The Nobility of Matter
Homily for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Recently I drove up to the cemetery to say a rosary and visit my mother’s grave site, as well as a number of other parishioners who are buried there. I...
Tagged: incarnation
Advent: An In-Between Season for an In-Between People
The liturgical cycle has brought us once again to the season of Advent. The Advent season is unique in the sense that it anticipates something we have already experienced. The Christ-child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is the same...
The Incarnation: Beyond the Obvious
There has been something inexplicable going on somewhere deep within me this Advent. I am finding it difficult to put it into words, but Christmas, its true meaning, and all its implications are overwhelming me. Of course, Christmas is the...
The Traditions that Make Void the Commands of God
Can traditions be harmful to the spiritual life? If so, what makes them harmful? Even more importantly, how could a tradition become harmful if it was once beneficial? As Catholics, we are called to hold fast to a certain tradition....
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...
Do you not realize?
O man, do you not realize by what means Christ pursues you in order to call you back? Saint Peter Chrysologus wrote this in the 5th century as a part of a reflection on the Nativity. These words remind me...
“Digital connectivity is not enough to build bridges”
The pandemic has revealed how inadequate our virtual lifestyles are for sustaining strong communities. Yes, the lockdowns, capacity limits, and other precautions were necessitated by a charity towards others in our society, especially the elderly and other vulnerable populations, and...
A Vulnerable God
“Lord Jesus Christ, through your Incarnation you accepted a human nature and lived a real, human life. Setting aside the glory of your divinity, you met us face to face in the vulnerability of our humanity.” This is the beginning...
Recognize and Desist
In talking with friends who are having trouble accepting the teachings of Pope Francis, I have learned not to discount the serious and legitimate concerns they have. They are torn. On the one hand, they know that the papacy is...
John Calvin and Communion in the Hand
John Calvin, the Reformation theologian in Geneva who lead the development of Protestant theology, was nothing if not a brilliant mind. Calvin’s contributions to the history of theology are almost always wrong, but they are so skillfully wrong that I...
Of Warriors and Weakness: A Response to Mark Shea and Mary Pezzulo
Mary Pezzulo and Mark Shea–two of my favourite Patheos Catholic bloggers–have responded to my piece Worshipping Priests, not Warrior Priests. Mark takes the conversation in a new direction with his following insight: One of the many things that anti-Catholic Fundies...
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