July 14, 2018Today I was reading the middle chapters of the Holy Gospel according to Luke. They are some of my favorites. The Gospel of the Prodigal Son was quite a challenge today. I know of that mercy which our Lord described. I have received that mercy which he shows. And yet, even more so …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Ephesians 5:21-33
The Magisterium of the Church has faithfully preserved the tradition of sound Scriptural interpretation. Pope Benedict summarized the four necessary components of properly interpreting the scriptures in a February 2010 audience; “the literal or historical, the allegorical or Christological, the tropological or moral, and the anagogical, which orients a person to eternal life. Today it …
The Commandments and Questions on Same-Sex Parenting
Fr. John Harvey, the founder of the admirable organization Courage, spoke at my seminary while I was doing graduate theology studies. He made a straightforward statement about the Bible and homosexuality that I noted well at the time. I have occasionally recalled his statement, and at times cross referenced it with other situations. I think …
Continue reading “The Commandments and Questions on Same-Sex Parenting”
My Take on Baptism in Acts of the Apostles
In my first post, Theophilus….Ok, that was a bad idea. For the record, that was a joke based on the way St. Luke begins the Gospel of Luke, and then begins the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke wrote both books, so when I say “Acts says,” it means both “what St. Luke wrote here.” …
Continue reading “My Take on Baptism in Acts of the Apostles”
A QUESTION ABOUT BAPTISM
Let me preface this piece with a little insight into the life of a country priest. I just finished an unfortunate but necessary extra finance meeting for the parish. Church furnaces (in the plural!) are out of order, and at least one of them is going to be replaced as of tonight’s meeting. I further …
Random Thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer
“Give us this day our daily bread.” This is truly a reminder of the manna in the desert. This could also be translated “give us only for today our sustenance from heaven.” It is a reminder of our mortality, that God never promises us tomorrow, but only today.“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who …
Holy Thursday for my parish
Text prepared for the Holy Thursday Homily in St. Paul’s Church, Thursday April 13th, 2017.This special Mass of the Lord’s Supper brings us into the unique experience of encountering Jesus among the settings and experiences which he went through, 2000 years ago. On the day he celebrated the Last Supper, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. …
The Creed of the Catholic Church
This Lent I am preaching about the Creed of the Church: the Creed that we name after the 12 Apostles, and the Church that those 12 Apostles started with the authority from Jesus himself. (Those homilies are recorded here.) Too many times I have said the Creed at Mass without thinking. I know the full …
The Immaculate Conception
Christmas songs are abounding here in the second week of Advent. Omitting some background story, I committed myself to explaining, according to the Catholic faith, what is lacking in a particular popular Protestant Christmas song. I really don’t have to do much to analyze the lyrics of Mary Did You Know,because Fr. Geoff Horton has already …
Abortion, Prayer, and Social Action
“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). While Scripture permanently reminds us, with these words of St. James, that it is not enough just to believe that something is true without actualizing that faith concretely, we can in fact focus centrally on what it is we believe. Indeed we need, every now and then, to …
Ubi Petrus VT 