Jesus did many things in his temporal ministry from healing the sick, promoting those who have been unjustly oppressed (like the poor), to teaching everyone what God most expects of them, that is, to embrace the way of love. But we would be wrong to ignore that he also warned us of the consequences of unlove, of sin, if we continue to embrace it for perpetuity, that is, he warned us of the possibility of eternal perdition. God does not... Read more
There are many different reasons why someone could be homeless; no matter the reason, every homeless person should be treated with respect and given the help they need to get off the streets. Until such help is given, until they find themselves off the streets, not just with a temporary solution (such as a shelter which allows them to stay for only a few days), but a permanent one, they should not be pushed aside, or worse, fined or treated... Read more
We are called to be charitable with each other, but sadly, we often list our worst instincts get in the way of our charity. We let our worst thoughts and inclinations get the best of us, so that even minor things can end up leading us to be unjustly angry at someone else and wishing them harm. This is true, even if we have the best of intentions, even if we know we should be charitable, as two monks came... Read more
Jesus brings salvation wherever he is at. “Wherever Jesus appears, there is salvation. If He sees a revenue officer sitting in his office, He makes him an apostle and evangelist. Laid in the grave, He raises the dead to life. He bestows sight on the blind, hearing on the deaf.” [1] He overcame the power of sin, that is, the corruption and destruction it brings, so that those who have been wounded or paralyzed by it do not have to... Read more
Tolkien, examining what happened to Frodo, and how he failed in his mission, said that looking at Frodo only as a failure represented a simple engagement with The Lord Of The Rings. That is, while it was true on a rather simple examination of the story, there was and is much more we could and should gain from it if we used a different approach to engage The Lord of the Rings: Frodo indeed ‘failed’ as a hero, as conceived... Read more
Dioceses are consolidating parishes and going bankrupt in the United States. Catholic bishops should realize there is a problem and deal with it properly. They must accept that the institutional Catholic Church has mismanaged itself, as can be seen in the way it covered up sexual abuse, and now it is dealing with the consequences of its actions. They must regain the trust of the people by accepting those consequences and becoming more transparent about what happened in the past;... Read more
Christianity is a religion of hope. God loves us, and is ready to show us that love, helping us when we need it, while also giving us room to make of ourselves what we want. That is, God’s love grants us both freedom but also mercy and grace if we need them and are willing to accept them when offered. God does not force us to receive any help, but on the other hand, if we find the burden we... Read more
While the various Gospels might give slightly different details, they agree that many of his women disciples, unlike the men, continued to show some faith and trust in Jesus even in his death. St. Albert the Great said that this is why the women were honored by Jesus by making them the first messengers of the resurrection: “Indeed, everyone but his mother doubted, but the women less than the apostles. And for this reason they deserved to be the messengers... Read more
We are called to be temples of God, that is, to have God dwell within us. When that happen, as St. Antony the Great indicated, we will be able to be good. This is because when we have God dwell within us, we are able to participate in and share in God’s goodness: “Abba Antony said: ‘A man is never good, even if he wants to be good. Unless God dwells within him: ‘There is none good but one :... Read more
Freedom and human dignity are interconnected, which is why those who promote human dignity must promote liberation for those who are oppressed. We should want everyone to enjoy the freedom which everyone naturally possesses. Everyone, by nature, is good, and that goodness reflects the divine image which is in them. God is absolutely free; those made in the image of God reflect that freedom, giving them a relative, not absolute freedom, a freedom which allows them to make of themselves... Read more
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