Several hundred years ago, Martin Luther led a revolt that today we call the Protestant Reformation. There are several areas of contention to be found between Luther and the Catholic Church. Sadly, Luther made some very astute points about corruption…
Martin Luther Misunderstands Grace
The “Messed Up” Stories of the Bible
I was teaching the story of Sodom and Gammorah in class last week. For those unfamiliar, two angels who look like men go to the house of Lot in the city of Sodom to see if there are at least…
We Are Saved By Grace Alone
“I can earn my way to heaven.” This statement may not be something that any of us would say out loud. And yet, I bet that if I did a little questioning, I would find this assumption laying underneath my…
Augustine’s War of the Heart
“I was groaning in spirit and shaken by violent anger because I could form no resolve to enter into a covenant with you, though in my bones I knew that this was what I ought to do.” St. Augustine is…
St. Augustine and the Attraction to Sin
“To do what was wrong simply because it was wrong – could I have found pleasure in that?” (St. Augustine, The Confessions II.4) When St. Augustine was a youth, he and his friends got the brilliant idea to steal pears…
Man Was Made For The Sabbath
In the Gospels, the Pharisees complain about Jesus performing miracles on the Sabbath. Our Lord famously turns to them and says “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). Jesus says this to refute the…
“I Have Only On Thing To Do Today.”
We are busy. I do not know when you are reading this, but I imagine that you are in between your many important activities of this day. From the moment we wake until we fall asleep, our lives are filled…
Three Types of Atheist Arguments
There are few American Catholic writers that I have read more than Dr. Peter Kreeft. I even wrote him a fan letter calling him “an American CS Lewis.” In my years as a teacher, I have found his wisdom, holiness,…
A Gold Medal in Blasphemy
A few days ago, the 2024 Summer Olympics began in Paris, France. To the shock and disgust of Christians around the world, it began with a recreation of The Last Supper. But this time Christ was replaced by a woman…
The Eucharist: Adventures in Space and Time
Allow me to offer a small reflection on the Eucharist. Often when I receive Communion, I reflect on the connection that this creates between all Catholics in the world. When I was a child, my pastor explained the Eucharist in…