The Parish Is a Gift
We are who we are because of the radical gift of God’s love as revealed in faith. Our identity as Catholic Christians can only be understood in the context of this gift. Everything else is ancillary. As Pope Francis says...
Category: Reflection
We must let ourselves be evangelized
“Jesus’ followers recognize themselves by their closeness to the poor, the little ones, the sick and the imprisoned, the excluded and the forgotten, those without food and clothing.” — Pope Francis General Audience August 19, 2020 In his General Audience...
The Spirit of Vatican II: Out into the Deep
“By the power of the risen Lord [the Church] is given strength that it might, in patience and in love, overcome its sorrows and its challenges, both within itself and from without, and that it might reveal to the world,...
Saint Peter: First Among the Twelve
On the 2018 Easter Vigil, I became a Catholic Christian. After many years of intense theological debate and challenging my stubbornness to believe, my faith journey finally culminated that evening in our city’s cathedral. As with most converts, one of...
One of us dwells in the flesh in Heaven
Before today’s Angelus, Pope Francis spoke about the Assumption of Mary: “When man set foot on the moon, he said a phrase that became famous: ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ In essence, humanity had...
The real harm caused by papal critics
A piece I wrote was published today in America. It was very difficult to write, but as Sam Rocha mentioned in our most recent podcast, it’s important that we share our stories. I’m telling my story because I know I...
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Quest for Peace
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski are infamous examples of mass destruction of human life during wartime. Two dates this month—August 6 and August 9—mark the 75th anniversaries of the bombings. On the first of the two anniversaries I...
Peter exercised his authority from the beginning
“From the Church’s beginning Peter exercised decisive authority at the highest level. This exercise, accepted and recognized by the community, is historical confirmation of the words Christ spoke regarding the mission and power of Peter.” — Pope Saint John Paul...
Smiling with Pope Francis
Friend of WPI, Jose Rodriguez, recently had me on his podcast, Conversation on Tap, to talk about our mutual love of Pope Francis. It was a joy being able to share what I find most compelling about Francis without getting...
Warrior Nun: When Catholic Motifs Meet Pop Culture Vacuity
I had never heard of Warrior Nun until my fellow Where Peter Is contributors started talking about it earlier this month. I watched the trailer (language warning) and it looks utterly absurd. People dressed like nuns and priests, and a...
Do You Understand These Things?
A reflection on the Mass readings for Sunday, July 26, 2020. One of the dialogue lessons in my Spanish learning app is the story of a girl who, while looking around in the attic, accidentally discovers an antique lamp. As...
“Whoever succeeds to the Chair of Peter”
Tomorrow, July 18, 2020, marks the 150th Anniversary of the promulgation of the 1870 document Pastor Aeternus, the First Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ. This document formally spelled out the Church’s teaching on the nature of...
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