was proud of, and no history of mental health trouble, having passed my psychological … [Read more...]
Well Directed — Lessons Learned
from Saint Paul
The Importance of Spiritual Direction in the Ministry and Mission of Evangelization in Light of the Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may … [Read more...]
Life in Peloton
A Reflection on Cycling and Priestly Fraternity
It is patently unthinkable that someone would attempt to win the Tour de France alone. This is the reason why cycling has always been a team sport. At the professional level, even teams are never solo; they come together to form a peloton, … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – January 2020
The Catholic Gentleman: Living Authentic Manhood Today By Sam Guzman. Reviewed by Austin Barnes. (skip to review) Still Amidst the Storm: A Family Man’s Search for Peace in an Anxious World By Conor Gallagher. Reviewed by Seth G … [Read more...]
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