In his Summa Theologiae, qq. 81-100, St. Thomas Aquinas discusses the virtue of religion, whereby we render due worship to God our creator. It may seem odd that Thomas devotes 20 questions to this virtue, each composed of several articles. … Continue reading
Theology
Bad News Bearers
The Israelites are standing on the East of the Jordan River, getting ready to enter the promised land. Moses has given them the law, and he speaks now, “Today, I have set before your face life and death, good and … Continue reading
Divine Revelation: The Revolution of Wisdom
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on August 15, 2013 as part of a series called To the Heights. The entire series can be found here. Father Edmund McCollough was ordained to the priesthood in May 2017 and teaches … Continue reading
Martyrdom: Is it really about death?
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on February 6, 2015. Fr. Bonaventure Chapman was ordained to the priesthood in May 2017 and now serves as the assistant chaplain and adjunct professor of philosophy at Providence College for the Dominican … Continue reading
The Faithful Bridegroom
Scripture tells the story of the prophet Hosea, a man commissioned by God to marry a woman named Gomer who will prove unfaithful to him. “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry, for the … Continue reading
Jesus Can
The waters of Baptism have washed billions of men and women. They keep flowing. The Church has absolved sins since her foundation. She still pardons. God secretly has graced and forgiven unknown multitudes. He ever labors. Jesus is always able … Continue reading
Announcing the Winter 2018 Issue of Dominicana Journal: Christian Manliness
Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, that you may prosper in all that you do … Continue reading
Mary the Theologian
St. Anselm of Canterbury defines theology as “faith seeking understanding” (fides quarens intellectum). Simply put, for one to do the work of theology, he or she must start from a position of faith in God. From there, the desire to … Continue reading
Preacher, Theologian, Contemplative
In Blessed Humbert of Romans’ important work, “On the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers,” he calls St. Augustine “the distinguished Preacher.” This way of identifying Augustine stands in splendid relief to St. Thomas Aquinas’ way of identifying him over … Continue reading
The Limits of Flesh and Blood
Have you ever been told of someone who had a purely intellectual conversion? The stories I have heard go something like this. So-and-so reads up on some philosophy, debates some atheists, conducts some historical research, then concludes for himself, “Yeah, … Continue reading
The Adventure of Obedience
God writes the best adventures. From Abraham to the Apostles, God draws unsuspecting men out of their routines and sets them on unexpected journeys. Moses was tending his father-in-law’s flock, but after meeting a burning bush, he eventually found himself … Continue reading
The Dead Man
I carry a dead man around with me. Look, there he is—his body stretched out, hanging by nails, dripping blood. Who carries a dead man around? Do you see him? Look. Look at his face, at his wounds. It’s all … Continue reading
How Can We Understand?
“In the beginning . . .” And from here, many Christians begin their journey through the Bible. It seems like a reasonable place to start, and considering that it contains the beginning of salvation history, it’s not a bad idea. … Continue reading
The Work of the Church
The Work of the Church The Church first used the term “social justice” in the 1850s after witnessing the material inequality plaguing humanity that came in the wake of the progress of the industrial revolution. Blessed Paul VI expanded on … Continue reading
A Post About Nothing
Seinfeld was famously dubbed “a show about nothing.” I’ve prayed about what to write for this blog post, thought about it, and then prayed about it more. But nothing has come to me. Nothing, nada, zilch. So, I’m just going … Continue reading
Announcing the Summer 2018 Issue of Dominicana Journal : The Apocalypse
When the world didn’t end in 2000, some people set their apocalyptic hopes on 2012. After those disappointments, perhaps we should finally acknowledge that it’s impossible to predict the day or the hour. But despite failing to come true again … Continue reading
No Prayer in Vain
Why aren’t my prayers answered? One often hears this question in relation to requests big and small. Why hasn’t St. Anthony found my keys yet? Why haven’t I been able to find a new job? Why did my cancer come … Continue reading
A Friendly Visit
For our joy to last, we must share it with others. Unfortunately, in modern society people too often seek antidotes to sadness and loneliness as if these two plagues weren’t related. We ward off sadness by medication and seek companionship … Continue reading
Who is Jesus After All?
“All men by nature desire to know.” Aristotle’s opening line of the Metaphysics was true of humans then and is true of humans now. Children still explore the front lawn on summer mornings, asking eternally: “What’s that?” But what about … Continue reading
“Well, actually, Jesus…”
Often when I read Scripture, I find myself thinking about my friend Jacob. The reason is not that I see Jacob reflected in the sacred page: I don’t see his silhouette masked behind Psalmist’s righteous man, or hear echoes of … Continue reading
What’s Up with Sacrifice?
Sacrifice is tough. It is even more so because it’s hard to make sense out of why we should bother in the first place. As one who also struggles with sacrifice, I turned to a trustworthy brother (Thomas Aquinas) for … Continue reading
The Eucharistic “Tiramisu”
Roman culture is well-versed in the art of “lifting up” body and soul. As my friends and I experienced on our semester abroad, one is normally connected to the other. That is, if you did not treat cappuccino as a … Continue reading
Queen of Heaven, Rejoice!
Easter is a time of rejoicing. Not just on the day itself, or in the octave, but for all 50 days until Pentecost. This is longer than the 40 days of Lent, which is meant to prepare for Easter without … Continue reading
5 Ways St. Joseph Can Help Your Lent
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on March 19, 2015. How can St. Joseph help you this Lent? I propose five ways. Simplicity In John 6, when Jesus boldly declares, “I am the bread of life,” his hearers murmur … Continue reading
St. Patrick’s Slavery
Similar to the Irish people, St. Patrick moved from slavery to slavery. Looking at the life of today’s celebrated saint, we see three modes of slavery which are emblematic of the people he helped save. St. Patrick and his flock … Continue reading