Yesterday was the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. These two men were the pillars of the ancient Church who were martyred by the Roman Emperor Nero. And yet even though they were killed by Rome, they conquered Rome in…
St. Paul the Revolutionary
Why Only the Four Gospels?
There are literally dozens of Gospels that were floating around the ancient world. We are all familiar with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, But there are also many other Gospels like the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Thomas, the…
To Live is Christ and Death is Gain: Paul in Philippians
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is considered one of the undisputed letters of the apostle. He writes this letter from prison and is potentially facing execution for the Gospel. And yet even though he appears to be in a lose-lose…
Pope Leo XIV: What’s in a Name?
Less than two weeks ago, I was in the same boat as all of you: watching our new Holy Father present himself to the world for the first time. Cardinal Robert Prevost introduced himself to his Church as Pope Leo…
The Conclave – What Happens Now?
On Wednesday, May 7th, the cardinals of the Catholic Church will gather for the conclave to choose our next pope. So what exactly happens? The cardinals, those in charge of Church government, will be the ones to vote. Only cardinals…
Pope Francis and the Life of Faith
Like many of you, I awoke this morning to the news that Pope Francis has gone to our Heavenly Father. My heart is very heavy at this loss, as I am sure is the case for all who feel the…
God’s Subversive Kingdom
Jesus came and preached the Kingdom of God. I don’t think that we truly appreciate how utterly radical this Kingdom is. The word that is used in the Gospels for Kingdom is “Basileia.” The “Basileia” of God was very different…
The Catholic Understanding of the Person
Human beings are said to be made in the Image and Likeness of God. We are different than the beasts in that we have reason and free will, which also gives us the ability to love. God infuses this image…
Jesus and the Temptation in The Desert
We have now started the Holy Season of Lent. This past Sunday, we heard from the Gospel of Luke about Jesus being tempted by Satan three times in the desert. As will all of the Gospel stories, there is so…
Converting The Modern Roman Empire
Many Christians look at the modern world with despair. The old Christian culture has faded into the background and a new secular one is on the ascendancy. People embrace the wonders of technology along with the horrors of hedonism. And…