St. Ambrose on Mary

Today is the memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church. He was born to an influential Roman family in 340 and eventually became a Roman Governor. He was made bishop of Milan in 374 at the behest … Continue reading

The Martyr-Prophet of Reform

Girolamo Savonarola was born in Northern Italy in 1452 to a well-to-do merchant family. Growing up, he was taught a love for the moral life and a hatred for decadence by his fervently religious grandfather. At the age of twenty-three, … Continue reading

The Preacher of the Incarnation

Christianity is no mere ideology, a set of human goals with no power to save. Nor is it a natural religion, the aggregate wisdom of the sages who through long experience learned to get along in the world. It is … Continue reading

Just One More

I remember the first time I became cognizant of the commission of the sin of gluttony. I found myself at my grandmother’s house with a bucket of gelatinous candies, no supervision, and no stated rules as to how many I … Continue reading

Christian Happiness

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains the radical moral vision of Christianity. Quite striking is the way in which he begins this explanation. He does not commence his sermon with an abstract exposition of morality. Nor does he … 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

How Lonely Sits the City

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the cities has become a vassal. -Lamentations 1:1 In 589 … Continue reading

Morality in an Age of Disbelief

In the twentieth century, many thinkers became disillusioned with traditional morality. It seemed to be a cold and impersonal list of rules. For something supposedly based on a transcendent God, it was surprisingly powerless to resist changing social conventions. Many … Continue reading

Sweeter than Vengeance

Man was originally created in a state of innocence, destined for happiness. After the sin of our first parents, however, original sin was established. Dealing with evil in human affairs is now with us until the end of time. When … Continue reading