One of my professors sent this Post-Election Quiz around today. I’m not sure who wrote it, but it’s timely for Christians who are struggling with the results of last night’s election. After the Election: Perspective Check Jesus Christ, Icon, Eastern Orthodox Altar,Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who… Continue reading A Post-Election Quiz
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Fasting for the Election
With the election coming up tomorrow, one of my friends (and a fellow Kenrick seminary), Davide Bianchini, had a great suggestion: we should fast for the day. Here’s what he wrote: Peter Paul Ruben, The Prophet Elijah Receiving Bread and Water from an Angel (1628) Someone encouraged me to do this, and I thought I’d… Continue reading Fasting for the Election
Two More Reformation Day Ironies
Last year, I compiled a list of three Reformation Day ironies. In a nutshell, they were that Reformation: (1) is celebrated by making graven images of Reformers who hated images;(2) is intended to Christianize a “pagan” holiday, yet is celebrated by many of the same Evangelicals who refuse to celebrate Christmas for fear that it’s… Continue reading Two More Reformation Day Ironies
Does the Real Presence Violate the Old Testament Law?
One of the arguments raised against the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is that it violates Genesis 9:4, which forbids eating anything with the blood still in it. So, for example, Roger Oakland makes the argument this way, in trying to explain away Christ’s Eucharistic discourse from John 6: Master of Sigena,Jesus Amongst the Doctors of… Continue reading Does the Real Presence Violate the Old Testament Law?
What a Priestly Heart Looks Like
St. Isaac Jogues statue,Shrine of the North American Martyrs Today is the optional memorial of the North American Martyrs: Sts. Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf, and their companions, a group of truly heroic Jesuit martyrs. St. Isaac Jogues was influential in my vocational discernment. I knew next to nothing about him prior to winter 2010,… Continue reading What a Priestly Heart Looks Like
Pitting Jesus Against His Bride (Pt. II)
Yesterday, I began my response to David Mathis’ critique of the Catholic Church (which he writes as if he’s Jesus). In that post, I answered his criticisms of Mary and the Saints, the Eucharist, and the papacy. Today, I will address the remaining three topics: sola Scriptura, priestly celibacy, and justification. Sola Scriptura Jan Braet von… Continue reading Pitting Jesus Against His Bride (Pt. II)
Pitting Jesus Against His Bride (Pt. I)
David Mathis, a Baptist elder from South Carolina, has written a post pretending to be Jesus, and rebuking the Catholic Church. One of the problems with the approach of pretending to be Jesus is that Mathis doesn’t actually spell out his arguments, making it harder to show where his reasoning goes wrong. This is compounded… Continue reading Pitting Jesus Against His Bride (Pt. I)
Could It Be That Jesus Had a Wife?
While seminary life prevents me from being able to post as often as I used it, it also connects me with a whole world of thoughtful, orthodox Catholic thinkers in the form of professors, formators, and fellow seminarians. I wanted to take a moment to highlight one of them, a fellow barbate seminarian for Kansas… Continue reading Could It Be That Jesus Had a Wife?
Su Doku and the Development of Doctrine
Lorenzo Veneziano, Apostle Peter Preaching (1370) The Catholic Church teaches that the Apostolic faith, including “everything which contributes toward the holiness of life,” was “handed on once and for all” to the Apostles (Dei Verbum 8; see Jude 1:3). Jesus entrusted to the Apostles, through the power of the Holy Spirit, a Deposit of Faith,… Continue reading Su Doku and the Development of Doctrine
Why It’s Important that We Call Priests “Father”
Some Christians, based upon Matthew 23:9, are opposed to the practice of calling priests “fathers.” They’re mistaken in this opposition, and risk doing a disservice to God out of their misreading of this text. Now, we already know that the practice of referring to spiritual fathers as “father” is in found throughout the New Testament (e.g., Luke… Continue reading Why It’s Important that We Call Priests “Father”