Christians are called to peacemakers, but to do that, they must not confuse peacemaking with doing nothing to confront the forces of darkness and injustice, that is, the forces of sin. They are to be bridge-builders, doing what they can to restore what sin has broken apart or destroyed. They are to work for and promote justice, doing so without falling for some new form of injustice themselves. This is why they must not embrace retributive justice as a means... Read more
While we tend to think of Judas in hindsight, that is, as the one who betrayed Jesus, it is important to remember he was also an apostle, chosen by Jesus. Indeed, as Sergius Bulgakov reminds us in his examination of Judas, Judas even loved Jesus. We must not think of Judas merely as a villain, as someone who came to Jesus with false pretenses, with the express purpose of betraying Jesus. Bulgakov put it succinctly: despite his betrayal, Judas was... Read more
One of the most frequent responses I have been given by many American Christians when I ask them about what Trump plans to do with migrants and refugees is that they deserve what is coming to them because they are criminals. That is, they claim, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that all Trump wants to do is deport all migrants who are here illegally, and that because they are here illegally, they are criminals who deserve to be... Read more
Too many Catholics misunderstand the eucharist, not because they reject the real presence, but because they have ignored the main purpose of communion. We are called to share in the life of Christ, to have Christ residing in us (and us in Christ), which happens when we partake of the eucharist. The eucharist is spiritual food; we are told to eat it. Jesus did not tell us to set it aside in some corner and have it act as some... Read more
It is impossible to study patristic theology, to study the teachings of the early church mothers and fathers, without recognizing the tremendous influence Origen had on the development of Christian thought. Origen taught and inspired many who came after him; indeed, even those who would criticize some of his speculative theology would, in order circumstances, find themselves studying what he said and applying it in their own writings. Both Theophilus of Alexandria and St. Jerome, known for their crusade against... Read more
We are to look after and care for the living. Yes, we are to learn from the past, but we must not become so attached to it, for if we do, we become, as it were, one of the living dead. We must live in the present which, embracing those who are alive now and engage them instead of just focusing on the past and those who came before us. The past is behind us, and even if those in... Read more
On the feast of St. John Chrysostom, it is important to remember the reasons why he was recognized as a saint, but also to keep in mind the things which he did wrong and not ignore them. He was, like many in his time, struggling to understand the implications of his faith as it is put in practice; he could, and often would, speak on social justice issues, criticize the powers that be. Many times, he preached to comfort Christians... Read more
I’m not going to leave. I am not going to let myself be forced out. I am going to stand and fight for what is right and just. I am going to speak my mind. This is what my conscience tells me to do. This is where I stand in regards the institutional Catholic Church (especially in the United States). It is also where I stand in regards the United States itself. Likewise, it is what I plan to do... Read more
The Apostle Paul, after being freed by grace from the chains of sin and the way it impeded his spiritual development, declared himself to be a prisoner of the Lord. What a strange thing to say! It sounds as if he went from one kind of unfreedom to another. Yes, the Lord is good, and so a far better master than sin, but when Paul says this, it seems to contradict the way he otherwise says Christians are made free... Read more
While faith and reason should go together, that should not mean we confuse what we can derive from reason alone as revealing the fullness of our faith. The revealed truths of Christianity transcend human understanding, and therefore, human rationality. We can apprehend elements of the absolute truth, and then use our reason to engage what we have apprehended, to derive meaning and value from what has been revealed, but we must not think the focus of our faith should be... Read more
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