I’ve been in a “discussion” with a Protestant friend, a very good man. We differ on so many points: faith alone, blessed assurance, church, priesthood – yet we are in agreement on so many more: morality, chastity, the divinity of…
Rituals, and Why We Need Them
Am I a Shepherd Pasturing Myself?
In my prayer time one recent morning, I was rushed and distracted. As a result, I almost skipped reading that day’s first reading from Ezekial 34. I’ll be honest — all too often my daily prayer time, spent partially contemplating…
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…
What are you waiting for?
“Shalom Festival 2014: Fear not, for I am with you,” was the theme of the one-day conference. A suburban Catholic high school honoring St. John Paul II, the great lover of evangelization, was the ideal location for this program promoting…
Peter as Satan
Readings for August 31, 2014: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Truth in advertising–after all the glowing reports of the benefits of a product, potential side effects need to be mentioned. Informed consent–before surgery, patients have to be told of all…
A Christian Call To Arms!
Fellow Christians, we are under attack! As followers of Christ, we are being persecuted globally, more specifically in the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. Our faithful are being shot, burned, crucified, beheaded, raped, starved, beaten, and tortured for…
What is Discipleship?
At a discussion forum for Sherry Weddell’s book Forming Intentional Disciples, someone asked, “What does discipleship look like?” It’s easy to talk about the need for discipleship without having a clear grasp of what it is. If you did not grow up in…
Plain Old Water
One of the things that endeared Jesus to people was that his teaching was always practical. It came from the stuff of their everyday lives. He cited examples that would have been a part of peoples’ daily experience. He did…
Initial Proclamation of the Gospel: A Non-Negotiable
How do you share the Gospel with someone? I’m not talking about context–like how or where you meet them, or what your relationship with them is like–but the words. The content. What do you say? If someone was to ask,…
Peter and the Keys
Readings for August 24, 2014: 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time “More Catholic than the Pope.” There is nothing more quintessentially Catholic than the Papacy. When we think “Catholic,” we think Rome, the Vatican, the dome of St. Peter’s. But the…