The Sign of the Cross is rejected by most Protestants, and misunderstood by all too many Catholics. In reality, it’s one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have, as early Christian history attests. Did you know that Christians making the Sign of the Cross lead to a massive anti-Christian persecution? Or that the early… Continue reading “The Immortal Sign”: The Power of the Sign of the Cross
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Good Friday: A Superabundant Atonement (Part II)
This is Part II of guest blogger Matt Nagle’s response to Michael Taylor on the nature of the Atonement. You can find Part I here: —- III. Hell Hans Memling, Hell (1845) The real Achilles heel of penal substitution, however, is hell. Why? Well if hell is ultimately the just punishment that man deserves for sin,… Continue reading Good Friday: A Superabundant Atonement (Part II)
Good Friday: A Superabundant Atonement (Part I)
Guest author Matthew Nagle How does Christ’s death on the Cross save us from our sins?Several months ago, I wrote a piece arguing for the Catholic “satisfaction” understanding of the Atonement (in which Christ lovingly pays for our debt) and argued against the Calvinist “penal substitution” model (in which the Father pours out His wrath… Continue reading Good Friday: A Superabundant Atonement (Part I)
“By Mercy-ing and by Choosing Him”: Pope Francis and the Feast of St. Matthew
Pope Francis has made no secret of his affinity for the calling of St. Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13). His papal motto is from a homily on the call of Matthew, and it was on the Feast of St. Matthew, sixty years ago today, that Francis had a religious experience that led him to the priesthood: [O]n the… Continue reading “By Mercy-ing and by Choosing Him”: Pope Francis and the Feast of St. Matthew
The Key to Understanding Pope Francis’ Pastoral Approach
“Love It, Learn It, Live It.” That’s the slogan my archbishop, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, chose for the Faith Initiative for the Year for Faith. I was initially surprised by the ordering, since it seemed to me that it would be more logical to put “Learn it” first. Apparently, I wasn’t alone: one of the priests… Continue reading The Key to Understanding Pope Francis’ Pastoral Approach
Just How Effective is Natural Family Planning, Anyway?
One of the major arguments surrounding natural family planning is on its effectiveness. Critics of NFP claim isn’t all that effective at family planning. In part, this misconception is due to two things: Charles Auguste Romain Lobbedez, Family Time (1876) that, despite its name, it There are a wide variety of practices thrown together under… Continue reading Just How Effective is Natural Family Planning, Anyway?
Saturday, Sept. 7: Global Day Of Fasting And Prayer For Peace In Syria
Pope Francis has declared tomorrow a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world. I would encourage everyone of good will to join in, regardless of religious affiliation. The situation in Syria is very grim, and prayer and fasting are powerful spiritual tools. Here is how Pope Francis… Continue reading Saturday, Sept. 7: Global Day Of Fasting And Prayer For Peace In Syria
More Numerous Than the Hairs of My Head? A Reflection on Sin and Its Consequences
I. King David Julia Margaret Cameron, Study of King David (1866). The photograph depicts Sir Henry Taylor as David In Psalm 40:11-12, King David confesses that his sins are greater than the number of hairs on his head, as he cries out to God for help: Do not thou, O Lord, withhold thy mercy from… Continue reading More Numerous Than the Hairs of My Head? A Reflection on Sin and Its Consequences
How the NSA Wiretapping Scandal Reveals God’s Immanence and Transcendence
A while back, I was in an Eastern Orthodox church that had two large depictions of Jesus. The first was an enormous depiction on the ceiling, showing Christ in glory. The second was along the back wall, behind the altar: it was a depiction of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child in her womb.… Continue reading How the NSA Wiretapping Scandal Reveals God’s Immanence and Transcendence
The Chicken-and-Egg Problem for Abortion
A chick beginning to hatch You’re likely familiar with the philosophical problem, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” But I want to pose a different sort of chicken-or-egg question for those abortion supporters who claim things like “My Body, My Choice.” In the case of non-mammals like chickens, fertilized eggs develop outside of… Continue reading The Chicken-and-Egg Problem for Abortion