The purpose of revelation is not to confirm what man can know of material and immaterial things through his own natural capacity. The purpose is to inform man of the supernatural plan of God: “His will that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit and […]
As children, all Catholics are taught the Ten Commandments. We learn that it is wrong to kill, to steal, to commit adultery, to worship other gods, etc. The Ten Commandments come from the Old Testament, and for the most part they transfer over to Christianity quite seamlessly. However, there is one exception: the third commandment […]
In the encyclical, FIDES ET RATIO (Faith and Reason) Pope St. John Paul II explains how faith and reason are the foundation for human wisdom. He begins by referencing the Greek philosophical dictum, ‘Know thyself’ and then goes on to explain how revelation builds upon and completes human wisdom. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ […]
On February 22, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the importance of Christian hope in the face sin during his weekly General Audience. Although his reflections focused on the corruption of creation, they are not the opinions of a left-leaning environmentalist but the profound insights of a man of God. The Environment Unfortunately, many Catholics will most […]
This month marks the first anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’. Upon reading it, I was struck by certain parallels of thought between it and something I had not initially expected to be relevant: Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. However, if we are to emphasise the importance of […]
The Book of Genesis outlines material creation focused on the earth. Material creation is in stages with the final stage, the creation of man. A seventh stage, the Sabbath, is not creational. The Sabbath emphasizes the fact that material creation has ceased. The era of the Sabbath is post-creational, except for the continued spiritual creation […]
If we were to follow Richard Dawkins as our guide, we would conclude that living creatures are not created. Opposing Arguments Differ in Defining Design The point to which Dawkins’ position is a counterpoint is the argument for God, dubbed “Intelligent Design”. Both arguments are based on mathematical probability, but reach opposite conclusions. Biology […]
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God” – Anne Frank Last Saturday, I was running errands around Denver. Grocery store, check. Gas, check. Bank, check. I had a handful of things I could work […]
When someone talks about a cathedral or church, we often think about a building. Stained glass windows, candles, crucifixes and tabernacles might come to mind. Words like “chapel” invoke different imagery for different people, but there are similar themes and descriptors. These physical places of prayer are important. However, Christians sometimes forget there is another […]
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19A (KJV). “The laws of nature themselves tells us that not only can the universe have popped into existence like a proton and have required nothing in terms of energy but also that it is possible that nothing caused the big bang. ” […]
Conspiracy Theories and Catholicism is a series of posts about things like albino assassin monks, secret Bible books, pagan Santas and secret councils— popular culture related to Catholicism, sometimes in unexpected ways. If you have a suggestion for a future article, please leave a message in the comments or email me. Prior posts available by […]
\”Happy those who feast on wisdom and savor her knowledge, She will nourish and refresh them.\” Happy Those Who Feast on Wisdom, Hymn for the Office of Readings, 28th August Who is your favorite saint? Mine is St. Augustine (Hippo), whose feast day was last Wednesday, August the 28th . Rather than giving his biography and conversion […]
Most of us love a good mystery. PBS has issued “spoiler alerts” this week for their popular series Downtown Abbey. The younger generation has taken mystery a step further with fantasy worlds of trolls, wizards, dragons, and werewolves. But why do we find it difficult to accept a mystery in real life? St. Augustine famously […]
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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