Calumny is a grave sin. Everyone deserves to be treated with charity. No one should have their reputation unjustly destroyed. Everyone has their foibles, their particular character defects, and it would be easy for us to use them to destroy someone’s reputation. All that we need to do in order to hurt someone else’s good name is to exaggerate their character flaws, making those blemishes appear prominent while ignoring all their good qualities, for this will easily make them appear... Read more
Christianity is a religion of forgiveness. Mercy and grace are offered to people so that they do not have to suffer the full consequences of their actions. This means, we are set free from a purely legalistic interpretation of life, one which views the world as a closed system, and every action must have an opposite and equal reaction. Grace opens up the system, so that the consequences of one’s actions do not have to be equal to the action... Read more
Jesus warned us not to be slaves to mammon. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon “(Mat. 6:24 RSV). By making wealth the absolute good, avarice has us relativize and turn away from all other goods if they do not help us attain riches for ourselves. Mammon leads us to despise God... Read more
Refugees deserve to be honored and respected, given protections so that they do not suffer or become penalized due to their status. Due to the circumstances they have found themselves in, they often have to disregard the rule of law in order to survive. Just as those who have to steal food in order to survive are not culpable for theft, refugees who have to disregard border laws in order to find safety should not be held responsible for breaking... Read more
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13 RSV). Both in what he said, and what he did, Jesus taught us the way of love. His life was the life of love; his word was the word of love. When he spoke, he spoke out of love. When he acted, he acted out of love. His words were verified by his deeds, even as his deeds were verified by... Read more
Christians used to know what it is like to live among the margins of society. Once, they had to deal with a semi-suspicious, semi-hostile government which considered them to be traitors to society. Governmental officials had Christians executed, thinking it would make Christians forsake their treachery and become good citizens of the empire. Many saw the situation as an opportunity; they used the rule of law to find ways to take property from the Christians and become wealthy at their... Read more
Knowledge of right and wrong is invaluable. Revelation helps us know what we cannot figure out for ourselves. Revelation also helps us learn things which, if we had the time and resources needed to explore them, we might eventually realize for ourselves, saving us time and effort so we can use our time to deal with other needs. Such knowledge is used by us in relation to the gnomic will, because it gives us information to use in our deliberations.... Read more
The discovery of over 200 remains of indigenous children in a mass grave at a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia has reminded everyone of the evils which Christians from many denominations, including Catholics, participated in during the 19th and 20th centuries. The residential school system was set up to separate indigenous children from their parents, indoctrinate them into a culture other than their own, and give them only nominal skills so as to make sure they remained beaten... Read more
Salvation is established by love. When we abide in love, we become united with God. “So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn. 4:16 RSV). It is love which purifies us and makes us whole. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses” (Prov. 10:12 RSV). Love heals the wounds of strife, restoring the bonds of unity... Read more
Just as the eucharist is often misunderstood, the meaning and value of eucharistic miracles are often misconstrued by well-intentioned, pious Catholics. Most of the time, eucharistic miracles refer to situations when the eucharistic species of bread and wine no longer appear as bread and wine but as flesh and blood. Another kind of miracle is when someone perceives a vision of Christ superimposed over the eucharistic bread. In either occasion, the miracle is meant to point out a truth about... Read more
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