The three kinds of intelligence St. Gregory of Nyssa remembers the opinions of his sister, St. Macrina, whom he always calls “the Teacher,” on a famous passage in Philippians. She inter– prets St. Paul as referring to the three kinds of intelligent beings, all of which will eventually praise Christ. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and... Read more
Mike Aquilina is the award-winning author of more than forty books on Catholic history, doctrine, and devotion. His works have been translated into many languages. He has hosted nine television series and several documentary films and is a frequent guest on Catholic radio. Mike and I recently discussed his book Take Five: On-The-Job Meditations with St. Ignatius. You can read my review of the book here. PETE: Work can have a different meaning for everyone based upon their job. Some,... Read more
We exist because God knows us God has angel messengers, says St. Augustine, but they do not bring him information he does not already know. Instead, they learn the truth about their own lives from God. All of us—humans and angels—exist only because God knows us. Doubtless God has messengers, namely the angels—but not to bring him news of things he does not know about, since there is nothing he does not know. But their good lies in looking into... Read more
All things have being through God St. Augustine presents a hierarchy of living beings, from plants through angels, and shows us how all those things, no matter how noble or complex, can only have their being through God. In doing so he incidentally gives us a good description of how angels compare with other living beings. Whatever we’re thinking of—whether it’s the whole world, its shape, qualities, and orderly movement, and all the objects in it; or whether it’s all life,... Read more
We’re not the only intelligent life We tend to place humanity rather proudly at the top of all creation. The Fathers had a more modest and more realistic view. Yes, man is intelligent, but we’re not the only intelligence. There are beings above us as well as beings below us. Only God is unique. The Son, therefore, is the only and true God, for this also is assigned to the Son as his sole right. It cannot accurately be said of any... Read more
This week we have two titles to give away! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Redeemed by Grace: A Catholic Woman’s Journey to Planned Parenthood and Back by Ramona Trevino and sponsored by Carmel Communications marketing firm of Ignatius Press (you can read the review here) and will receive one copy of Take Five: On-The-Job Meditations with St. Ignatius by Mike Aquilina and sponsored by Lambing Press (you can read the review here). I use Rafflecopter to run... Read more
One year ago we embarked on a journey through Paul Thigpen’s book A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God. Two years ago we worked our way through Mike Aquilina’s book A Year with the Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living. I was able to do this through the generous support of my friends, Mike Aquilina, Paul Thigpen and publisher Saint Benedict Press. I hope you have gotten as much out of these past 730 days as I have.... Read more
There are a countless number of saints we can use as our example on the journey. Saint Ignatius of Loyola is one such example and a fine one to learn from at that. Ignatius led a life of consumption from goods to women to alcohol. He knew how to party and live the secular life to the full. This all changed after a debilitating war injury led him to God. Upon discovering God and realizing he had been wasting his... Read more
Hymn to the Mother of God The Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God dates to the seventh century and comes from the Eastern liturgical tradition. Many consider it to be the queen of all hymns to Our Lady. Here is a short portion that overflows in rich imagery calling for careful reflection. In honoring your maternity, Mother of God, we exalt you as the living temple. For the Almighty Lord who holds all things in his hands, the One... Read more
Review by Julie Abell I picked up this book to read, Redeemed by Grace: A Catholic Woman’s Journey to Planned Parenthood and Back, because I needed to try to understand what goes through the head of someone who works at Planned Parenthood. I needed to hear what made them decide that it was a wholesome place to work. Ramona Trevino was just the person to enlighten me and then she answered my next question which was “What makes them leave?”... Read more
The Catholic Book Blogger
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In