Our church has a rich tradition. This tradition goes back to the very beginnings of the church and was passed down via the apostles. When I first started looking into the claims of the Catholic church, I turned to the church fathers. I thought I would read them to prove that he early church fathers were not Catholic. One of those church fathers I came across was St. Ignatius of Antioch. His words hit me in a way that is... Read more
Lent snuck up on me this year. I am sure that you can agree that this year has been interesting to say the least. In fact, that would be an understatement. We have gone through so much, both as a church and as a country. However, the church calendar does not stop and neither does time. It is one again time to refocus and reexamine our own personal faith. Lent is the perfect time to do this. Soon we will... Read more
Children are full of questions. They are beautiful little creatures and as babies they make cute sounds. When they reach the toddler age they start to ask more questions. When they reach the age of five or six the questions come at a rapid-fire pace. This happens as their brains develop, and they are starting to learn and investigate the word around them. As a child asked many questions to learn, the Church did something similar when developing a proper... Read more
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands,[a] thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it;[b] and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots,... Read more
Today I am blessed to turn 41 years of age. When I was in high school I thought that people my age were old. Funny how times change, and how wrong I was back then. It is all a matter of perspective. Though this year has been tough for many reasons, it has also been full of opportunities and blessings. On my birthday I thought I would reflect on some of those. Last Year’s Birthday Like many of you, last... Read more
You can read part one of this series of Jesus in Hebrew poetry here. Jesus In Hebrew Poetry: Proverbs The Proverbs a favorite book of those who are seeking practicality. In other words, they are striving to incorporate Biblical lessons into their daily lives. In proverbial literature there is no place for storytelling. Every line is a time-tested truth that came about after being tested repeatedly. The overall purpose of the book is to shape people into useful members of society. ... Read more
Within the Old Testament are a group of books that are written almost entirely in Hebrew Poetry. With the exception of a few passages in the Psalms, they do not deal with history. They deal with the concerns of mankind, such as suffering, sickness, and death. For the most part they are speaking about man to the Lord, and they do all these things in a way that can be related to. They also give glimpses of Jesus before the... Read more
Within the blessed Trinity the three persons of the Godhead are distinct but united in nature. Throughout history many have tried to explain the Trinity in various ways. For example, St. Patrick used the very popular description of the three-leaf clover. In the earliest days of the church a theologian by the name of Tertullian laid out a theory known as stoic materialism. However, this term would ultimately lead to subordination in his Christology. Tertullian And His Defense Tertullian was... Read more
When it comes to the concept of relation there is some clarification that must first take place. To the everyday person, relation means someone to whom you are related. At the base level this is correct, but philosophically it goes a little deeper. This is especially true when discussing relations in connection with the Trinity. St. Thomas Aquinas concepts of relations included paternity and filiation (Garrigou-Lagrange Introduction). Aquinas And The Trinity Paternity and filiation, of course, are completely different things. ... Read more
I am a convert to the Catholic faith. In my evangelical days I read scripture passages such as John 6 and concluded that they were symbolic about the eucharist. This view is still predominant in most Protestant denominations. There came a point when I had to take a deep dive into history to see if the early church was indeed the Catholic church. This journey is one that changed my life. By studying the writings of the early church fathers... Read more
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