We tend to consider all the great things Peter and Paul did, all the fantastic things recorded about their lives, and think, because of all they accomplished, they were quite different from us. They are portrayed as bold, strong, and powerful, capable of enduring all kinds of hardships which would make most of us crumble and fall apart. The thing is, this is only partially true. We know they all had their failings. We know they were not always doing... Read more
It’s common, indeed, normal, for siblings to fight each other. Regardless how intense those fights can be, most of them do not undermine the love siblings have for each other. Those fights are merely indicative of minor disagreements and disputes, for, it is clear, most siblings will do all they can do to help each other, if such help was necessary. They do not let their fights get in the way of their love for each other. Indeed, sometimes their... Read more
Hope and love are essential for Christians. They should serve as the foundation of every Christian life. For God is love and reveals that love to us in Jesus, and through Jesus we should have hope that God is at work for us, making sure we will attain the kingdom of God for ourselves. His death reveals to us the end of sin, as he took with him all that is sin and cast it into the abyss. In his... Read more
Many Catholics are finding themselves having a crisis of faith. Some valiantly hold on to what faith they still possesses, while others, for many different reasons, find it is too hard to do so, and give up, hoping to find peace elsewhere. Looking at what is going on within so many Catholic communities, it is not difficult to understand why many find themselves so conflicted in their faith that they come to conclude that the only solution is for them... Read more
Most religious traditions have texts, Scriptures, which they used to guide and direct their faithful, providing them at least a basic representation of their teachings. There are, of course, limits to what can be provided in such texts, and many, if not most, religious faiths recognize this as a basic fact. They point out the faithful need to do more than read and reflect upon scripture; the faithful need to actually engage them, to live out what is indicated in... Read more
Ascetic Christian spirituality is based upon the recognition that we are all in need of spiritual medicine. We are all sinners who have done various things which we are sorry that we have done, things which often influence us and cause us to act contrary to the way we wish we would act because. This is because, every time we act, our action will seed its influence in our will, often creating and forming habits which are difficult to overcome.... Read more
On June 19, 1865, General Granger declared some good news in Texas: slavery was no longer permitted in the United States. Following President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Granger indicated that all slaves were to be set free. The institution of slavery was over. In theory, Granger’s announcement did not set the slaves free; officially, they were already free once Lincoln had made his declaration, but in practice, that declaration had to be put into effect, and Granger made sure it was.... Read more
Consequentialism is an insidious, error-ridden, ethical theory;; typically, those who follow its reasoning will suggest, one way or another, that the ends justify the means. That is, the morality of an act is determined by what the act accomplishes, that is, the consequences which come as a result of the act. If some good end is brought about by a particular act, then the act can be justifiably done. We should not be overly concerned with the way the act... Read more
Malice harms and threatens to destroy the one who holds it. Malice turns us away from love, and so, since God is love, so long as we hold onto malice, we cut ourselves off from God. Our malice, our hate, our rejection of love creates a barrier between us and God, and so, we close ourselves off from all that God would love to give us, including, and especially, the grace which we need in order to experience beatitude. For... Read more
Human existence is at once spiritual and corporeal. As such, we must engage both aspects of our being holistically so that in doing so, they can work together as one. We must not focus on one at the expense of the other. That is, we must not pursue spiritual contemplations as a way to avoid and reject our physical being and its needs even as we must not become so attached to material being and the good and pleasures available... Read more
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