Category: Discipleship

In the year 361 A.D., Flavius Claudius Julianus became the new Roman emperor. A nephew of Constantine, he is known as Julian the Apostate, for he was the last pagan Roman emperor, and he desired to convert the people he ruled away from Christianity and back to the pagan beliefs

This week’s post looks at the final four principles of Catholic Social Teaching. (4) Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: Both the Old and New Testament speak repeatedly to our obligation to show special concern for the poor and vulnerable. Jesus spoke of His concern for the poor many times:

Jesus was not a politician. He pointedly did not seek any earthly power. He did not explain what kind of government would be best or what levels of taxation are appropriate. Politicians tread dangerously when they, in effect, seek His endorsement for their own ideologies. And yet, His teachings, because

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own sight.” (Judges 21:25) This verse, which concludes the Book of Judges, is a fitting summary for the book as a whole. The Israelites continually rebel against God, only for a prophet to arise

“He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to

I highly recommend Peter Kreeft’s book How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint. Kreeft is a professor at Boston College and has written many books about the faith. I’ve liked all the ones I’ve already, but How to Be Holy might be the best: it’s concise, deep

What is freedom? There is a modern definition of freedom that is freedom to. These are the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We are free to speak as we choose. Free to write as we choose. Free to meet with who we choose. Above all, free to worship

“[Saint Joseph] also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” It’s not always easy to accept the fact that we’re not

On December 8th of 2020 Pope Francis declared a “Year of Saint Joseph.” The pope also wrote an apostolic letter, “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”) proclaiming the virtues of Saint Joseph and encouraging the faithful to follow in his footsteps. For fathers especially, the example of Saint Joseph is

God is absolutely true, absolutely good, and absolutely beautiful. Every smidgen of truth, every iota of goodness, and every ounce of beauty come from God. Having children is a good thing. Having children is a beautiful thing. And having children is a true thing – true in the profound sense