A New Series: Faith and Film Friday Has the screen taken over our culture? Perhaps we are not yet in a complete dystopian future in which every person’s reality is virtual, but with Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube making movies and … Continue reading
Faith
The Murderer’s Wife
There lived in fourteenth-century Rhineland a young woman of a respectable family. Raised by such a family in a land under the Christian Gospel for centuries, she became a pious young woman. She must have been full of hope for … 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
Childlike Reverence
This final week of Advent is an exciting time as we approach the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Liturgically, there are two unique aspects to this week. First, there are the beautiful “O Antiphons” that are sung during Vespers … Continue reading
Why Faith is Personal
Imagine you’re observing a sunset with a friend. Together you quietly watch the rays of light find their way through the now leafless trees, and you enjoy the brief warmth of the autumn sun. The evening is quiet and peaceful, … Continue reading
Why Doesn’t God Give Everyone Faith?
Those who do not believe the Christian faith fit into two categories: those who have heard the faith and rejected it and those who have never heard the faith. The former group was offered the gift of faith but did … Continue reading
Sainthood: A Place That I Will Show You
Today we are a week away from our big All Saints Vigil celebration here at the Dominican House of Studies. As we prepare for this event, it occurred to me to ponder what it means to be a saint, and … Continue reading
Sigrid Undset and an Escape to Reality
In times of crisis, both personal and ecclesial, it can be a great comfort to revisit the lives of Catholics who have gone before us, who have suffered for the faith valiantly (or at least patiently), and have faced the … Continue reading
Faith Sees the Glory
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). Such was the initial reaction to Jesus of the man we remember today, the man who, tradition tells us, would eventually surrender his very skin in testimony to Christ. Saint Bartholomew, also … Continue reading
Building Shields
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. –Eph. 6:16 Faith, like a strong shield, is our protection for spiritual combat. Shields are needed in the heat of battle, and … Continue reading
1.2 Billion
In the Midwest, July is the official month for fireworks. The moment venders begin selling fireworks directly into the hands of patrons, quiet evenings spent outside in the balmy summer heat are a thing of the past. The sounds of … Continue reading
Woe and Praise
I recently met a young person who told me, “You’re the first person I’ve met who is my age and actually believes in God.” With the growing number of “nones”—those who identify as having no religious beliefs—many Christians worry that … Continue reading
Amor meus et Amor meus
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). The desire to feel God, to experience the consolations and sensible sweetness of his presence, is shared by even the most advanced souls in the … Continue reading
Faith, Hope, and Love Towards Canaan’s Land
Editor’s note: This is the twelfth post in our newest series, reflecting on the Hillbilly Thomists’ recent, self-titled album. The series will run each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the Easter season. Read the whole series here. This post concerns the … Continue reading
Who is this Man?
God is often accused of hiding. The believer might wonder why God does not provide more miracles to refute the skeptic. The unbeliever, on the other hand, may justify his unbelief by a lack of sufficiently obvious miracles. Why does … Continue reading
The Women Who Brought Spices
The Lord is on my head like a crown, And I shall never be without Him. They have woven for me a crown of truth, And it caused Your branches to blossom in me. For it is not like a … Continue reading
The Imperishable Wreath
Every two years, people from all over the earth unite to participate in one of the most internationally distinguished events in the modern world—the Olympic Games. It is amazing to see how the scope of the Games has widened since … Continue reading
My Good Friend
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10) Though I could not see the face … Continue reading
A Seamless Garment
At His crucifixion, Jesus was stripped of His clothing, and the soldiers divided it among themselves. His tunic, however, “was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down” (Jn 19:23), so the soldiers instead cast lots for it. Because … Continue reading
Faith and Ordinariness
Christians have faith in the supernatural and live supernatural lives. So why is it that so much of Christian life seems ordinary? Given the extraordinary experiences of the saints, it may seem that they lived a different kind of life … Continue reading
Blood Red Love
The love of St. Valentine goes unrequited on Valentine’s Day. The cities are painted red with roses, lips, young love, and small chalky candies with audacious imperatives: “be true,” “hug me,” “be mine.” Yet, the true red of St. Valentine’s … Continue reading
Opening the Book of Revelation (Part I)
Editor’s note: This post, originally published on November 28, 2011, is the first in a series on the Book of Revelation. You can read the whole series here. Fr. Leo Checkai was ordained a priest in May 2014 and now … Continue reading
Fake News Is Great News
I have known many men who wished to deceive, but none who wished to be deceived. –St. Augustine “Fake news” has become big news in recent months. How could the proliferation of deliberately fabricated articles be a good thing? It’s … Continue reading
5 Tips on Prayer with St. Thomas Aquinas
Throwback Thursday Editor’s note: This post was originally published on November 25, 2014. Fr. John Sica, O.P. was ordained to the priesthood in May 2016. Prayer, St. John Damascene says, is the unveiling of the mind before God. When we … Continue reading
Highway to Heaven
Editor’s note: This is the third post in a series commenting on the first words of Christ as presented in the Gospels. Let it be so for now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. (Mt … Continue reading