Hostile Witnesses: How The Enemies Of The Church Prove Christianity

Last updated on: June 16, 2020 at 9:34 am By William Hemsworth

This past weekend I had the opportunity to interview Catholic apologist Gary Michuta about his book Hostile Witnesses. We discuss a few historical figures and events that had the opposite effect than intended. We discuss Pontius Pilate, Gamaliel, the Quran, and Martin Luther and ways they substantiate the Catholic faith. The Youtube video is below and I hope you find it edifying. About Hostile Witnesses In Hostile Witnesses, Michuta looks at dozens of Christianity s most notorious foes beginning with... Read more

Paul And The Eucharist As Source Of Unity

Last updated on: June 13, 2020 at 8:25 pm By William Hemsworth

Paul Wants Unity For The Church One of the central themes in all of Christendom is that of unity. Though there are many denominations Christians everywhere consider themselves to be in the family of God. However within the Catholic Church we have something that the other churches do not. We have the body, soul, and divinity of Christ present with us in the Eucharist (Our Orthodox brethren are the only exception). In the Catholic Church we are a family, and... Read more

Christ And Resurrection: It Really Happened And Was Not An Altered State

Last updated on: June 11, 2020 at 7:42 pm By William Hemsworth

Every Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It is the foundation of our faith, and without the resurrection are faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:14). Beyond proving that Jesus is the Christ, what does the resurrection prove? The resurrection is about much more than the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles seeing the risen Jesus. It is also about the new life that is present in every believer throughout time. Resurrection Brings Transformation We have finite minds, and it is... Read more

Racism: Our Nation Is Hurting And We Need Jesus

Last updated on: June 8, 2020 at 1:53 pm By William Hemsworth

As I write this column, my heart is very heavy. We started the new year with much optimism, but 2020 has proven to be a nightmare of sorts. First the pandemic of COVID-19 makes its way around the globe taking lives, jobs, and economic vitality from affected nations. Then, seeing that the Coronavirus’s devastation was bad enough, I asked: How could it get worse? It did. The horrible sin of racism has once again reared its ugly head. We have... Read more

The Cross: Pick It Up Daily And Follow Christ

Last updated on: June 2, 2020 at 9:19 am By William Hemsworth

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. – Luke 9:23 (ESV-CE) THE CROSS Imagine that you are living in first century Israel. The Roman Empire is in control of the area, and a means of torture and execution used is crucifixion. The cross was seen as an instrument of torture and death, and was highly feared. Then out of nowhere you hear Jesus... Read more

Holy Spirit: Fill Our Hearts, Fill Us With Hope, and Change Us

Last updated on: June 1, 2020 at 7:22 pm By William Hemsworth

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit Jesus said to his disciples: “Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And... Read more

Married and Bored? Here Is A Free Resource

Last updated on: May 28, 2020 at 3:17 pm By William Hemsworth

Married Couples And COVID COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on lives, the economy, and many married couples. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, divorce rates have doubled. This is particularly troubling as one of the casualties of the virus becomes the family. One of the main causes of divorce in the United States are financial pressures. This morning the labor department in the United States reported that another 2.1 million people filed for unemployment benefits. Since the pandemic reached the... Read more

Fear of the Lord: A Hebrew Word Study in Proverbs

Last updated on: May 27, 2020 at 1:34 pm By William Hemsworth

The phrase to be studied is “fear of the Lord” and the text has much meaning. For purposes of this exercise the study is limited to the first two chapters of the book of Proverbs. The usage of this phrase occurs in Proverbs 1:7, 1:29, and 2:5. Fear of the Lord The first word in the phrase “fear” is the Hebrew word yir’ah, or יִרְאָה. This term is used forty-five times in the Old Testament. Its root word is the adjective yare’, or... Read more

Voices of Hope: 15 Quotes From Saints To Inspire

Last updated on: May 23, 2020 at 7:46 am By William Hemsworth

Voices Of Hope It has been a rough start to 2020. Bad news is all around us, lockdowns, and with public Masses being suspended we are all looking for hope. We are looking for those tidbits of precious good news to take our minds off of all the negativity. Voices of hope is what many are searching for. One way to do that is to look to the lives of the saints. Many, if not all, of the saints experienced... Read more

Early Church Evidence For the Eucharist

Last updated on: May 18, 2020 at 5:10 pm By William Hemsworth

How Early In The Church? 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... Read more

What does "Shema," the central Jewish prayer, mean?