Happy Independence Day to you all! Political self-determination is a human necessity because it gives scope to love. Mark Helprin in one of his novels calls America the “ardent unlimitedness.” Let us always be grateful for the limitless American mission to see and honor the dignity of every human life and to pursue that mission more earnestly today than we did yesterday. That mission is our glory and our judgment. Last year, I posted this for Massachusetts Citizens for Life... Read more
When we read the Bible, what are we looking for? Clarity? Instruction? Inspiration? Whatever we seek, that is what we will find. Read more
I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world [cosmos] wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in [have faith in, entrust themselves to] me; about righteousness [what God deems just], because I am going... Read more
In the grand arc of Scripture, we see again and again that there are two heads of households that vie for dominion over every person: the Good Father and the Father of Lies. Reading the Scriptures through this frame opens up a wealth of deeper understanding. Read more
This Triduum that just passed, I was abundantly blessed to be able to hear the words of the sacred liturgies with newly attuned ears—ears become familiar, for the first time, with an anthem that the disciples would have known by heart. Recognizing the themes and allusions in Jesus’s words and actions, they would have received a much richer understanding than most of us can glean from our modern perspective and superficial biblical knowledge. And thanks to a most incisive lecture... Read more
To continue the series on ways of deepening our relationship with the Holy Spirit, I have been doing quite a bit of research into charismatic renewal and prayer groups over the past couple of months. One thing I discovered is how fraught with negative connotations that word “charismatic” is for many people. For some, their experiences with “charismatics” conjures up word associations such as “crazy,” “hucksters,” “cultish,” and even “abusive.” And they have gut-wrenching true stories that make those associations... Read more
The Holy Spirit will not allow Himself to be used. God never acts like a genie at our beck and call. When we seek the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we must be inviting God to use us, with no expectation that we can use Him in return. Read more
Most of the Passion of Perpetua is told in her own voice, written by her own hand, completed the day before she faced the beasts in the arena in Carthage. This makes her one of the few women in history to explain for herself the circumstances of her own martyrdom, and certainly the most ancient. Read more
Jürgen Moltmann’s book on eschatology, The Coming of God, came to my hands again recently. Fans of The Good Place (which we all should be!) will have spotted the theologian’s name, indeed this book title, on the chalkboard of Chidi’s red-booted friend. In his Preface, Moltmann makes the point that eschatology really should not be thought of as the end of all things, but as rather, finally, our true beginning: “In the end is the beginning.” And, it’s true, eschatology... Read more
Why are we starting off a series about inviting the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our hearts with a discussion about consecrating ourselves to Mary? Read more
Beyond All Telling
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