Today, we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Lots of cool facts are connected to this feast. Only three figures in history were born without original sin (unless you count Adam and Eve… were they “born”?): Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. As a result, we celebrate the Nativity of… Continue reading John the Baptist, Christmas, and the Liturgical Year
The Deuterocanon: the Curious Case of Jerome
If you’re just dropping in, feel free to catch up by clicking the Reese Currie tag at the bottom of this post. This is part 3 of his arguments and my rejoinders on the issues of priestly celibacy and (mostly) the Deuterocanon. He’s in red, I’m the rest. Enjoy! 3) I agree that the majority… Continue reading The Deuterocanon: the Curious Case of Jerome
Charitable Giving by Religiousness and Political Leaning
My friend Lew Jan Olowoski (he usually goes by Jan, pronounced “yawn,” in case you’re curious) highlights a fascinating investigation by 20/20 on which groups of Americans give. Here are two highlights I found interesting: Arthur Brooks, the author of “Who Really Cares,” says that “when you look at the data, it turns out the… Continue reading Charitable Giving by Religiousness and Political Leaning
Fish Heads and All
Today’s first reading was from Genesis 13, and began: “Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.“ The priest (the same… Continue reading Fish Heads and All
Did Jesus Use the Hebrew or the Greek Old Testament?
This is the next segment in an ongoing dialogue with Reese Currie on priestly celibacy and (mostly) the Deuterocanon. To make it easier to see what’s been going on to date, I’ve added a “Reese Currie” tag. Just click the tag, and you can figure out what’s going on if you’re a newcomer. As always,… Continue reading Did Jesus Use the Hebrew or the Greek Old Testament?
St. Thomas More Delivers The Perfect Homily
I heard one of the most perfect, succinct homilies over lunch today. First of all, today is the Feast Day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher. John Cardinal Fisher is the only member of the College of Cardinals to be marytered: like More, he ultimately went to a martyr’s death. [Turns out, my biographical… Continue reading St. Thomas More Delivers The Perfect Homily
Priestly Celibacy: What About 1 Timothy 3:4?
So, you may remember an ongoing dialogue I have had with Reese Currie. It began with an article he wrote criticizing the Catholic Church, and claiming that all sorts of un- or anti-biblical doctrines had become part of Catholicism just since 1000 A.D. I responded to it here, with evidence for each of the items… Continue reading Priestly Celibacy: What About 1 Timothy 3:4?
Oliver Cromwell Jigsaw Puzzle…
… for “kidz.” As a non-Brit and a Catholic, I find the English obsession with Cromwell weird: the guy was fanatical and cruel, a dictator, attempting what can fairly be called genocide against the Irish (killing unarmed civilians and enslaving Irish children, sending them to the West Indes for hard labor), committing regicide, and trying… Continue reading Oliver Cromwell Jigsaw Puzzle…
Priestly Celibacy: What About Current Priests?
DJ AMDG continues his trend of thought-provoking questions with this one about priestly celibacy: specifically, what should happen to the priest in this situation: … a man becomes a priest, goes through all the education and training, makes the sacrifice for HO, but then (maybe in their 30s?) no longer wants to sacrifice. His full… Continue reading Priestly Celibacy: What About Current Priests?
Mixed Emotions About the Death Penalty
A friend of mine from Mexico writes the following (warning: part of it is graphic): Hey Joe, you may have read this already, but just in case you haven’t. It speaks volumes: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_doc_20010621_death-penalty_en.html As for my own views… I don’t know what to say, because I can tell you -because you will understand were I’m… Continue reading Mixed Emotions About the Death Penalty