It should be impossible to think about the Franciscans without thinking of St. Clare. She, in many ways more than St. Francis, helped keep the Franciscan community together. She was humble, and through that humility, was able guide and direct the Franciscans after the death of St. Francis, making sure they preserved the charism given to their order. Her humility produced, as a fruit, a better understanding and appreciation of the humility and poverty of Christ. That is, it gave... Read more
St. Isidore of Seville understood the reason why so many people engage “apologetics.” It is not for the pursuit of truth, as they often claim, but rather, for glory. “The pursuit of contentious arguments is engaged in not for the sake of truth but out of a desire for praise, and there is such perversity in such things that they do not know how to cede to the truth and they contend to destroy correct doctrine itself.”[1] This is why,... Read more
The Christian way of life is the way of the cross. That can and will mean different things for different people. We are not all meant to do, nor should we all do, the same thing. Not all of us will be married. Not all of us will have children. Not everyone who is single is called to the religious life or to the priesthood. We should stop trying to universalize different contexts and situations, trying to force it upon... Read more
The Indian philosopher Bara Dada once said, “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians, you are not like him.” Sadly, the truth of this can be seen throughout Christian history. On the one hand, Christian doctrine provides some of the most sublime, some of the most beautiful, indeed, some of the most liberating teachings of all; on the other hand, Christians have often engaged excuses to ignore or deny their implications. Ironically, when confronted by their behavior, Christians try... Read more
Paul tells us our relationship and experience of God will change in the eschaton. He does this by comparing and contrasting how our eschatological experience will be in relation to how we can experience God now, which is as through a “mirror dimly”: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood” (1 Cor. 13:12 RSV). We must read... Read more
We are not to judge others; the way we judge others will come back to haunt us, as we will find our own sins, our own failings will be judged just as harsh as we judge others (cf. Matt. 7:1-5). We are meant to care for and love everyone, which is exactly what we are not doing if and when we go out looking for something to judge and condemn everyone? For that is what being judgmental is about. We... Read more
Jesus is the way. He directs and guides everyone, hoping to bring them together as one. Such unity will not, however, be one where everyone comes as they are, unreformed, so that their sins, their hate, their disdain for others remains; instead, he directs them to the path of love, to have them cast off the darkness found within so that they can embrace each other with pure love. Then, with that love, they can be truly united, and not... Read more
We must not confuse our faith with accidents which can and do change. This is especially true in regards liturgy. While liturgical worship is important, we must accept that it can and will change. There is not one liturgical form which has always been in use since the inception of the Christian faith. There is no “Mass of the Ages.” There are various liturgies which have been established and can be and are to be used today. There are many... Read more
The Christian life is meant to have us take on grace, allowing it to transform us in order to become more and more like God. And as God is love, that means, we are to reflect that love in all things we do. The more we reflect love, the more, then, we have let grace do what it is meant to do. Therefore, we should hope that the more we have embraced grace, the more God and God’s love will... Read more
F.L. Cocozzelli pointed out the potential danger surrounding the pursuit of “pure doctrine.” It is easy to become complacent, to think one has attained it, so that, not only do they feel compelled to share it with others, they feel that they must make others conform to their doctrinal understanding. That is, those who are so focused on doctrinal assertions that they ignore a just, charitable praxis, often end up domineering, seeking to control others; they want to make others... Read more
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