“Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” – Matthew 6:25-26. One of life’s tragedies is the inverse relationship between trust and maturity. It seems the older we... Read more
“Life is precious. Life is sacred. And it ought so to be observed.” – Gordon B. Hinckley. The subject of ending one’s life is, to say the least, a complicated one and one ripe with difficult questions. Such questions must include whether anyone, – the individual or a medical professional – has the right to end a life. This question leads to yet another, what is the difference between euthanasia and suicide? Broadly speaking, euthanasia involves a physician intentionally ending... Read more
Like the books of the Old Testament, which can be categorized according to various criteria (history, prophetic, wisdom, etc.), so too are the New Testament books categorized. The first three books of the New Testament are called the synoptic Gospels. Synoptic (a Greek word that means “to see together”) because Matthew, Mark, and Luke utilize many of the same or similar stories. Gospel, too, is a Greek translation meaning “good news.” Thus it may be said that Matthew, Mark, and... Read more
In the famous prologue to John’s Gospel, we read, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Of course, John is referring to Christ. In some translations, a very similar statement is made of wisdom. “From that time on, Wisdom appeared on earth and lived among us.” (See Baruch 3:37). In this paper, I will explore what the Bible says about wisdom and how it is often personified. Finally, I will discuss how wisdom is often associated... Read more
A simple conjuring up of God often entails the sense that God is above. Our prayers are directed to the Heavens which exist “up there.” While the concept of God and Heaven being above the earth is simplistic, the symbolism involved is of great value. This symbolism is often seen in the significance of mountains in the Bible. At least part of the reason for this lies in the ancient world’s belief that the summit of a mountain was the... Read more
“Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15. Tradition has a special place in Catholic thought and is of great significance to understanding the Bible and Catholic theology. In this paper, I will discuss what Tradition means within the context of religion. I will discuss how Tradition provides the foundation for the creation of the Bible. Finally, I... Read more
Theology is replete with questions that may never be answered on this side of the eschaton. One such question is why God chose first-century Israel to become incarnate. Additionally, what did Saint Paul mean when he wrote that God sent His Son in “the fullness of time”? In this paper, I will examine the relationship God has with time. I will begin by reviewing how the Bible understands time. I will then discuss the timing of the Incarnation. Finally, I... Read more
Everyone has beliefs. The atheist or skeptic might prefer to call them presuppositions or axioms, but whatever term one wishes to use, beliefs provide the foundation of every philosophy or worldview. Catholicism is no different. Indeed, if one accepts that belief is synonymous(or at least, analogous) with faith, then belief is the sine qua non of Catholicism. In the following article, I will examine what Catholics believe and what some of the misconceptions about Catholicism are. Before commencing, however, it... Read more
“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.” – Saint Ignatius of Loyola. As Catholics, we are called to work toward bringing about the Kingdom of God. This is done through prayer, it is done through participation in the Sacraments, and it is done through works of mercy. In the following paper, I will delineate and discuss the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy. I will then seek... Read more
Is Christianity built upon a myth? One of the enduring claims of atheists and skeptics is that Christianity rehashes the ancient world’s stories of gods dying and rising. In this work, I will discuss the subject of mythology and examine the stories of dying and resurrecting gods in pagan thought. I will then explore what relationship the biblical world had to myth. Finally, I will juxtapose Catholicism with mythology. Of Dying And Rising Stories of kings and gods dying and... Read more
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