The Anatomy of Original Sin
Last week we explored the creation accounts of Genesis, finishing with the account of original sin, that committed by Adam and Eve. Today and tomorrow I’d like to examine original sin more closely. Today, I’ll present the stages of sin that are manifested in Adam’s and Eve’s struggle. Many tend to describe original sin merely […]
A Slide Show of Sanctity – A Homily for the 6th Sunday of the Year
The Gospel for Sunday’s Mass is from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), specifically 5:17-37. In a way the Lord is drawing a picture for us of the transformed human person. He is presenting a kind of slide show of what sanctity really is. In understanding this rather lengthy text we do well to […]
Never Say Never, as Seen in a Commercial
I have met a good number of people who at one time said that they would never become Catholic yet now are; some are lay leaders in the Church and some are even priests! I have met other people who at one time said that they would never believe in God, yield to any religious […]
Stern Love – A Meditation on a Moment When Jesus Was Unkind
The Gospel for today’s Mass shocks most modern readers and perhaps a few ancient ones as well. It is the story of the Syrophoenician woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter. But Jesus ignores and then rebuffs her. Our shock says perhaps more about our poor understanding of love than about Jesus’ terse response. For review, here is […]
All Things Wise and Wonderful; All Creatures Great and Small
We have been reading the Genesis account of Creation in Mass, and so I’d like to ponder with you the awesome mystery of size and numbers as we look outward to all creatures great and inward to all creatures small. Outer Space: As we look out on God’s universe, we cannot even fathom how huge […]
On “Church-speak” and the Tendency to be Obscure
Many groups have a tendency to use words that make sense to their members but are unintelligible to outsiders. I have sometimes had to decode “Church-speak” for recent converts. For example, one time I proudly announced, “RCIA classes will begin next week, so if you know anyone who is interested in attending please fill out […]
On the Chin Paten and How It Was Once Thought Impious
Such a small but highly significant thing, the chin paten. It is used is to catch a host or piece of a host that might otherwise fall to the ground. It is another reminder of the real, true, and substantial presence of Christ in even the smallest particle of the host. Today, the chin paten […]
Our Dying Universities
The last vestiges of the once impressive institution known as the “university” are disappearing as our culture continues to crumble. Perhaps it is poetic justice, since the universities themselves have been a central cause of the cultural collapse that is burying them. The recent riots at the University of California at Berkeley and on other […]
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