When Paul and Barnabas heal a crippled man at Lystra while proclaiming the Gospel there, the miracle at first seems to backfire. By preaching in Lystra, they intended to turn the locals away from idolatry to the true worship of … Continue reading
St. Paul
The Mind of Fear
Brother Phobos sat forlorn on one of the many rock formations encircling his small hermitage in Egypt’s Scetis Valley. With each gurgle of his stomach, his thoughts became increasingly distraught. He had prayed his psalms, tidied up his small monastic … Continue reading
Desiring Martyrdom
The letters of St. Ignatius were some of the first writings of Church Fathers I ever read. One of my friends bought me a copy of The Apostolic Fathers, and the summer before I entered seminary, I read through them. … Continue reading
The Participation Award
By God’s grace, you made it to heaven, and now you’re at the Awards Ceremony of the Heavenly Banquet. St. Peter’s the emcee of the event. He’s been calling out the names of the elect and handing out awards for … Continue reading
Who Am I to Judge?
We are called to be judges, but all too often we are unfit to judge. In the same epistle containing his great hymn to love, St. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for not fulfilling their noble role as judges. Do you … Continue reading
An Undivided House
Social-justice-warrior Catholic or conservative Catholic? Advocate for the oppressed immigrant or for the unborn child? Must the two be at odds? Either of these issues could demand the full dedication of a person. And there are far more than these … Continue reading
From Peter to Francis: A Constant Papal Teaching
At Mass today, we hear from the closing of St. Peter’s First Epistle, which mentions a man whom Peter calls “Mark, my son.” It can be easy for those of us in the pews to forget that these holy saints, … Continue reading
The Gods of the Heathens
Popular Hollywood movies seldom express deep theological insights. The recent Wonder Woman film, while not exactly an exception to this rule, allows the opportunity to reflect a little on an incarnate god (light spoiler alert). The hero of the film, … Continue reading