Archives for December 2024

Homilies for January 2025

For January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God), January 5 (Epiphany), January 12 (Baptism of the Lord), January 19, and January 26  Homily for Mary, Mother of God by Rev. John P. Cush All others by Br. Lawrence Joshua Johnson, … [Read more...]

Celebrating 125 Years of Homiletic & Pastoral Review

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” So writes T.S. Eliot in his “Little Gidding” in his Four Quartets (1941). The same can be said … [Read more...]

Prayer and Social Transformation

We are now in 2025, the Jubilee year, with the theme of “Pilgrims of hope.” For the whole of the preceding year, our prayer has been preparing us all for this moment. In 2024, we have lived “a privileged time in which to rediscover the value … [Read more...]

Meeting at the Well

Relational Pro-Life Ministry in the Post-Roe Era

It has already been about two and a half years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a stunning political victory for the pro-life movement. At the time of this r … [Read more...]

“Rejoicing in Hope” with Mary

Marian Devotion as Remedy to Secularist Hopelessness

A shortcut to hope For a priest it is always heartening when a woman shares the news that she is expecting a baby, and asks for prayers for her and her new child at Mass. Motherhood is always a source of hope. An expectant mother embodies … [Read more...]

Perseverance in Ministry: Lessons from Saint Peter Faber for Discouraging Times

The Catholic Church in Germany was a total mess. Prelates were more interested in secular affairs and maintaining their own comfort than actually worshipping Jesus or sharing his teachings. When they did preach and engage in “spiritual” or “ … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – January 2025

How Does St. Thomas Aquinas Argue for God’s Existence? Question: I have heard about Aquinas’ five proofs for the existence of God years ago and I never really understood them. Would you be able to explain them and briefly comment on them? A … [Read more...]

Book Reviews – January 2025

Christ Brings All Newness: Essays, Reviews and Reflections. By Robert P. Imbelli. Reviewed by Rev. Bradley D. Easterbrooks. (skip to review) What Would Socrates Say? An Introduction to Philosophy by the Socratic Method. By Peter Kreeft. … [Read more...]