In the comments to this post, a Protestant calling himself “meyu” claimed that there wasn’t any consensus in the early Church on the Real Presence. Since I’ve actually written on this subject before, I challenged him on this. After all, I’ve shown Church Fathers explicitly affirming the Real Presence in the first and second century,… Continue reading Did Tertullian Deny the Real Presence?
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Did Luther Want to Start His Own Church?
Front page of Exsurge Domine,Pope Leo X’s bull calling Martin Luther to repent In a piece arguing that God is the Author of schism (contrast with Galatians 5:19-20, which condemns schismatics) the Orthodox Presbyterian Church elder Brad Winsted recites the now-standard Protestant claim that Luther didn’t really want to start his own church: One of the obvious… Continue reading Did Luther Want to Start His Own Church?
American Atheists, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Straw Man
The following is a guest post by my friend and classmate Brian Straus, a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield/Cape Girardeau, in response to the following ad (and the surrounding controversy): An article from the Christian Post Wednesday called attention to a new billboard being raised in New Jersey that renounces prayer and pokes fun… Continue reading American Atheists, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Straw Man
The Fascinating Exorcism Case in USA Today
USA Today, of all places, is reporting on an exorcism case, originally reported in the Indianapolis Star. It’s remarkable for several reasons. First, because of the sheer number of eyewitnesses: the Star interviewed “police, DCS [Department of Child Services] personnel, psychologists, family members and a Catholic priest.” There are nearly 800 pages of official records… Continue reading The Fascinating Exorcism Case in USA Today
Three Major Arguments Against “Assurance of Salvation”
I am frequently asked by Protestants why we Catholics don’t teach “assurance of salvation,” the belief that those who are currently saved are guaranteed ultimate salvation, no matter what. Someone cannot be temporarily saved and ultimately damned. Calvinists and many Evangelicals affirm this doctrine (under different names: assurance of salvation, perseverance of the Saints, “Once Saved,… Continue reading Three Major Arguments Against “Assurance of Salvation”
7 Quick Takes, March for Life Edition: Why We’re Marching
Today is the annual March for Life. Here’s seven Quick Takes for why we’re marching: 1. Roe v. Wade Really was a Terrible Court Decision Abortion is talked about in emotionally-charged soundbites, and it’s easy to overlook how radical the Roe v. Wade decision actually is. A federal law legalizing abortion would be bad enough. Instead, we… Continue reading 7 Quick Takes, March for Life Edition: Why We’re Marching
Simon and Mary: Learning from the TWO Anointings of Christ
How much do you know about the anointing of Christ? Do you know about the leprous Pharisee? For that matter, did you know that there were actually two anointings? There were. The first one occurred early on in Jesus’ ministry, while the second took place in the week leading up to Good Friday. It appears… Continue reading Simon and Mary: Learning from the TWO Anointings of Christ
FOCUS’ 30 Under 30
I recently discovered that I had the honor of being selected for FOCUS’ “30 Under 30” series. If you’re not familiar, FOCUS is the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, “a national outreach that meets college students where they are and invites them into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith.” Their 30… Continue reading FOCUS’ 30 Under 30
Finding Our Identity in Christ
Last week, I warned against being defined by your sexual orientation or history. This raises a central issue, going far beyond sexual orientation: how do we define ourselves? We live in a world with a wealth of competing identities, and it’s easy to define ourselves by something incidental, or at least, something non-central. For example, are… Continue reading Finding Our Identity in Christ
On Retreat This Week
Every year, at the start of the spring semester, each class at Kenrick-Glennon seminary goes on a silent retreat. This means that I’ll be out of pocket this week, at Our Lady of the Snows (which is living up to its name). If you’ve already read the most recent posts, here are a few older… Continue reading On Retreat This Week