Tag: Passion

The Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time

For the last fourteen days of Lent, I’m posting one Station of the Cross per day, taken from Pope John Paul II’s 2003 Good Friday meditations, and Pope Benedict’s 2005 Good Friday meditations, both delivered at the Colosseum. THIRD STATION: JESUS FALLS FOR THE FIRST TIME V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi. [We adore… Continue reading The Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time

The Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

For the last fourteen days of Lent, I’m posting one Station of the Cross per day, taken from Pope John Paul II’s 2003 Good Friday meditations, and Pope Benedict’s 2005 Good Friday meditations, both delivered at the Colosseum. SECOND STATION: JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi. [We adore Thee,… Continue reading The Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death

For the last fourteen days of Lent, I’m posting one Station of the Cross per day, taken from Pope John Paul II’s 2003 Good Friday meditations, and Pope Benedict’s 2005 Good Friday meditations, both delivered at the Colosseum.  FIRST STATION: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi. [We adore Thee,… Continue reading The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Is Christ’s Descent Into Hell Biblical?

Grace in Dallas, the blog for Grace Community Church in Dallas, Oregon, had a post entitled “Creed or Bible?” in which a GCC elder seems to suggest that the Apostle’s Creed is contrary to Scripture.  Specifically, he is confused by (and seemingly opposed to) the idea of Christ’s descent into Hell: Whoa hold on there, Christ… Continue reading Is Christ’s Descent Into Hell Biblical?

Did Christ Erase the Need for Purgatory?

Baron Henri de Triqueti,Non Mechaberis (Nathan Confronts David) (1837) A reader emailed me a question about the distinction between the temporal and eternal consequences due to sin  In a nutshell, the Catholic view is that sin incurs eternal damnation, and that Jesus Christ takes this consequence away for believers through His Death on the Cross,… Continue reading Did Christ Erase the Need for Purgatory?

Is it Idolatry to say that Mary Saves Us?

A Protestant friend e-mailed me, troubled by something he’d read in an article about the Rosary, in which the author said: The will of the Blessed Virgin is completely conformed to that of Her Son, in other word – God. She is the most humble and chaste spouse of the Holy Ghost and will never… Continue reading Is it Idolatry to say that Mary Saves Us?

God, King, Sacrifice: The Gifts of the Magi

Yesterday was (for most of us) the Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the Magi’s visit to the Infant Jesus. It’s easy to turn it into something schmaltzy, but this is actually one of the most theologically rich parts of the Bible. Jan de Bray, The Adoration of the Magi (1674) Gold: As I’ve explained before,… Continue reading God, King, Sacrifice: The Gifts of the Magi

Jesus Christ, the New Temple

Christians often approach the Temple prophesies found in Ezekiel 40-48 in one of two ways.  Either they’ll conclude they’re about another literal Temple to be built in Jerusalem, rushing off to the latest ends-times theory, or they’ll write them off as hopelessly obtuse prophesy.  I think Jesus makes it clear Who the Temple is, and I… Continue reading Jesus Christ, the New Temple

The D.C. Earthquake and the One-Armed Jesus Statue

With all the talk about the damage that the recent earthquake here did to the Washington Monument and the spires of the Anglican Washington National Cathedral, I thought I’d mention some earthquake damage which I haven’t seen on the news: my own church, St. Mary’s, now has a Crucifix with a one-armed Jesus, as the… Continue reading The D.C. Earthquake and the One-Armed Jesus Statue