Christianity is meant to be the religion of love, a religion whose adherents follow the way set by Christ in his ministry, a way which includes helping those in need. Paul, therefore, tells us that those who are “strong” are to take care of the “weak,” instead of merely focusing on their own wants and desires at the expense of others: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let... Read more
John tells us that God is love, “Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν” (1 Jn. 4:16). The love known as ἀγάπη (agape) or caritas in Latin is translated into English as love or charity; the original word suggests both at once, not just one or the other, so when we read translations from Scripture or various patristic and medieval sources which talk about love or charity, we should keep this connotation in mind. Agape love is a love which has us treat... Read more
I’m an avid reader. I love to read (but, like most things, how great that love is waxes and wanes, as sometimes I read something which completely enchants me and I can’t wait to read more, and at other times, I find what I am reading not so exciting, making it difficult to reading, that is, when I think there is a good reason to do so). I try to read at least an hour every day. I consider doing... Read more
We can learn much from those who came before us. But, to do so properly, we must be willing to be critical, and examine what they said and did instead of merely accepting it all. We must engage them, willing to learn from their wisdom and knowledge, but also, we must be willing to distance ourselves from what they said which has since been proven false or unwise. We should not expect anyone to be perfect. We can appreciate from... Read more
I was not surprised with the decisions made by the United States Supreme Court last week (the week of June 16 – 22 2024); indeed, I expected them based upon the known ideological influences affecting most of its current members. They have proven themselves to hold no consistent hermeneutic by which they decide their cases, which is why precedent means nothing to them; rather, they have a conclusion which they want to reach, and will justify it any way they... Read more
Grace comes to us from God, providing us the means to share in and participate in the divine life. There are a variety of ways we can receive it, each with its own particular way to makes us better. God gives us grace out of love, hoping for us to engage grace in the same way, with love, not only with love towards God, but for us to love all that God loves. We are meant to receive grace, not... Read more
There are two major events in Scripture which show us Christ giving Peter leadership over the temporal, institutional church. The first was when Peter said that he believed Jesus to be the messiah, that is, the Christ. When Peter did this, Jesus replied that he had been inspired to come to this belief, and now, he would have a new name, for before then, he was simply known as Simon. This itself is significant, for in Scripture, someone is given... Read more
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (Jas. 1:27 RSV). This type of message is found throughout Scripture. In it, we find God constantly promoting those in need, those who have been or will be exploited, or those who are unjustly suffering at the hands of those with power and authority. In ancient Israel, as well as at... Read more
While it would be wrong to say all Protestants think alike, the popular form of evangelical Protestantism which I was raised in (as a Southern Baptist) tended to emphasize the need for correct belief (orthodoxy) over and above correct actions (orthopraxis), because they believed salvation is by faith without works. While such evangelicals will point to various sins, especially ones they culturally disapprove of, as justification for the perdition of non-believers, they tend to ignore sins against charity and continue... Read more
Many expected the Holy Martyr, Agrippina, coming from a rich family, to fulfill her normal place in society as a wife and mother. She did not want that kind of life for herself. She embraced a different path, that of celibacy. She resisted the expectations society had for her; she wanted greater autonomy for herself, and not have some husband rule over her, so she could dedicate her life to serving Christ the best she could. She, like many other... Read more
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