The 2014 Synod has come to a close and more has been made of it in the media than most synods in recent history. Going into the synod, we knew that since the topic related to all things regarding the…
Policy vs. Doctrine
On the Necessity of Petition Prayer
In a previous article, I wrote about how there is no prayer too small to be brought before the throne of God. I wanted to follow up a bit more about the concept of petitionary prayer and why we need…
Rejection or Renewal: Which Will It Be?
A lot of Catholic bloggers and pundits have spilled a good deal of digital ink on the latest controversy to come out of the Archdiocese of New York: The St. Patrick’s Day parade will, for the first time, have marchers…
No Prayer Too Small
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They…
On the Necessity of Hope
In my last article I wrote about the sin of suicide. Self-murder is an act of ultimate despair. If you end your own life you believe, for whatever reason, that you will have no more good days ahead. Or if…
Is Suicide a Mortal Sin?
With the death of Robin Williams, many people are talking a great deal about the tragedy of suicide. Sadly, many of us have known people who have taken their own lives. The shroud of darkness that covers a family that…
God in the Gaps
The phrase “God of the Gaps” refers to poor argumentation for the existence of the Supreme Being. There is a gap in our ability to explain things so we use God to explain what we have not been able to…
Jesus: The Word of God
John’s Gospel begins: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It is perhaps one of the most profound openings to any story ever written. When I teach this Gospel in…
Prayer Is Not Magic
“I prayed, but nothing happened.” How often have we heard these words? Maybe they came from someone in an argument about faith. Maybe they came from a child trying to understand God’s plan. Or maybe these words came from ourselves…
Lessons of the Sower, Part 4: The Good Soil
Previous posts in this series: Part 1: The Path, Part 2: The Rocks, Part 3: The Thorns. The final part of our series reflection on the Parable of the Sower is the happy ending. Now, I am a firm believer…