This past May two of my relatives passed away within a few days of each other. One had a Catholic funeral Mass, or the Mass of Christian Burial, and the other had a non-Catholic service. I have only attended five funerals outside of the Catholic Church, and the one thing they all had in common […]
Last month, I responded to George Weigel’s commencement address to the law students of Ave Maria University, in which he urged prospective Catholic lawyers to fight the philosophy of legal positivism, which takes the perspective that there is no necessary connection between law and morality. Positivism also holds that a law promoting an immoral end […]
I am sometimes amazed by the casualness of this generation, sometimes called the millennial generation. In some ways casual is refreshing but in other ways, it ranges from rude through non-committal to utter-lawlessness. Buying and selling is one area which exemplifies this. Before the age of texting, buying a service or product from someone probably […]
Many in the Church have made serious assertions that we can have a reasonable hope that at the Final Judgement Hell will be empty – that the Mercy of God is so great that even those that do not repent will be saved. Some have even gone so far as to assert that in the […]
Pete Socks, the former book reviewer for Catholic Stand is now managing Breadbox Media, a Catholic-based, spiritually-focused, national podcast network. He will be posting podcasts regularly from different shows, introducing our readers to a wide variety of Catholic voices. The Hope and Healing of Humanae Vitae One Woman’s Journey of Faith and Healing on the 50th Anniversary […]
So why are we Catholic? The world hates us, with a passion. By just about every indicator, the Catholic Church is losing its rank among people in the world today as a moral force for good. The ratio of parishioners per priest is increasing. There seems to be no end to the scandals within […]
The Patrick Coffin Show podcast features weekly interviews with A-list influencers and outliers in the effort to recover the Judeo-Christian roots of the culture. Patrick is the Canadian-born former host of Catholic Answers Live, and he has raving fans around the world. He injects these fascinating interviews with his own distinctive blend of depth and […]
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. (Romans 1:18) A major complaint leveled by the media against the Catholic Church is that it is intolerant. Likewise, in day-to-day conversations with non-Catholics and fallen away Catholics it appears to be […]
As I was preparing to leave for college way too long ago, my dad told me to be sure to introduce myself to the “young priest” at the parish I would be attending. Dad knew Father because they had served on a committee together. Talk at that time was that this priest would one day […]
Of the approximately 107 Billion human beings that have lived and died on planet Earth, Jesus Christ was by far the most outstanding, the most influential, and the most revered. He only lived 33 years among us. He never wrote a book, he never held an office, he never went to college, and he never […]
Seventeenth-century poet, John Donne, first included the phrase, “No man is an island”, in one of his meditations and later composed a poem of the same name. Later, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, a folk song echoed these sentiments, “No man is an island No man stands alone Each man’s joy is a joy to […]
Hardship is not pleasant. It creates discomfort in our lives. It inconveniences our plans. It discourages us, causing hesitation and inaction. Yet, properly understood, hardship is one of the most valuable opportunities in the Christian life. It helps us grow in faith, personal maturity, and intimacy with God. The opening verses of the 5th Chapter […]
If I must boast , I will boast in the things that show my weakness (2 Corinthians 11: 30) I like to look for the gift attached to every disability and limitation, believing it will be a path to holiness. I’ve never liked professional labels because the reaction is often, “Oh, that explains everything”. Finding […]
It has always struck me that the Lord started His life’s work at such a young age and died a mere three years later. There is not much recorded about Jesus’ early and teenage years through His twenties, but the Gospel notes the age at which He began his public ministry shortly after being baptized: […]
Recently, I have begun a series on the Catholic understanding of human nature from a philosophical perspective. Before returning to the next installment in the series, I thought it best to give some commentary on pressing issues in our culture. I believe this will enhance the need for a clear and thorough understanding of human […]
I have faced difficult situations countless times, finally learning to surrender control to God after playing god becomes too exhausting. Often He has surprised me with bonafide miracles, miracles even skeptical teenagers could not explain away. One would assume I would be experienced enough to stop trying to control but I am still weak. So […]
The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist has been believed by Christians since the time of the Apostles. Understanding this metaphysically and describing our belief in human terms has been a development over time, but the teaching that Jesus – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – is present in the bread and wine after […]
But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16 A Different Child of God Derek was different. We called him retarded. It was before the term “developmentally disabled” even existed. Derek and I played together in […]
My living room, as do many other Catholic homes, bears the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the front facing wall. This means that anyone who sits there inevitably looks at this image. Most of the times, people feel drawn to contemplate what meaning is given in that image. Such was the case […]
Catholics love to ask for the saints’ intercession, and no saint is called upon more often than Mary, the mother of Jesus. While every saint has at least some devotees within the Church, Mary is loved almost universally. Just about every Catholic has some sort of devotion to her, making her by far the most […]
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. —Genesis:1:1-2 (KJV) INTRODUCTION—ATHEISTS AND CREATIO EX NIHILO It is hard for scientists who are atheists to […]
You are a practicing Catholic and you are going with your family on another fun-filled, summer road trip. Perhaps you have always and most graciously invited Jesus along. If, however, you have never intentionally provided a comfortable space for Jesus in your well-earned, vacation sojourns, here are some ideas that might help to assure Jesus […]
All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord’s; they are holy to the Lord. If persons wish to redeem any of their tithes, they must add one-fifth to them. All tithes of herd and flock, every tenth one that passes under the shepherd’s […]
If you ask me what I know of the accusations against the archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., Cdl. Theodore McCarrick, I must reply, very little. I know he’s accused of sexually abusing at least one minor and three adults; while accusation isn’t proof, the reports seem credible enough to take his guilt as a working […]
Many in the Church have made serious assertions that we can have a reasonable hope that at the Final Judgement Hell will be empty – that the Mercy of God is so great that even those that do not repent will be saved. Some have even gone so far as to assert that in the […]
The Doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist has been believed by Christians since the time of the Apostles. Understanding this metaphysically and describing our belief in human terms has been a development over time, but the teaching that Jesus – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – is present in the bread and wine after […]
Cdl. McCarrick and the Conspiracy of the Well-Meaning
If you ask me what I know of the accusations against the archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., Cdl. Theodore McCarrick, I must reply, very little. I know he’s accused of sexually abusing at least one minor and three adults; while accusation isn’t proof, the reports seem credible enough to take his guilt as a working […]
Some Thoughts on Freedom and Truth
Some 242 years ago Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and the United States of America was born. We declared our freedom from the tyranny of King George. It’s been an interesting 242 years, to say the least. And the country – and the world – has come a long way since then. But […]
The Greatest Challenge to the Catholic Faith
This column is about worldview (metaphysics and epistemology) although it touches on social justice and politics as well. It is about the greatest challenge to the Catholic Faith and gets to the very root of the polarization both outside and inside the Church. The greatest challenge to the Catholic Faith is Postmodernism, which is […]
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