A few days ago we celebrated the feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary. Very little can be said about them with certainty. Neither of Mary’s parents are named in the Scriptures. We find these…
Reflecting on Jesus’ Grandparents
10 Commandments in the Modern World Pt 10 – Be Happy for Others
Commandment 10: Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods. In our last article, we covered coveting your neighbor’s wife. In this one we will talk about our neighbor’s possessions. It is very natural to want what someone else has. We…
10 Commandments in the Modern World Pt 9 – Relationship Boundaries
Commandment 9: Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife. In the version of the 10 Commandments found in the book of Exodus place both objects of covetous desires, your neighbor’s wife and his goods, into the same commandment. The version…
Remember Who You Are
There is important liturgical concept called “anamnesis.” Literally translated it means “remembering.” It is so fascinating to me how important this concept is in the Scriptures. In the Exodus, God says of the Passover, “This day you are to remember;…
Why Do We Have to Die?
“Why do we have to die?” This is a question that many of us wrestle with for as long as we’ve understood the concept of death. It is that thing that so many of us fear above all things. But…
The Little Saints of Fatima
On May 13th, the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Francis canonized Jacinta and Francisco Marto. These siblings were two of the visionaries of that extraordinary event, along with their older cousin Lucia. With…
10 Commandments in the Modern World Part VIII: Don’t Bear False Witness
“Do Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor.” The most basic reformulation of this principle is “Don’t lie.” Most of us understand this idea as something that was instilled in us as soon as we could talk. We are taught…
10 Commandments in the Modern World Part VII: Don’t Steal
Don’t take what’s not yours. This is a principle that most of us learn in kindergarten. And for the most part, I would imagine that many of us are not law breakers who engage in theft. So what does this…
Not the Monarch of Mobs
We just celebrated Palm Sunday, where the people hailed Christ as King with loud “Hosannas.” Five days later they cry out “Crucify Him!” Often I am asked by my students how they could turn on Him so quickly. The answer…
Have a Chestertonian Marriage
A few years ago, a former student invited me to lunch. He was discerning the married life and he wanted my advice as a married man. I was shy to give it. It is not because I have a bad…