I realized after I wrote this that today is not only the middle of Holy Week, but the 122nd anniversary of the birth of Hitler. Given that, today’s post is all the more fitting: I. Whose Fault was the Death of Christ? St. Matthew’s Gospel has a sentence that’s generated quite a bit of controversy.… Continue reading The Eucharist, the Passion of Christ, and Anti-Semitism
Tag: Jesus
Obama on Easter
Excerpted from Obama’s address to the Second Annual Easter Prayer Breakfast: “I wanted to host this breakfast for a simple reason -– because as busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something about the resurrection — something about the resurrection of our savior, Jesus… Continue reading Obama on Easter
Our Barabbas Moments
This past Sunday was Palm Sunday, one of the most beautiful Masses of the year. I’ve mentioned before how amazing the music of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter is, and didn’t even mention in that earlier post some of the better hymns (like St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s devastating O Sacred Head Surrounded). But the Scriptural readings… Continue reading Our Barabbas Moments
Three Points You May Have Missed from John 9
The Sunday Gospels in Lent are some of the most important, moving parts of Scripture, hands down. There’s a lot to say on last Sunday’s Gospel (the raising of Lazarus from John 11), but the Gospel from the Sunday before that (John 9:1-41) has a number of great moments which really stand out. (1) The… Continue reading Three Points You May Have Missed from John 9
Jesus Plus the Church: The “Total Christ” (Christus Totus)
On Saturday, I was reading in the Catechism about how Jesus, when united with the Church, forms the “whole Christ” or “total Christ” (Christus totus). The phrase comes from the writings of St. Augustine. Here’s what the Catechism says on it: 795 Christ and his Church thus together make up the “whole Christ” (Christus totus).… Continue reading Jesus Plus the Church: The “Total Christ” (Christus Totus)
The Power of Prayer and the Agony in the Garden
This past Saturday, I went to the Arlington Diocese’s second annual Men’s Conference. It was great, and one of my favorite priests, Fr. Arne Panula, spoke on the subject of “Building Your Prayer Life.” He gave an incredible example on the power of prayer from Scripture. On the night of Holy Thursday, Jesus is physically… Continue reading The Power of Prayer and the Agony in the Garden
The Sign of Jonah
Wednesday, the Gospel at Mass was from Luke 11:29-32, in which Jesus speaks of the cryptic “Sign of Jonah”: While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign… Continue reading The Sign of Jonah
Pope Peter, Part III: Jesus Tethers Peter to Himself
This is part three in (God-willing) a daily five-part series laying out the Biblical evidence for Peter’s primacy from the Gospels. Monday’s post was on Luke 22, showing how Peter’s ministry to the Twelve paralleled the relationship between the Twelve and the laity. Yesterday showed how in John 10, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd,… Continue reading Pope Peter, Part III: Jesus Tethers Peter to Himself
Pope Peter, Part I: Strengthen Thy Brethren
This is my birthday week, and my confirmation saint is St. Peter. So to celebrate, I’ve decided to try and do a post a day demonstrating Peter’s primacy from different parts of the Gospel. I. What Scripture Says Today’s is one of the simplest. In Luke 22:24-32, Jesus tells the Apostles which of them is the… Continue reading Pope Peter, Part I: Strengthen Thy Brethren
Jesus Christ and the Old Testament Canon
Yesterday, I argued that you cannot derive an accurate Old or New Testament canon from simply following the sources used by New Testament authors. They quote approvingly of Enoch and Epimenides, while failing to mention Esther, yet of the three, only Esther is considered inspired. But there’s a reason that the New Testament isn’t a reliable way… Continue reading Jesus Christ and the Old Testament Canon