As we get closer to Christmas, Jesus is inviting us to recognize the reality of his becoming man to save us from our sins. Christmas reminds us of the incarnational nature of our faith. God is Spirit, but as humans at the horizon between the spiritual and the material, God also speaks to us through material reality. In spiritual life, this comes out particularly in popular piety. Popular piety refers to the devotions that are common among the Christian faithful.... Read more
What meaning does your life have? We are often unaware of how many lives we touch. It is one of the reasons I have always enjoyed the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. The main character, George Bailey, gets himself into a real financial crunch. He comes close to despair, and, near the beginning of the movie, we see him staring down from a bridge into an icy river. God intervenes in his moment of desperation by sending an angel named... Read more
Noise can keep us from hearing what is most important. The noise of the world can easily suck us in and distract us from what is truly important. In a noisy world, we need prophets like John the Baptist to wake us up and call us back to our senses. “John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk. 3:3). How do we escape the noise of the world... Read more
Recently, I heard the story of Jason Evert’s recent trip to Australia. Jason is a well-known chastity speaker. Schools often invite him so that he can share a pro-purity message to their students. His recent trip to Australia, however, was met with some fierce opposition. Resistance to a Pro-Chastity Message Some parents, especially mothers, were concerned about Jason giving antiquated messaging regarding sexuality to their young girls. They had raised them to be “strong and independent,” not to fit into... Read more
At the end of each liturgical year, the readings of the mass of Christ the King invite us to contemplate the end things, which refer to ancient prophecies and the redemptive mystery of the life of Christ. This year, Daniel’s prophecies prepare us to receive Christ as King. Dreams of the Messiah We remember Daniel primarily for his role in the lion’s den. It might be too easy to forget that Daniel was also a prophet who could see the... Read more
We can do things in a new and innovative way. In the language of the Second Vatican Council, we could call this “reading the signs of the times.” Too often, we might stay in the past and do things as in past days. However, we have an opportunity to play chess instead of checkers. When George Weigel looked for a title for his biography of Pope John Paul II, he settled on Witness to Hope. This man who had come... Read more
Today’s liturgy reminds us of the value of some everyday believers who gave everything they could: the two widows who chose to practice trust and obedience. These are helpful themes as the year begins to draw to a close this November. November has many themes. We might be thinking of Thanksgiving and family get-togethers as we roll into the holiday season. The liturgical year will also draw to its close with the great Solemnity of Christ the King at the... Read more
To understand Galileo’s struggle with the Church, we must understand the conflict about religious truth after the Protestant Reformation. In the sixteenth century, the Church was still reeling from the Protestant Reformation. When Luther attached his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, he lit fires of discontentment and challenges to traditional Christianity that rocked Europe. The Church responded with the Council of Trent. Truth and the Canon of Scripture In response to the actions of Martin Luther, the... Read more
Christianity is about more than morality. Mahatma Gandhi was once asked about his thoughts on Christianity. In response, he drew a stone from the river next to him and broke it open. Inside, the rock was dry. He said, “I think Christians are kind of like this. You live in the midst of a wonderful set of teachings, but you do not let it penetrate your hearts. So, you live as if you were not Christians.” First Commandments In today’s Gospel... Read more
Scientists do science and theologians do theology, right? Galileo was one who broke the mold. His controversy of promoting the Copernican theory that the earth orbited the sun rocked the Church world. At the same time, he helped revolutionize the way Churchmen would look at the Bible. The Inquisition accused him of dismissing Aristotelian astronomy; yet he actually ended up teaching them a few things about theology. Avoiding Literalism In 1615, Galileo was working on a treatise explaining tidal movement... Read more
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