Jesus glorified God the Father in everything he did. “I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do” (Jn. 17:4 RSV). One of the ways he did this was to empty himself of his divine glory in his assumption of human nature, and then, continuing on with that kenosis, he also emptied himself of human glory as he suffered and endured the shame of becoming an outcast from society. And thus, having found himself... Read more
There is a long history of anti-Catholic bigotry being used to attack Catholics in the United States. That history includes evangelicals trying to make sure Catholics could not get in positions of political power and authority. Even Billy Graham tried to use that anti-Catholic bias against John F. Kennedy, suggesting Kennedy should not be president because of his Catholicism. If someone, or some organization, could be shown to specifically target Catholic politicians in order to have them removed from office,... Read more
“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 6:1 RSV). True glory is found in humility. We should not be seeking to make ourselves look great in front of others. When we do so, and we receive accolades because of the way we appear to others, we might be pleased with ourselves, for we have gained what we desired,... Read more
The way so many of us think about morality, the way so many of us think about good and evil, is dualistic. That is, we tend to think good and evil are equal and opposite to each other, making good and evil substantial entities in and of themselves. This leads us to believe that if we do something evil, no good would have led us to act in such a way, nor will any good come out of it. Similarly,... Read more
Paul always loved the Jewish people. He was one of them. He always saw himself as one of them. His faith in Jesus did not diminish his hopes and fears for his people. He always believed they had a special place in the world. He always hoped for their salvation. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1 RSV). The people of Israel had a very profound religious faith, one... Read more
After the Fourth of July mass-shooting in Highland Park, Pope Francis once again reiterated his plea for our society to move beyond its cycle of violence; that is, he indicated, once again, the need for gun control in the United States: Pope Francis has decried the tragic shootings that killed six and wounded some 30 others during a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park on Monday, appealing for a rejection of all forms of violence,... Read more
We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are to take care of them and their needs, just as we take care of our own. This love should motivate us so that we do not live just for ourselves, but rather, make sure we live for others. We are not meant to be individualists. We will never be holy if we ignore our neighbor. Anyone who suggests we can abandon the world, because we don’t like what is in... Read more
The Catholic Church is called the Catholic Church and not the Roman Catholic Church because it is far more extensive than what is found in Western Christianity. The reality of the Catholic Church is that its essence lies in its universality, its catholicity, and not just in the relationship people have with the Bishop (or Pope) of Rome. Because so many, including apologists, have centered their discussions on the papacy, the catholicity of the Church is often forgotten; in doing... Read more
When we have faith in someone or something, we place our trust in that person or thing. We can have faith, that is, trust in someone or something for many different reasons. Sometimes, our reasons can be good, demonstrating how faith and reason can work together and complement each other, but sometimes, our reasons can be unsound, but when they are faulty, that doesn’t necessarily mean our trust is misplaced. We can be right for the wrong reasons. Or, we... Read more
Climate change is real, and, unless we do something to fix it, the harm it is going to cause the world is also real. If we do not get our collective act together, parts of the world, if not the whole world, will be uninhabitable in the future. Due, in part, to what we can see happening already, we can only imagine the kind of suffering climate change will bring to the future of humanity, before humanity finds itself going... Read more
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