Catholicism is not simply another “religion ... the sacrifice of the cross (the Mass) is not something that a natural religion could or did figure out. It had to be made known to man by God himself. I. A brief, accurate statement of wh … [Read more...]
The Truth About God
June 5, 2012 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
The truth about God is not abolished or reduced because it is spoken in human language; rather, it is unique, full, and complete, because he who speaks and acts is the Incarnate Son of God. Thus, faith requires us to profess that the Word … [Read more...]
On the Promises of God to Mankind
January 1, 2012 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“People of faith tend to have children; those who are persuaded of the randomness of existence tend not to.” — David Goldman, It’s Not the End of the World; It’s Just the End of You, 2011.[1. David Goldman, It’s Not the End of the World; It … [Read more...]
Liberal education and the priesthood
The winner of the second annual Pastores Dabo Vobis Award in Honor of Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.
July 28, 2011 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“Like all great churches, that are not mere store-houses of theology, Chartres expressed, besides whatever else it means, an emotion, the deepest man ever felt—the struggle of his own littleness to grasp the infinite. You may, if you like, f … [Read more...]
The practice of excellence
Human flourishing means seeing what is and acting accordingly.
June 1, 2011 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“A man properly nurtured in poetry will quickly spot shoddy, poorly made works and ill-grown things, and his joy and aversion will be properly placed; he’ll approve beautiful things, joyfully take them into his soul, and from their nurture g … [Read more...]
The ambiguity of Islam
November 1, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“When some fanatics kill children, women, and men in the name of pure and authentic Islam, or in the name of the Qur’an or of the Muslim tradition, nobody can tell them: ‘You are not true and authentic Muslims.’ All they can say is: ‘Your re … [Read more...]
Heaven is not an abstraction
The realism or concreteness of Catholicism is startling to minds conditioned only by abstractions or by materialism alone.
June 1, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“Today’s feast (Assumption) impels us to lift our gaze to Heaven; not the heaven consisting of abstract ideas or even an imaginary heaven created by art, but the Heaven of true reality which is God himself.” —Benedict XVI, Homily, Feast of … [Read more...]
Evangelization and Truth
The Christian spirit has always been animated by a passion to lead all humanity to Christ in the Church.
April 1, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“Today, however, with ever-increasing frequency, questions are being raised about the legitimacy of presenting to others—so that they might in turn accept it—that which is held to be true for oneself. Often this is seen as an infringement on … [Read more...]
The Meaning of Dogma
Catholicism has always taken dogmatic statements seriously because it realizes that the failure to state the truth properly often leads to error.
March 25, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“If the average man is going to be interested in Christ at all, it is the dogma that will provide the interest. The trouble is that, in nine cases out of ten, he has never been offered the dogma.” — Dorothy Sayers, “Creed or Chaos?” [1. Dor … [Read more...]
Is Christianity a Comfortable Religion?
Right thinking about the Incarnation seems to be the single most important issue behind our contemporary turmoil.
March 25, 2009 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
“Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ.” —Colossians, 2, 8. “Jesus’ mission concerns all humanity. Therefore, the Church is … [Read more...]
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