The celibacy of Jesus, and the Christian response to it, is ultimately a question of love, an intimate relation that is hard to grasp for modern man looking in from the outside. Early papyrus fragment of "wife of Jesus;" Jesus Christ Pa … [Read more...]
Holy Communion: Sharing in the Threefold Munus of the Divine Gladiator
June 7, 2013 by Fr. Andreas Hoeck, SSD
The Church early on espoused munus to designate the triple character or office of the God-Man, Jesus Christ: he is at the same time Priest, Prophet and King or Shepherd. Gladiators fighting to the death; Christ's glorious resurrection … [Read more...]
Thinking as a Christian with Josef Pieper
May 20, 2013 by Matthew Anger
In an age when society is again becoming highly polarized, it is important to remember that the lack of real communication causes a breakdown in civility, and an increase in ignorance. During his long lifetime, Josef Pieper (1904-1997) … [Read more...]
Getting a Grip on Gossip
May 4, 2013 by Dr. Joseph R. Hollcraft
The Church reminds us that we have the obligation to correct our brother’s fault for the sake of righteousness out of love ... We are called to do this in a spirit of gentleness and humility. A First Down Broadmoor Drive Growing up in a … [Read more...]
Same-Sex Marriage and the Natural Law
May 3, 2013 by Rev. Robert A. O'Donnell, CSP
The vertical dimension of human existence links man to his Creator. He is made in the image of God, intelligent and free. ... It is because man is a contingent, finite, intelligent, free creature of God that he is responsible to him for his … [Read more...]
The Beatitudes and the Gospel of Luke
May 2, 2013 by J. Jacob Tawney
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: “Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be wh … [Read more...]
Glorious Wounds—Christ’s and Ours
April 9, 2013 by Fr. Andrew Hofer, OP
You could say that Christ’s glorious wounds are our wounds. He took our humanity to himself in the Incarnation ... Christ’s humanity is completely ours. Central to the mystery of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, an … [Read more...]
Merit Revisited
December 11, 2012 by Fr. Joseph R. Upton
One of the most significant themes is the doctrine of merit. This long-forgotten element of Catholic teaching has made a remarkably ostensible reappearance in the new translation. It seems that the implementation of the new translation … [Read more...]
Philosophy and the Immortality of the Human Soul: A Tool for the New Evangelization
November 20, 2012 by Book Reviews
Problem: There is a need today for the argument for the immortality of the human soul based on reason alone for both believers and non-believers. The first pages of Scripture allude to the nature of the human soul when the inspired … [Read more...]
St. Thomas Aquinas on the Prayer of Christ as Manifest in the Prayers of the Mass
November 15, 2012 by Dawn Eden
The Angelic Doctor’s overarching concern in treating of Christ’s prayer is to show that Jesus’ primary purpose in praying was to draw us to imitate him. St. Thomas Aquinas begins his exposition on prayer in the Summa theologiae by expla … [Read more...]
Avoiding Cooperation with Evil: Keeping Your Nose Clean in a Dirty World
September 21, 2012 by Dr. William Newton
The most important distinction, when it comes to evaluating cooperation in evil, is the distinction between formal and material cooperation—formal cooperation being always wrong, while material cooperation might be wrong if a person does no … [Read more...]
The Value of Philosophy
September 7, 2012 by John Young
True philosophy throws light on all other forms of knowledge, revealing their relation to each other...with philosophy underpinning them all. Especially does it help in the study of sacred theology, the supreme science based on God’s s … [Read more...]
Science and Faith
May 10, 2012 by R. Jeffrey Grace
The theologian today must resist the impulse to denounce a scientific theory because it conflicts with his theological model. The scientist has to resist claiming that a finding of science invalidates a tenet of faith or doctrine. An … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
What is a just wage; the nature of the common good?
February 1, 2012 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Just Wage Question: Can you explain what a just wage is, and how one would determine it? Answer: The problem of the just wage is what has been called the “social question.” In order to address this issue, it is necessary to underst … [Read more...]
Does Morality Inhibit Freedom?
January 31, 2012 by Kathleen Curran Sweeney
St. Thomas Aquinas gave primacy to the natural reason as formative in our free choices—the use of reason ordered to truth, and the will ordered to the good, uniting to make a choice. “Jesus didn’t come to give us a bunch of rules.” Perh … [Read more...]
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