Catholic Tradition is confusing to some non-Catholics, so I thought I’d briefly address the issue. Sacred Tradition is binding to Catholics, and for good reason: the Bible says it is. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul instructs his readers to “stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word… Continue reading Tradition, pt. 1: Scripture & Tradition
Tag: faith
Paul and the Power of Prayer
Eric Bohn said… Good post. A few weeks ago, at a mass honoring St Paul, the reading of the paralytic was read. I couldn’t help but think that Paul was very much like the paralytic with regard to the faith. If I had to guess, I’d say that the people who prayed for Paul were… Continue reading Paul and the Power of Prayer
Georgetown, Seriously?
I know, I know, on Saturday I said that I would probably do a post yesterday on Christological prophesies in the Old Testament, and on the issue of typology, but I didn’t. I’ll get to it eventually, but there are a lot of other things I want to talk about in the meantime. One of… Continue reading Georgetown, Seriously?
What the Road to Damascus Taught St. Paul
It’s the year of St. Paul. – for those of you who aren’t aware or are not Catholic, the pope declared a year, from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009, to celebrate St. Paul’s unique contributions to the faith. There really is at least a year’s worth of discussion one could do just on… Continue reading What the Road to Damascus Taught St. Paul
Georgetown: Caesar > Jesus?
If you follow Catholic (or even political) news, you’ve probably already heard about the recent scandal at Notre Dame University. ND has a generally proud Catholic tradition, (although there have been a few notable missteps), and has suffered greatly for the actions of her president, Fr. John Jenkins. Fr. Jenkins decided that the appropriate way… Continue reading Georgetown: Caesar > Jesus?
Mea Maxima Culpa
A few apologies I felt were in order: Mea Culpa: I managed to write about papal infallibility with hardly a reference to the Early Church Fathers. The ECFs are probably the strongest support for the papacy, and papal infallibility. For example, St. Irenaeus, in his book Against Heresies (Book 3, Chapter 3, section 2) written… Continue reading Mea Maxima Culpa
Which Came First, James or Romans?
A friend of mine asked: You’ve frequently said that James was a commentary on people’s reception of Paul’s theology. It has always bothered me, and I was wondering what source material you base that on… the most common protestant view is that it was one of the earliest epistles written (c. 47, no later than 49). Considering that, I… Continue reading Which Came First, James or Romans?
Easter Recap
Easter Triduum was mostly excellent. Saw a lot of family (which is great), including a ton of adorable babies (well, 4, although #5 is on his/her way). The Good Friday service was very good, although it was very long (an hour and forty minutes) and I had no seat. Still, I love seeing a packed… Continue reading Easter Recap
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 4: Q & A
This is the last in a four-part series I wrote, upon request, about the papacy and papal infallibility. Part 1 examined what papal infallibility, and is not; Part 2 briefly explains how papal infallibility flows from the idea of a papacy, before examining Matthew 16:17-19, the foundational text for the papacy, in depth; Part 3… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 4: Q & A
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 3: The Good Shepherd Calls a Shepherd
This is part three of an exploration of the origins of the papacy and the idea of papal infallibility. Yesterday, we looked at how papal infallibility is the natural result of a Holy Spirit protected Church lead on Earth by one man. This raised the obvious question: did Christ establish a Church to be lead… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 3: The Good Shepherd Calls a Shepherd