If you are looking for a deeper understanding of Scripture from a trusted source, look no further then the Letter & Spirit journals. These journals are released annually by the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and are composed of articles by St. Paul Center founder Scott Hahn and numerous other leading names in evangelization today. Currently the series is up to eight volumes as listed below. Volume 1 – Reading Salvation: Word, Worship and the Mysteries Volume 2 –... Read more
St. Clement of Rome tells us that belief in the resurrection should come naturally. God has given us signs everywhere: in the day and night, in the way seeds disappear and grow into fruitful plants. We should contemplate the constant resurrection of the natural world and learn from its example. Think, dear friends, how the Lord continually proves to us that there will be a resurrection to come, of which he made the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising... Read more
When the church in Corinth was disturbed by factions, St. Clement, one of the earliest popes, wrote the Corinthians a gentle but firm letter reminding them that Christians should live together in peace and submission to the will of God. All of creation, he says, peacefully obeys God’s law, and we should learn peace and obedience from nature. The heavens turn, ruled by the Lord, and are peacefully subject to him. Day and night run along the tracks he made... Read more
St. Cyprian tells a group of Christian prisoners that their sufferings are earning them greater honors than the proud officials who confine them there will ever have. They have missed a whole year of changing seasons in the outside world, but their suffering brings them far better rewards in heaven. Forget the judges and governors. Let them puff themselves up with the symbols of their dignity, which lasts for only a year. The heavenly dignity in you is already sealed... Read more
PETE: With all the challenges men face today, many of which you point out in your book Journey to Heaven, what do you think is the biggest one facing men today? RANDY HAIN: My answer might surprise you! As I travel around the country and talk to Catholic men, I am struck by how overwhelmed they seem to feel. They are trying to manage their careers, provide for their families, spend time with their wives and children as well as... Read more
The world is a work of art displayed for our admiration, says St. Basil. When Genesis says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” it tells us that the world is a work of art, and it tells us who the artist is. Among the arts, some have production in view, some practice, others theory. The object of the last is to exercise thought; of the second, the motion of the body. If it ceases, everything stops—there’s... Read more
Whenever you see a flower or a blade of grass, says St. Basil, remember how transitory their beauty is—and remember that your earthly life isn’t much different. I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that everywhere, wherever you may be, the least plant may bring you the clear remembrance of the Creator. If you see the grass of the fields, think of human nature, and remember the comparison of the wise Isaiah: “All flesh is grass, and... Read more
The marvelous perfection of creation, where everything fits and works together to bring about God’s plan, should help us keep God always in mind, says St. Basil. If we remain ever aware of the beauty of God’s creation, we’ll give sin no opportunities. “And God saw that it was good.” God does not judge the beauty of his work by the charm of the eyes, and he does not form the same idea of beauty that we form. What he... Read more
This week Emmaus Road Publishing sponsors the CBB giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a copy of Journey to Heaven: A Road Map for Catholic Men by Randy Hain (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 8/01 with a winner being announced later that day. Good Luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway Read more
God speaks to us through Scripture and the Church. But God also speaks to us through our reason, says St. Augustine. The truth is God speaking to us, not through our ears, but through our minds. It is a great thing for a man, and a very rare one, after contemplating the whole creation, corporeal and incorporeal, and seeing how changeable it is, to pass beyond it, to reach to the unchangeable being of God, and—in that peak of contemplation—to... Read more
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