Joel Osteen’s Sunday message this week, “It’s Only a Test”, was about how facing up to trials or “tests” can improve one’s character. He led off by quoting the first half of I Peter 4:12 : “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered by the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality…” (Amplified Bible). The historical context of this exhortation by our first Pope was the […]
In the days immediately following Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate, the Catholic blogosphere was all abuzz with excitement, but it was also filled with much hand-wringing over the Wisconsin congressman’s alleged attachment to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Now, I’m not talking about liberals in Catholic clothing like James Salt […]
Centuries ago, the Syrian Christian Tatian asked, “Why, men of Greece, do you want to cause society to come to blows with us? If I refuse to take part in some people’s normal activities, why should I be hated as if I were utterly loathsome? The emperor orders me to pay taxes; I am ready […]
Please forgive me for waxing apocalyptic, but lately I’ve been thinking an awful lot about the end times prophecy that speaks of how those who refuse to worship evil will be impeded in the free exercise of commerce simply because of their beliefs. Why, you may ask? In case you haven’t noticed, that persecution is […]
This is the fourth of six articles relating the writer’s journey into the bosom of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Having succumbed to spiritual desolation following the rejection of his Adventist heritage, the young seeker investigates various Christian traditions, hoping to discover the Truth. Part I may be found here; Part II here; Part III […]
The title of Joel Osteen’s broadcast message this week was “Deal With It!” Joel wanted his audience to understand that there were things in life that we were just going to have to deal with and that would entail suffering. I was very interested to see Joel mention suffering in his broadcast, because suffering is […]
In light of the now well-publicized Al Smith Dinner, a number of Catholic commentators, me included, were moved to question Cardinal Dolan’s resolve relative to his handling of politicians who are hostile to the Church. I now feel duty bound in conscience to repent of my presumptuousness. You see, to suggest that His Eminence lacks […]
This is the third of six articles relating the writer’s journey into the bosom of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Having succumbed to spiritual desolation following the rejection of his Adventist heritage, the young seeker investigates various Christian traditions, hoping to discover the Truth. Part I may be found here; Part II here. […]
According to the Compendium issued by the Holy See in 2004, “the primary and fundamental” core principles of Catholic social doctrine are “the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.” All other authentic expressions of Catholic social justice stem from these “permanent and universal” principles. Simple enough, right? And yet, the […]
This is the second of six articles relating the writer’s journey into the bosom of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Having succumbed to spiritual desolation following the rejection of his Adventist heritage, the young seeker investigates various Christian traditions, hoping to discover the Truth. Part I may be found here. “If I was […]
My most recent column, “In Defense of Cardinal Dolan,” generated quite a bit of feedback. Some readers were convinced that it reflected a sense of false hope born of naiveté; others thought they detected a rather large dose of satire. For the record, one of these assessments is correct, but I’ll leave it to you […]
Maybe it comes from watching too many M*A*S*H reruns where Father Mulcahy seemed to be right there whenever a soldier needed him, but I always assumed that our service men and women had easy access to a chaplain whenever they need one. I also assumed they could easily attend regular religious services. But with U.S […]
Will the present whiff of secularist persecution be a help toward healing what ails American Catholics as a Church? Leaving aside predictions, I’ll only say: it may. Cardinal Timothy Dolan has a flair for getting people’s attention. The Archbishop of New York did that recently by declaring the Big Apple “mission territory.” Many other bishops […]
JI attended a Protestant church a while ago for a worship service. A friend and colleague had died, and I was there to pray for him and his family. The church was beautiful. High ceilings, with stained glass windows on the back wall of the sanctuary. A pulpit made of beautiful wood, raised high in […]
Chances are you’ve already caught wind of the firestorm that is brewing around the annual Al Smith Dinner. For those unfamiliar, the entire controversy is based largely on unverified, secondhand, claims that Cardinal Timothy Dolan has extended an invitation to attend the prestigious event as a co-keynote speaker to President Barack Obama – the most […]
The early teen years are a time when charming misinformation is passed on from kid to kid with the solemn, easy assurance of time-tested wisdom. “Schnauzer” is a dirty word in German. The F-word is an acronym meaning “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (in fact, that became a Van Halen album title towards the end of […]
To feed the Israelites during their wandering time in the desert, the Lord caused to appear on the ground a flaky substance that tasted like pancakes with honey. At its first appearance, the people quite sensibly asked what everyone asks upon seeing something new, “What is it?” And that very question became their name for […]
Leah Libresco was raised in an atheist household on Long Island. She gained notoriety as an atheist blogger who focused on such diverse topics as math and morality. She often wrestled with Catholic ideas: the blog, mischievously titled “Unequally Yoked,” initially started as a place where she could interrogate and consider arguments raised by her […]
If you’re not familiar with “liberation theology,” chances are you’ll be hearing more about it in the weeks and months ahead as Archbishop Gerhard Mueller, the newly appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), is said to be a student, friend and supporter of Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the “father” of […]
Jehovah’s Witnesses want you to live forever with them in paradise on earth. To entice you into accepting their offer of a “free home Bible study”, they will show you brightly colored pictures of idyllic garden scenes, beautiful lakeside homes and children romping with lions. The Jehovah’s Witness will ask: “Wouldn’t you like to live […]
“God did not make death, Neither does He have pleasure over the destruction of the living. For He created all things that they might exist, And the generations of the world so they might be preserved For there was no poison of death in them, Nor was the reign of Hades on the earth. For […]
A friend wrote me: I’ve been talking to someone who is interested in what the Church teaches but has a BIG problem with the Church hierarchy. Basic argument: If we love God we keep His commandments. Keeping His commandments out of love is BETTER than keeping them out of fear. And following God’s rules are […]
“He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him.” (Acts 9:29, NAB) When St. Paul began traveling throughout the Roman Empire, truly going into the culture of death in order to proclaim […]
I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’ve never written a movie review for a movie I have not yet seen or a book review for book I have not yet read. But I am so excited by the “buzz” about an upcoming movie that I thought I’d let you in on some of it. […]
