Ministry is important, but we must remember, there are many different ways to be ministers. All baptized and confirmed Christians are priests due to their incorporation into Christ, even if not all of them are ordained clergy. All Christians are expected to have their own particular ministry, their own way of practicing their priesthood in Christ. We must use the skills which we have, the gifts which have been given to us, not just for our own sake, but for... Read more
It would be easy to misrepresent St. Antony the Great, to portray him as a radical individualist looking to separate himself from all society so that he could attain holiness in blessed solitude. St. Antony, of course, did enjoy solitude. He went deeper and deeper into the Egyptian desert, in part, searching for such solitude. But, as is clear when one examines his life and various sayings attributed to him, he did not think this represented an ideal which all... Read more
Christians are told they are to overcome all their self-centered, selfish inclinations. They are called to die to the self so that they can truly love others, thereby following after Christ. They are told if they put into practice such self-denial, they will get a reward: And Peter said, “Lo, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers... Read more
People of faith can do remarkable things. They will often do things others think are foolish if not impossible, when they obey the calling which they have been given, as can be seen in the examples of Abraham and Sarah. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go […]. By faith Sarah herself received power... Read more
Sometimes, what is good and useful for a time must be put aside, not because it was never good, but because people have come to abuse the good, using it in a way which runs contrary to its original intention so that it no longer serves the good it once promoted. That abuse can actually turn the good thing into an idol, and those who promote it end up no longer promoting the good originally intended by it but some... Read more
Studying and learning from patristic writers can be very rewarding for the Christian, but they must make sure they do so with care. They should realize, as Abelard and others would point out, patristic authors often had divergent theological opinions, and they often manifested that disagreement in very uncharitable forms. While on particular issues, we might find, as it were, a patristic consensus, to do so often requires reading authors coming from different context, using different forms of vocabulary, and... Read more
Paul told us of the two-part journey of the God-man, Jesus. The first part of the journey was the kenotic descent of the God-man all the way down to the depths of the earth (that is, to death and the edge of being itself). The second part is found in the glorification of the God-man, where the God-man, having experienced the full range of potentiality contained within being, is raised from the dead and then ascends all the way through... Read more
When the World Day of the Sick was first initiated thirty years ago, St John Paul II wanted Christians to think about, pray for, and take care of the sick, because often the sick, especially those with highly contagious and deadly diseases, or those with long-term illness, were often forgotten and ignored: The Christian community has always paid particular attention to the sick and the world of suffering in its multiple manifestations. In the wake of such a long tradition,... Read more
Christ is baptized in the Jordan, and all creation rejoices! Christ is baptized in the Jordan, with the angels looking in with awe! The one who baptizes all things with grace is baptized by John. What great humility! What great love! Christ is baptized in the Jordan, and nothing remains the same: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you,... Read more
Paul warned us against acting religious, doing things merely to please people and the world around us, including and especially our fellow Christians, without first making sure our heart is in the right place. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to... Read more
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