I am a newbie on the Patheos Catholic channel. It has been almost a year since my column was established and I want to say thank you. Thank you for sharing, commenting (even the critiques), and allowing my little column to be a small part of your life. Thank You! It has been my goal to give a mix of apologetics, evangelism, and devotional material to help you grow in your faith. Once again I say thank you. Here are... Read more
Bernard Lonergan was a Jesuit priest and one of the most influential Catholic thinkers in the twentieth century. In an effort help others understand the redemption he proposes a theory called the Law of the Cross. Lonergan looked to the development of western culture and developed his theology to include human science and human value. Regarding this William Loewe writes, “it invites theology to enrich itself with the discoveries of the empirical and human sciences and of historical consciousness; more... Read more
One of the things that seems to confuse our non-Catholic Christian brethren is the subject of purgatory. Those who enter purgatory are guaranteed to go to heaven at some point. Purgatory Is Not A Second Chance Purgatory is not a second chance at redemption, and nor is it a permanent destination. The church has always taught what the scriptures teach in Hebrews 9:27, “And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment” (NRSV).... Read more
God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is... Read more
An account of the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah,[b] the son of David, the son of Abraham.2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4 and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab,... Read more
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who... Read more
Grace is a free gift that is given by God. What does one do with the grace received? When a gift is given to someone it requires upkeep or it will deteriorate and decay. In the gift of grace, we must cooperate through our own free will, or we can destroy this divine gift (Journet 2.1). Grace cleanses us from original sin, we cooperate with this grace through free will, and as a result we get oriented toward our divine... Read more
Rosary: The Perfect Prayer Throughout the world, people gather to pray the Rosary. They pray for our Pope, world peace, an end to abortion and the holy souls in Purgatory, among other intentions. Considered to be the perfect prayer, contemplating on the Rosary brings a deeper union with Jesus and Mary. “The Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the story of our salvation.”~Saint John Paul II Crown of Roses The word, Rosary, stems from the... Read more
Did the early church believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ? To answer this question the writings of the following four early church fathers will be discussed: St. Ignatius of Antioch who lived from approximately 35-108 A.D., St. Justin Martyr who lived from 100-165 A.D., St. Irenaeus who lived from 130-202 A.D., and St. Augustine who lived from 354-430 A.D. There are many more who write about the subject, but this is a small sampling. St. Ignatius... Read more
Some claim that the doctrine of the Eucharist is not found in scripture, but this outlook is an indication of one reading the biblical text through a denominational lens. The last supper narratives all describe Jesus as saying “this is my body, this is my blood” in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-20, and John 13:1-30. St. Paul also writes about the body and blood of Christ in the breaking of bread in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. Perhaps the... Read more
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