Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.-Psalm 105:4-5 (NAB) Reflection During Tough Times For today’s reflection I opted to use a couple verses from today’s responsorial psalm. I did this because the message that it gives us is very timely. There is so much going on in the world. Look around. There is a worldwide pandemic, riots, and economic... Read more
“After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.” 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing... Read more
Today’s Old Testament Mass reading is taken from Hosea Chapter two. It is a powerful reading and some background is in order and shows how we are pursued by the Lord. In Chapter one Hosea is told to marry Gomer who is described as a promiscuous woman. Hosea does so and they are blessed with children. At the beginning of Chapter two Hosea is determined to divorce his wife because of her infidelity. Yet in today’s Mass reading he has... Read more
In many ways 2019 seems so long ago. It seems like an eternity in some regard. Our lives have been flipped upside down in a mere matter of months. This year has been unlike one that we have ever experienced. We have all made sacrifices and had to change the way we go about our daily lives. From a practical point of view some of those changes have been a positive in my life. The Lord showed me the importance... Read more
In Christendom Ecclesiology is looked at in a variety of different ways. Within Protestantism the church may be seen within a synod, a presbytery, or an autonomous unit. In Catholicism, ecclesiology revolves round the sacrament of the Eucharist and those who are in union with the Bishop. This is what is known as communion ecclesiology. Foundations of Communion From its humble beginnings, the church has taught the centrality of the Eucharist. There are those that say that this practice started... Read more
Interview With Dr. Scott Hahn Dr. Scott Hahn is on the program to talk about his new book. We discuss the origins of the book, the importance of the body in life and death, the vital part the Eucharist plays in our body as well as our faith, and how early Christian’s treated the body and how that changed western civilization. The book is fascinating and packed with history from the early church, the church fathers, and scripture. I can’t... Read more
I will begin today’s post by comparing the structure of the Catholic Church to a somewhat “elementary” thing. Let me give you some word clues. Hopscotch. Foursquare. Kickball. Red Rover. Before I confuse you anymore please let me briefly explain the context to why I am talking about children’s playground games and religion in the same paragraph. In 2014-2015, I worked at a Catholic high school and taught Old and New Testament. On the day we discussed the epic first... Read more
When we think of the early days of Christianity, there is a tendency to think about our ancestors in the faith in today’s terms. We may think they met in churches when they actually met in homes. That every doctrine that we hold to today was laid out the same back then. Unfortunately, this line of thinking could not be further from the truth. The early Church dealt with many issues, and one of those issues was over Christology. When it... Read more
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship... Read more
A Tribute Sometimes in life we get lucky. We are in the right place at the right time. During those times the Lord brings special people into our lives. On June 17, 2020 we lost one of those people. At approximately 9:00am my priest and pastor Father Robert Tamminga passed on to his eternal reward. As you can already tell, this post is different from others I have written on this platform. This is a tribute to a great man... Read more
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