I. Sharing a Path With ChristYesterday, Fr. Ruskamp (a cross-stitcher for Christ) gave a pretty fascinating homily that I’d like to build off of a bit – what comes next is sort of a hybrid between his homily and my thoughts. The Second Reading was 1 John 3:1-3: Beloved: See what love the Father has… Continue reading Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day
Tag: justification
A Reformed View of James 2:24, Part II
I previously presented and rebutted one of what I’ve found to be the clearest and most charitable Reformed presentations of James 2:24 (or perhaps more accurately, the entire second part of the James 2). My rebuttal is right here, and probably is needed reading to make sense of the response below. Anyways, I sent my… Continue reading A Reformed View of James 2:24, Part II
A Reformed View of James 2:24
Catholics are often befuddled at how Protestants can believe in justification by faith alone, when James 2:24 says, “See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” And in fact, I remain convinced that it’s a pretty open-and-shut argument against the doctrine. But in looking for some Reformed (Calvinist) views on… Continue reading A Reformed View of James 2:24
Are the Early Church Fathers Calvinist or Catholic?
In a post entitled “Non Sequitur Illustrated,” TurretinFan (who I don’t know from Adam), has this to say about part one of my multi-part post on the roots of relativism in Protestantism: Here is a classic non sequitur: “The biggest reason I think that Protestantism lies at the heart of relativism is this. Protestants are… Continue reading Are the Early Church Fathers Calvinist or Catholic?
How the Reformation Failed
Remember that the Reformers set out to reform all of Christendom; that they ended up with countless minor factions bickering amongst themselves and against Catholicism and Eastern/Oriental Orthodoxy means that the Reformation was, at least to an extent and despite many notable successes, a failure. I. Christendom Understood Core [Capital-T] Truths Before the ReformationPrior to… Continue reading How the Reformation Failed
Some Comments on Total Depravity
I’ve gotten a number of insightful and thought-provoking comments here on the blog since I started it in April. And honestly, it’s the biggest thing keeping me going on this at times. If I felt like this was just an echo chamber for people who already felt the same way that I do, I’d have… Continue reading Some Comments on Total Depravity
Does Tobit 12:9 Contradict the Rest of the Bible?
Protestants often raise Tobit 12:9 to argue against the authenticity of the Deuterocanon. The argument goes something like this. Tobit 12:9 says that, “For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fullness of life.” This, they argue, is works-righteousness. This… Continue reading Does Tobit 12:9 Contradict the Rest of the Bible?
The Real Debate On Faith and Works
I think C.S. Lewis said it best when he said, “Regarding the debate about faith and works: It’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important.” There is a real difference between the sola fide position and the Catholic position, but not half as much as might be claimed. It seems… Continue reading The Real Debate On Faith and Works
Be Wary of the “Sabbatine Privilege”!
Today is the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I hate to be a wet blanket, but a lot of the legends surrounding the so-called brown scapular (that is, the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) are just that: legends. If you go to daily Mass, you may hear something about it,… Continue reading Be Wary of the “Sabbatine Privilege”!
To Be Converted
One of the best blogs on the internet, in my opinion, is Jennifer F.’s blog, Conversion Diary. In one of her most recent posts, she explains how she chose the name for the blog (it’s #3 on the list). Anyways, it’s based on a really great quote from Pope Benedict, so I thought I’d pass… Continue reading To Be Converted