This is the first 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. In my first steps back towards Christ, with the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:2-7; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58) Opening Ourselves to God’s Heavenly Food Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:9) We can all relate to eating. We all know what hunger feels like. We all need to eat in order to survive. But […]
I am no theologian. I know there are probably theological treatises on what happens in the afterlife when we die. I just know there is an afterlife. How do I know? My grandma’s oak table. My grandmother, Iris, was Italian. Her family immigrated to San Francisco from Genoa. She and my grandfather, also descended from […]
For Part I of this series, go here; for Part II, here. When I was a little girl, like all little girls, I was interested in naming and categorizing my relationships. You could be my friend, or you could be my best friend, and those things were totally different. I also had a temporary category […]
As a writer and speaker who frequently addresses topics related to the Second Vatican Council, I read with great interest Archbishop Gerhard Muller’s recent interview with Catholic News Agency (CNA) in which he was asked about the “doctrinal discussions” between the Holy See and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). While declaring his optimism […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Psalm 78:3-4,23-25,54; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35) Spending Time with Jesus, The Bread of Life “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) After another long day of traveling in the desert, you and your fellow Israelites are tired, hungry, and discouraged. “Is […]
First he heard the bells. Sunday afternoon, mid-1920s, Blessed Sacrament Parish, the Bronx. The altar boy rang them during Benediction and young Jerry Ryan, then age four, thought the beautiful sound was coming from the monstrance. Now a monsignor, Father Ryan has been a priest for sixty-seven years. At age seventy-five, he retired, as required […]
THE FACT IS … After college I landed a job as a reporter. “Meatball journalism”—four or five stories daily—was the quota. The editor, Joe D., took me under his wing. He said, “Kid, remember two things about newspapering. First, we are obliged to report the facts.” “What’s the second thing, Joe?” “Never let the facts […]
VESSELS OF GRACE In the 1970s Billy Joel wrote a hit song, “Only the Good Die Young.” The lyrics go like this (but I won’t sing them): “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints;/ the sinners are much more fun.” Sinners can be saints, and saints are sinners. A […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Opening Ourselves to Receiving God’s Divine Graces “In him we have redemption … in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8) Imagine you have just arrived home after a long day and you fumble to unlock the door. When you […]
Imagine this. A religious leader—his name is Jairus—has just received the worst news that any parent could hear: “Your daughter has died.” These words strike terror in his heart, are too real to deny. He turns to Jesus, who says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mk 5:36). Jesus knows what he’s all about. […]
“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 […]
Stephen J. Binz’s passion is teaching Catholics to engage in an intimate and powerful dialogue with God through Sacred Scripture. With graduate degrees from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he is a much sought-after author and speaker. Ten years ago, he completed additional graduate studies in social work and […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13; 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15; Mark 5:21-43) Prayer, A Time for a Personal Encounter with the Lord “He looked around to see who had done it.” (Mark 5:32) Sometimes our prayer life can feel a little like a gumball dispenser. We put a […]
Father’s Day invites us to ask a very important question – what does it mean to call God “Father?” Most of the great religions of the world believe in one God and teach the gist of the Ten Commandments. But that the supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” […]
The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and really become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Have you ever met anyone who has found this Catholic doctrine to be a bit hard to take? If so, you shouldn’t be surprised. When Jesus spoke about […]
“If we wish to discover in all its richness the profound relationship between the Church and the Eucharist, we cannot neglect Mary, Mother and model of the Church…Mary can guide us toward this most holy sacrament because she herself has a profound relationship with it.” (Blessed Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia) At the […]
As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out. Perhaps this is why many inactive Catholics […]
I gave them your word and the world hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world (John 17:14). Today we observe World Communications Day, because communication is important to the life of the Church. In fact, we ARE in the business of communications: evangelization is the […]
In the novel Love Story, Oliver and Jenny want to marry. But their families don’t want them to marry. They are from “opposite sides of the tracks.” Oliver is rich. Jenny is poor. Both are well educated (he from Harvard; she from Radcliff) but aren’t interested in social status. They only want to start a […]
Did Jesus really sin? Apparently nearly 60% of all practicing Catholic within the Diocese of Camden, NJ believe so. This was the findings of a religious survey commissioned by the Diocese of Camden, with the intent and purpose of finding out what people know and understand about their Catholic faith. These results should put all […]
It’s not politically incorrect to believe in God. Just so long as you acknowledge that all are God’s children, and that there are many, equally honorable paths to the Most High. After all, that’s only fair. How conceited it would be to claim that your way is the only way. There is nothing really new […]
“Social issues.” It’s a squishy, equivocal term suited to a mentality ill at ease with the hard-edged implications of “moral issues” and “morality.” What implications? That there are definite moral truths that show some things to be always and everywhere wrong and deserving of condemnation. Not what the “social issues” mindset cares to hear. There’s […]
On Holy Thursday, the night before he died, the Lord Jesus made some startling changes in the ritual of the Passover meal. Instead of being content with the traditional Jewish table blessing over the bread, Jesus proclaimed “take and eat for this is my body.” Over the third cup of wine, known as the cup […]
