A sub-category of News.
The parable of the prodigal son has to be one of the most touching parables of God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness. It is a parable of hope if we are willing to admit our deficiencies and to reconcile with God. However, there is an unsettling aspect to the homilies that one often hears pertaining to…
Since 1948 and the British withdrawal from their erstwhile Mandate over Palestine, the rest of the world has been forced to watch the Israelis and Palestinians do their best to wreak havoc on one another – while the local Christians and the Holy Places are held hostage, as it were, with the former constantly diminishing…
I thank ‘Placidus’, the pseudonymous monk of the order of St. Benedict, for doing me the courtesy of examining the case I have made for Jorge Mario Bergoglio no longer being Pope as a result of his notorious heresy.[1] I do not think that his examination disproves my case. ‘Placidus’ correctly summarizes the argument I…
The release of the latest wave of the Religious Landscape Study by the Pew Research Center shows that the decades-long decline in practice, belief, and belonging continues. For every one convert the Church has gained, another eight (at least) have left, while fewer of those who remain in the fold meet subpar definitions of what…
There is a pretty constant discussion on social media in general and the Catholic blogosphere in particular about the flight from marriage among young people. A subset of that discussion came up in a recent tweet, where discussants debated whether a woman who has reached 30 and not found her “ideal” will have to “settle”…
I turned 45 this year, just a few days after Ash Wednesday. Here in the Northeast, it had been an especially grueling winter for me: taxing on the mental health front, forlorn feelings of monotony and seemingly never-ending days of cold winds and gray skies. Celebrative holidays had come and gone, and I was perversely…
While studying scholastic theology when I was preparing for the priesthood, St. John Henry Newman inspired me to examine early apostolic Catholic spirituality. Then, over 35 years ago now, I sought out a life of semi-solitude to intensify this search and practice contemplation, and I rediscovered the sublime spirituality that we have so recently lost….
As we near Holy Week, we remember the days of COVID tyranny when we were forced to celebrate Easter MMXX in Dry Mass fashion. For myself, I built an Easter fire in my backyard with my son. At that time, I was very grateful to have a Missal. But ever since I discovered the glories…
Above: Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian. In his recent article, my dear friend and editor-in-chief of OnePeterFive, Timothy Flanders, made an insightful observation regarding the Catholic-Orthodox debate between two most distinguished gentlemen, Erick Ybarra and Denny Sellen, hosted by Mr. Matt Fradd who runs the Pints with Aquinas podcast on YouTube. He pointed out that while…
Three years ago, my wife and I received a stamped postcard in our mailbox inviting our children to participate in the newly-founded After School Satan Club at our public elementary school up the street. Thank God our kids were, and continue to be, homeschooled; but I was nonetheless more than mildly uncomfortable with the thought…
