Question: Can you explain to me the problem of evil exemplified in the Book of Job? Answer: In answer to your question, I would like to summarize the Commentary on the Book of Job by Thomas Aquinas, which I have recently translated. As … [Read more...]
The Work of a Master Carpenter
March 9, 2017 by Dr. Joseph R. Hollcraft
I just finished watching, for a third time, the movie: The Passion of the Christ. After this latest viewing, I was deeply moved by the particular scenes involving Christ and the cross: the wooden beams he was made to carry; the wooden beams … [Read more...]
To Repair the Face of the World
February 21, 2017 by Brent Withers
We visibly see the repairing process on a material, natural, and physical level. If a car or house has been damaged following an accident, then we see the repair work undertaken with the aim of restoring the material object to its original … [Read more...]
Father John Navone, S.J.
His obituary plus two of his articles.
January 30, 2017 by David Vincent Meconi
Fr. John "Jack" Navone, S.J., died on Christmas Day 2016. He was one of our regular contributors, and will be missed by all of us at HPR, and those who faithfully followed his thoughtful essays. May he rest in peace! We are including two … [Read more...]
Whom the Lord Loveth, He Chastiseth
November 21, 2016 by Margaret O'Reilly
There are epochs in every life marked by adversity: times when tragedy strikes, injustice reigns, or when overwhelming pain defies equanimity. One has to wonder at the heartbreak caused by human cruelty, frailty, or even just by nature run … [Read more...]
On Reconstructing Mankind
September 27, 2016 by Fr. James V. Schall, SJ
Managed evolution…is a two pronged attack on human suffering. The first prong is positive, namely the fabrication of ever more perfect humans. The second is negative, requiring the elimination of all defectives, beginning with the smallest n … [Read more...]
A Garden Unfinished
May 28, 2016 by Carolyn Humphreys, OCDS
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: … [Read more...]
The Sufferings of Jesus
March 23, 2016 by Brent Withers
When we see loved ones living a lifestyle that we know will only lead to misery and tragedy, not only for themselves, but also for all those whom their life touches, we are filled with sadness, and a certain helplessness. No amount of … [Read more...]
God’s Loving Providence
February 29, 2016 by Brent Withers
We do not always see the loving providence that God has for each one of us. He has an infinite care and concern for each soul that he has created. In our own lives, God tries, in numerous ways, to wake us up from our slumber, especially if … [Read more...]
More than Sentinels Wait for the Dawn
A Soldier Ponders the Wounds of War and the Absence of God
March 30, 2015 by Fr. Timothy Shea Valentine
I’ve had it, Chaplain. My right leg still hurts like hell from the shrapnel, and God only knows when the drugs will kick in. But physical pain is one thing; thinking about the insurgents I killed in that firefight last deployment bothers me … [Read more...]
To Listen to the Voice of God
January 12, 2015 by Brent Withers
We all have a desire to be listened to and taken seriously. There is nothing more frustrating than not being listened to, when someone does not either look at us when we talk to him, or let us finish our sentences. It leaves us feeling … [Read more...]
Sacrifice, Substitution, and Suffering
December 27, 2014 by Dusty Gates
Sacrifice is troublesome for us fallen humans. It is not only the inconvenience or effort that troubles us so much, because we are sometimes willing to be inconvenienced or troubled for good reason; that is, a reason that serves our own … [Read more...]
Carrying the Cross with Simon of Cyrene
April 13, 2014 by Richard J. Grebenc
We can be sure that Jesus was grateful to Simon for providing some relief during the Passion, but also for helping him reach his goal of redeeming humanity (see Jn 12:27 and Acts 2:23) by his suffering and death. “He summoned the c … [Read more...]
Homily After the Boston Marathon Bombings
May 6, 2013 by Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV
In a moment, the whole thing was changed into a secular Good Friday. A bloody, savage assault on the life of the innocent, complete with nails going through flesh after the bombs exploded. Once you’ve been a priest for a while, you st … [Read more...]
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