When Pope Paul VI wrote his (now in hindsight) prophetic work Humanae Vitae, he made clear that marriage is not simply a societal institution or norm. Marriage is a part of God’s plan for humanity. This is an important point…
On the Necessity of Marriage
Engaging a Worldview
When it comes to sharing the faith, much of our preparation is interiorly focused. And this makes sense. Before we can share God’s love, we must come to believe in it and respond to it ourselves. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI…
“Dating with a Purpose” Discipleship
“Let the one who is thirsty come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.” (Rev 22:17) In her book Forming Intentional Disciples, Sherry Weddell compares the last threshold to intentional discipleship to “dating with a…
How to Evangelize
A few posts ago I wondered if I was doing enough in terms of evangelization. I also wonder if I am doing it the right way. I suppose that in many ways how to evangelize is not a one-size-fits-all response. …
The Root of All Evil?
Readings for August 4, 2013: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time In his space trilogy, C.S. Lewis called him “the Bent One.” That is really an apt name for the one the Bible is calls “Satan” or the Accuser. The perverse…
A Different Good Samaritan
Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s I took riding lessons and leased a horse at a small stable near Carpinteria. There was a carriage house on the property that was rented out to a series of tenants who came and…
The New Evangelization and You: A Challenge!
Have you read Greg Willits’s new book, The New Evangelization and You? If not, you need to grab a copy as soon as possible! Not only is it well-written and practical, it is tried and true because, let’s face it,…
Can there be dialogue when you’re tweeting with atheists?
One of my first stops each morning is to pay a quick visit to my favorite social media site: Twitter. Typically, my overnight haul of tweets that I’ve missed includes a gem from@Pontifex (who likes to tweet around 2:45 am my time) and…
Highlighting New Evangelizers: Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate
Think going door-to-door is just a Protestant or Morman thing? Think again. Meet Sister Margery Therese Harkin, a religious sister from the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate who isn’t afraid to knock on doors and bring the Good News to…
The Response to Relativism
I recently finished reading and reviewing The Church Under Attack: Five Hundred Years That Split the Church and Scattered the Flock by Dr. Diane Moczar. Throughout the book Dr. Moczar details the numerous attacks the Church has withstood since the…