Here’s an interesting argument from St. Augustine. Against those who deny that we were created good, St. Augustine says that our very vices prove that our nature was originally good. Scripture calls those “God’s enemies” who oppose his rule, not by nature, but by vice. They have no power to hurt God, but only themselves. For they are his enemies, not because they can hurt him, but only because they will to oppose him. So the vice that makes those... Read more
Welcome back to “The Clergy Speaks”, a recurring feature here at The Catholic Book Blogger. “The Clergy Speaks” is a column focusing on one question I have asked various members of the clergy. That question is: What five books would you recommend as must-reads for Catholics today? I left the responses open to current or classic books with the only restriction being that the Bible and the Catechism could not be used as they are a given. This week we... Read more
The good things of this world really are good, says St. Augustine. But we shouldn’t desire them more than the better things of the next world. If the good things of this world lead us away from God, then they lead us toward misery. The earthly city, which will not last forever (for it will no longer be a city when it has been committed to the extreme penalty) has its good in this world, and rejoices in such things... Read more
PETE: What drew you to writing about Mother Teresa in your book The Love that Made Mother Teresa? DAVID SCOTT: To be honest, Mother Teresa never impressed me that much. I never paid much attention to her. If I did, I dismissed her as a kind a pious do-gooder. Like a lot of people, I “read” my way back to the Church. And the figure who brought me back was Dorothy Day. She had that radical conversion story, that deep... Read more
Why doesn’t God just get rid of the wicked now and let the righteous live in peace? Because, says St. John Chrysostom, the wicked are doing you a favor. By keeping you in spiritual shape, they do you a lot of good. And you can do them a lot of good, too. This is why God has left the wicked in the world: so that the good may shine the brighter. Do you see how great the gain is? But... Read more
Our sin is entirely our own fault, says St. John Chrysostom. But God loves us so much that he turns our disaster into an even greater good than before. Man threw away everything he had—his right to speak freely, his communion with God, his time in Paradise, his unclouded life—and went out naked, like a survivor from a shipwreck. But God received him and immediately clothed him, and taking him by the hand gradually led him to heaven. And yet... Read more
If creation is good, why are there poisonous plants? St. Basil reminds us not to suppose that our stomachs are the measure of everything. What is poisonous to eat may also be a vital medicine—which is as true now as it was then. In the rich treasures of creation, it is hard to select what is most precious; the loss of what is omitted is too severe. “Let the earth bring forth grass;” and instantly, with useful plants, appear noxious... Read more
This week Sophia Institute Press sponsors the CBB giveaway. One lucky winner will receive one copy of The Love That Made Mother Teresa by David Scott (you can read the review here). I use Rafflecopter to run my giveaways which makes it simple for you and me! Enter below. The contest starts at midnight tonight EST and will end 12AM EST Friday 8/15 with a winner being announced later that day. Good Luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway Read more
Light was God’s first creation, and God saw that it was good. This goodness, says St. Basil, is a kind of absolute beauty—not the beauty of harmonious proportions, but the beauty of pure joy, much like the beauty of God. “And God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:4). How can we praise light enough, after the Creator himself has given testimony to its goodness? Even among us, the word “good” or “beautiful” (the words are the same in... Read more
In his book The Love That Made Mother Teresa: How Her Secret Visions and Dark Nights Can Help You Conquer the Slums of Your Heart, David Scott looks at the life of this Blessed in light of Scripture. By referencing Scripture passages such as Matthew Chapter 25 he shows how Mother Teresa’s work brought the plight of the poor into public awareness. David also shares a few little known stories about her that paint a more complete picture of the... Read more
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