I have a personal motto, one that unfortunately I don’t always follow: don’t read the comments! I am referring to the comments that often accompany posts on Facebook, or blogs, or other social media. My reason for avoiding them is to avoid t … [Read more...]
Upbuild, Encourage, and Console: On Becoming a More Prophetic Church
The Book of Jonah
On Repentance, Mission, and Compassion
Of the twelve minor prophets, the book that has been consistently pondered and examined with much fascination is the Book of Jonah. This is attributed to its mythical imagery, which illustrates the prophet’s journey to the land of Nineveh. U … [Read more...]
Who Were the Magi,
and Why Were They Wise?
“Where is the newborn King?” the Magi from the East asked the people of Jerusalem. “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Mt 2:1–12). The Magi followed the star to the newborn King and then, having been warned in a d … [Read more...]
Are Eucharistic Prophecies Being Ignored?
The startling news of the lack of faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in about 69% of Catholics today should come as no surprise to those familiar with the messages and missions of St. Faustina Kowalska and Dorothy O’Neill … [Read more...]
The Sweetness of Fatima
Catholics begin a new liturgical year by starting with a pregnant Virgin Mother in Advent, and we start a new chronological year by invoking her once again — the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. If God “started” with Mary, why shouldn’t we? … [Read more...]
John of the Cross and Exercising Charisms for Evangelization
A Response to Elizabeth Salas
Once in a while I run into statements like: “Catholics shouldn’t seek to exercise the charisms of the Spirit because St. John of the Cross cautioned against them.” Such concerns come in different forms and are usually raised by people who si … [Read more...]
Second Peter
The Transfiguration Is the Interpretive Key of the Second Coming
Reading Mark’s Gospel with the Faith of Saint Peter and the Church Saint Peter’s Second Epistle soars the heights of the Spirit akin to the spiritual heights of John’s proclamation of the Gospel (Jn 1:1–14). He whose gift of faith caused Ch … [Read more...]
“Power Evangelization”
A Catholic and Carmelite Perspective
I. Introduction “Power evangelization” (hereafter, “PE”) is a rapidly growing trend in charismatic Catholic circles. It can be defined as “evangelizing through signs and wonders,” and promotes the practice of miracle-working by laity and re … [Read more...]
Fatima’s Third Secret—More Relevant than Ever?
For many decades, the “Third Secret of Fatima” was considered by many people to be one of the great mysteries of the Church. It was part of the message believed to be held back from the public at the request of Our Lady of Fatima, who app … [Read more...]
What is the Gospel?
As Catholics, we’re immersed in the Gospel. We hear about it in the Liturgy, in the Bible, in homilies, in spiritual books, and just about everywhere else we read or hear about the faith. But do we really know what it is? The glossary in t … [Read more...]
Confession of Faith, Eucharist and Martyrdom
With Special Reference to Early Church Fathers of the East
Introduction[0. Paper presented at Theological Colloquium held at St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary, Trivandrum (Jan. 13, 2017). ] The Church of the first millennium was born of the blood of the martyrs: “Sanguis Martyrum - Semen Chr … [Read more...]
John and John: The Last Two Prophets of the Parousia
Prophecy and conscience can be compared to a bride and a groom. Their relative individual strength depends upon the strength of the relationship between them. Prophecy, like a groom, offers itself to the conscience so that the conscience, … [Read more...]
Jesus, the Flowing and Living Water of “Yhwh”
A Biblical Reflection of the Relation Between Ez 47:1-12 and Jn 5:1-16
This essay is a theological reflection of two biblical passages and their implicit allusions in matters of theology and Christian spirituality. The first episode is taken from Ez 47:1-12, concerning the pericope of the stream of water that … [Read more...]
Private Revelation and the Revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
The Nature of Private Revelation When thinking about the idea of private revelation, it occurs to one that there is, and has been, a lot of it going around for centuries; and the reason that it is so successful, both the true and the … [Read more...]
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