The Miracle of Sharing
In his Angelus address this morning, Pope Francis spoke about today’s Gospel reading, the Miracle of the Loaves that opens the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. As he has done in the past, Pope Francis made...
Category: Reflection
The Destroyer of Worlds
In 2017 Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast released an episode called “The Destroyer of Worlds.” I’d recommend everybody listen to it, but don’t expect to come away feeling buoyant about humanity’s future. The title “Destroyer of Worlds” is a quote...
Traditionis Custodes: A Bitter Pill
When I heard that Pope Francis had promulgated a motu proprio reimposing restrictions on the celebration of the 1962 Missal (or the Vetus Ordo), my first thought was this was greatly needed and long overdue. My second thought was that...
Traditionis Custodes: In the Hope of Liturgical Reform
In his post yesterday, Adam Rasmussen explained the theological and ecclesiological reasons for Pope Francis’s motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes. In the midst of all the controversy, there is much hope to be found in this rather bold decision. I don’t...
The Scandal of the Incarnation
In his Angelus address last Sunday, Pope Francis delivered a beautiful reflection on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ—a dogmatic teaching that is unique and essential to the Christian religion. From the very first months of his papacy, he expressed his...
The encounter with the sacred mystery of the other
Two days before Fr. James Martin, SJ, shared an image of the personal letter sent to him by Pope Francis, in which the pope offered Fr. Martin affirmation, guidance, and prayers for the upcoming Outreach LGBTQ Catholic Ministry Webinar, my...
The human face of India’s pandemic: A young priest dies
O King, the woods are ashes, No spots remain at crematoria, O King, there are no carers, Nor any pall-bearers, No mourners left And we are bereft With our wordless dirges of dysphoria — from the poem ‘Shabvahini Ganga’ (‘A...
The Liberating and Ever-New Path of Jesus
In this morning’s General Audience address, Pope Francis began a new catechesis series on St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In just a few words, he returned to some familiar themes: inculturation of the Gospel, trust, discernment, prayer, and rigidity....
Parables of the kingdom and hidden acts of faith
Note: Continuing in this week’s ecumenical spirit, fostered by Gareth Thomas’s reflection yesterday on the Taizé community in France, today we have a piece by our friend Julian Waldner. Julian is a Hutterite Christian (a tradition that traces its roots...
“Are we a Church that responds to the true needs of our people?”
I first heard Christophe Pierre speak in person at an event in New York City in February of 2019. His infectious smile and hearty laughter revealed, it seemed to me, a person filled with genuine joy. (His delightful French accent...
Prayer Is the “Breath of Faith”
Faith is the miraculous gift of God. In faith, we are reborn. Through faith, we are sustained by God’s grace. But how do we nurture faith? In a recent Wednesday catechesis, Pope Francis said, “We grow in faith inasmuch as...
LGBTQ+ Catholics and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Catechism says that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is “the chief sign and symbol” of Christ’s love for “the eternal Father and all human beings without exception” (CCC 478). Along these same lines, Pope Francis makes a radical claim...
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