Tag: Uncategorized

Today’s question, from Ian, is a timely one. It gets to the heart of the Paschal Mystery, and the relationship between the Mass, the Last Supper, and Good Friday: “The Mass is referred to as the “unbloody” re-presenting of the sacrifice on Calvary. But how do we square this description with the fact that the… Continue reading Stump the Seminarian, Holy Week Edition

If you visited the blog over the weekend, you may have been surprised at what you say. That’s because I’ve decided to undertake a long-overdue site redesign. I have three goals in undertaking this redesign: To cultivate a space for beauty. Beauty and truth belong together. In the words of Pope Francis, “In every age… Continue reading Pardon Our Dust!

Michelangelo, Zechariah the Prophet, Sistine Chapel (1512) Did Jesus confirm the Protestant canon of Scripture in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51? Several Protestants scholars have claimed that he does, and their argument is convincing… on the surface. For example, F.F. Bruce said: It appears that the order of the Hebrew Bible which has come down… Continue reading From Abel to Zechariah: Did Christ Confirm the Protestant Canon?

I get some variation of the above question frequently from Protestants. This objection supposes that we have two options: go to the Saints, or go to God. From a Catholic perspective, this is a false choice. Of course we should go directly to God. As Hebrews 4:16 says, “let us then with confidence draw near… Continue reading Pray to Saints? Why Not Go Directly to God?

Atheistic materialism is the belief that matter is all there is: not only does God not exist, this theory argues, but there’s no spiritual realm. From a Christian perspective, this position can seem baffling: how do these atheists account for all of the evidence of miracles, or conversely, demonic possession? One answer is that they… Continue reading Demons, Playing Cards, and Telescopes

Georg Pencz, Holy Trinity (c. 1530) “God is love.” We’ve heard this repeatedly, but have we stopped to consider what it really means? It’s an invitation to know and love God. We see a hint of this invitation in today’s First Reading from Exodus 34 in which God describes Himself as “The LORD, the LORD,… Continue reading How the Trinity Reveals the Love of God

Yesterday morning, I checked my e-mail to discover that I had been accepted by the Pontifical North American College in Rome. This means that, beginning next year, I’ll be studying theology from some of the best minds in the Church in the heart of the Church, the Eternal City. I don’t know that many details… Continue reading Romeward Bound!

So this summer, I’m going to be working under Fr. Tom Aduri at Mother Teresa of Calcutta parish in Topeka, Kansas. I spoke with him yesterday, and he asked if I had any desire to do any faith formation presentations. Obviously, I do, and I have a few ideas for what might be enjoyable and… Continue reading Any Topics You’d Like to See?

Hans Memling, The Presentation in the Temple (1463) Do the Virgin Mary’s actions at the Feast of the Presentation prove or disprove her sinlessness? Here’s the passage in question (Luke 2:22-24): And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they [Joseph and Mary] brought him  [Jesus] up to Jerusalem… Continue reading The Feast of the Presentation: a Smoking Gun for Mary’s Sinlessness