4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: God’s covenant promise
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12–13 / Psalm 146:6–7, 8–9, 9–10 / 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 / Matthew 5:1–12a In the readings since Christmas, Jesus has been revealed as the new royal son of David and Son of God. He is sent to lead a new exodus that brings Israel out of captivity to the nations and brings all […]
Whither our children: Prodigals or ‘nones’
In “Soul Searching” (Oxford University Press, $22.95), their 2005 book studying the spiritual lives of American teenagers, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton had a harsh assessment of Catholic parents. They said the religious engagement of Catholics teens, which they described as “fairly weak,” reflected the religious apathy of their parents. Their rule of thumb […]
Marriage is a gift from God that benefits everyone, pope says
Marriage is not a ceremony, a social event, a mere formality or an abstract ideal, Pope Francis said. Marriage, according to Christian revelation, is a gift from God that joins a man and woman together so that “the two shall become one flesh,” and “what God has joined together, no human being must separate,” the […]
Are the Saints Alive or Dead?
Many non-Catholics struggle with the concept of praying to saints because they think prayer and worship are the same thing. Since the Bible says we should only worship God, then shouldn’t we only pray to God? But the word “worship” refers to giving someone “worth-ship,” or the honor that person is due. We call judges […]
Immagini Sacre: Memoirs of a Forgotten Faith
Discussion today about pre-Conciliar Catholicism generally centers on the sacred liturgy, the flash point for discussion about the place of the Church’s traditional liturgical rites in our own day. What we often forget, however, is that there was an entire extra-liturgical pietistical tradition that fell by the wayside after the Council as well. A prime […]
When, Lord?
Two major questions beginning with the word “when” occur toward the end of Matthew’s Gospel. One deals with “when” the end time will occur and the coming of Jesus will take place (Matt. 24:3). The other arises in the description Jesus makes of the final judgment (Matt. 25:31–46), “when the Son of Man comes in […]
We Are Sent Forth: All Are Apostles
There are many words that are more than mere words. The words of the Holy Mass are such, being fraught with a power and purpose that flies far beyond immediate meaning. Some command miracles, such as the words of consecration. Others command missions, such as the celebrant’s dismissal when the Mass is ended. The end […]
What the Sacraments Really Are
Too many times we are trapped by our metaphors, and I’d like to try and dilate our vision by coming at the idea of sacraments from a couple of angles. The metaphor operating for most people about sacraments is that they “contain grace.” Containers are of various kinds: bottles contain beer, cans contain paint, gelcaps […]
Course on St. Thomas Aquinas for Beginners
In Catholic circles, it has become trendy to ‘live liturgically’—we see more and more blogs, Instagram posts and products helping us to bring the Church calendar into our daily lives, integrating our habits and customs with the seasons and feasts of the Church. In many ways, this trend is beautiful– it helps us to live […]
‘Through a Glass Darkly’: The Deep Theology Behind St. Paul’s Phrase
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. – 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul’s famously poetic statement about the difficulty of knowing God in this life says a lot more than at first meets the […]