“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts of the Apostles 9:4) This is the very strange question that Jesus asks Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus. Saul was on his way to find followers of Jesus and…
Christ and the Church are One
What Jesus Really Looks Like
I’ve come across some interesting internet chatter about the real face of Jesus. In the Bible, it is interesting that Jesus is never explicitly physically described (except in the book of Revelation where everything is symbolic). Most of our ideas…
Easter Was Not A Pagan Holiday
For years, opponents of the faith like spread conspiracy theories about our most beloved Christian Holy Days. More commonly we find these ideas spread about Christmas. But social media has recently been circulating that Easter is actually a pagan holiday….
Humble Jesus on a Donkey
Yesterday was Palm Sunday. On this day, we commemorate when Jesus enters in triumph into Jerusalem. He is greeted with loud cries of “Hosanna!” as people proclaim Him the the promised Messiah. And yet this same crowd will be calling…
Between Presumption and Despair
Human beings are funny creatures. We often find ourselves heading to one extreme or the opposite. For example, take the sins against salvation: presumption and despair. Presumption is the belief that no matter what I do, I am going to…
Preparation for Prayer
As mentioned last week, one of the three pillars of Lent is prayer. Like most of you, I am in continual need to grow in my prayer life. And far be it from me to give advice to those who…
The Pillars of Lent
Ash Wednesday is this week, marking the beginning of the holy season of Lent. One of the reasons we enter into this season each year is that we are in constant need of spiritual renewal. I’ve written before about how…
On the New Satanism
At last night’s Grammy Awards, there was an act that was Satanic in the most literal sense, with costumes, makeup, and fire all in a celebration of the Devil. This is part of a continuing trend giving prominence to Satan….
The Best Translation of the Bible
If you’ve ever gone to purchase a Bible, you know that you have many different translations to choose from. There are so many that it can be overwhelming. There’s the King James, the Revised Standard Edition, the New Revised Standard…
Reflections on the Life of Pope Benedict XVI
My first memory of Pope Benedict XVI was a joke someone told me in high school: Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict) was put in charge of Purgatory. Martin Luther comes to him, and Ratzinger gives him 100 years in Purgatory….