The Third Way – The Argument from Necessity Building upon the Argument from Efficient Cause, the Third Way demonstrates that there are things that are non-necessary, (meaning that it’s possible for them “not to be,”) and which are caused by a necessary thing that “has to be.” This argument says that whatever has been brought […]
“Who is my neighbor?” Today, I think, this question is more pertinent than ever. Social media is great at creating the illusion that we’re all in each other’s back pocket. But it comes at the cost of making friendship more of an abstraction, as we make “friends” of people who are little more than an […]
Diana (pronounce Dee-ahna) sat in the passenger seat as I was driving. Her three kids were in the back seat looking out the windows quietly. Diana was equally quiet as we had only met the day before, and it was only by chance that I was asked to give her and her family a ride […]
The story of Christ walking on water and Peter almost having the faith to reach him ( Mt 14:22-33) was recently heard at mass, yet with no pun intended, one may rightly ask if we can go a bit deeper in the message of this account. Surely, most will agree that trusting the Lord to […]
An old proverb says silence is golden. Whoever came up with that proverb was on to something. Today, I went to a popular fast food sandwich chain restaurant for lunch. While waiting in line to be served, I couldn’t help but take notice of the man in front of me. During the entire time the […]
Is there a way to practice the virtue of truth and charity when one navigates the world of social media? The advent of the use of social media has truly democratized the way we receive information and news nowadays. In the past, knowledge and current events have always been dependent on institutions that had the […]
Many people today claim that St. Paul, not Martin Luther, was the first Protestant. Why? Because Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles and seemed to be going around the country planting churches. Some even claim that each of these churches was autonomous, with no central authority like Peter; that is certainly the […]
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Sun Tzu- The Art […]
The eternal recurrence In The Gay Science and other works, Nietzsche presents his idea of the eternal recurrence. The demon in Nietzsche’s work poses this question “Do you want this once more and also for innumerable times?” (The Gay Science, 341). According to Nietzsche, most of us would tremble at this question because we do […]
The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary conclude with two events, the Assumption of Mary into heaven, and her Coronation as Queen of all Creation (meaning everything in the universe). The Church recently celebrated the Assumption on August 15 and her Coronation follows next week, on August 22. The imagery used in the Catechism to document […]
To His Holiness Jesus Christ, God the Son ATTN: God the Father ; God the Holy Spirit Most Holy Jesus, Recently I have had some serious doubts (“dubia”) about Your teaching and Your words. Both Your own words and words of the Bible by men whom You inspired, appear to me to conflict with recent […]
Letters To God While sorting through a bin of items from my childhood, I came across several pages of prayer journals. In different phases of my life, I would write my prayers to God in letter form. The letters are written in such familiar language, as though I was writing a letter to a best […]
As an African-American Catholic, I revel in the opportunity to share that my father, a convert to the Catholic faith, was initially drawn to Catholicism through the witness of President John F. Kennedy Jr., our first – and, to date, only – Catholic president, who contributed to the setting of the civil rights legislation that […]
In a culture that values what is new over what is old, excitement over routine, style over substance, it is not surprising that instability plagues many lives, and that those who are constantly seeking their peace in different experiences, jobs, places and people, never seem to find it. This wanderlust-of-heart, ever restless until we rest […]
Being diagnosed with cancer is always a dreaded event. There are many fears: will it be terminal? How much suffering will be endured? What painful treatments will be needed? The anxiety can become overwhelming because there are a lot of unknowns. There becomes an acute awareness of the brevity of this life. A sense of […]
When Jesus invites us to die to ourselves, He is not referring to some pious act of self-sacrifice which will make us look or feel holy. No, He has something much more radical in mind. The kind of inner transformation Christ desires will literally rip the rug up from under our feet and shatter our […]
Pope St. John Paul II begins the encyclical Fides et Ratio with the admonition “Know Yourself”. Most apparently, we are material creatures and as such are mutable. We change. Change is time. In contrast, God is immutable, eternally so. He does not change. This essay is a meditation on time, on our nature as material […]
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) Poor in spirit. It is amazing how easy it is to gloss over Jesus’ epic red letter words in the Bible. We read his exhortations and commandments through our tainted human lenses and forget that He wants nothing more than […]
Social media is present everywhere you look. While it has its downfalls, if utilized properly, social media can be an amazing tool in strengthening your faith. Pope Francis revealed his insights into social media in a message, entitled Communication, and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter, for the 50th World Day of Social Communications released by the […]
The Faithful Are Abandoning Ship “Crisis of faith” is a popular term bandied about to describe what is going on in the Church today. The Catholic Church had been the faithful’s arc of safety and spiritual refuge up until recently. The crisis of faith among the faithful and our clergy is alarming. Conflicting statements and […]
My Enemy is My Neighbor: Becoming a Good Samaritan
“Who is my neighbor?” Today, I think, this question is more pertinent than ever. Social media is great at creating the illusion that we’re all in each other’s back pocket. But it comes at the cost of making friendship more of an abstraction, as we make “friends” of people who are little more than an […]
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Sun Tzu- The Art […]
The eternal recurrence In The Gay Science and other works, Nietzsche presents his idea of the eternal recurrence. The demon in Nietzsche’s work poses this question “Do you want this once more and also for innumerable times?” (The Gay Science, 341). According to Nietzsche, most of us would tremble at this question because we do […]
The Catholic Church’s Commitment to Counteracting Racism
As an African-American Catholic, I revel in the opportunity to share that my father, a convert to the Catholic faith, was initially drawn to Catholicism through the witness of President John F. Kennedy Jr., our first – and, to date, only – Catholic president, who contributed to the setting of the civil rights legislation that […]
Let Christ Rip The Rug Up From Under You
When Jesus invites us to die to ourselves, He is not referring to some pious act of self-sacrifice which will make us look or feel holy. No, He has something much more radical in mind. The kind of inner transformation Christ desires will literally rip the rug up from under our feet and shatter our […]
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