The End, and the Beginning

Christian, church identity in culture

The Feast of Belshazzar by Rembrandt1 Daniel answered the king:“You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else;but the writing I will read for you, O king,You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven.You had the vessels of his temple brought before you,so that you and your nobles, your wives and your…

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Martyrdom

Martyrdom is not popular, much less nowadays. Martyrdom is nonetheless, in a sense, the essence or heart of Christianity, even though only “a few” have endured it. The Church continues its path amidst martyrdom and celebrates it as we do today on the solemnity of St John the Baptist who gave his life as a…

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Contrasts

During the past two or three weeks the gospels of the Mass have shown us contrasts. There are contrasts between Christ and the leaders of Israel, contrasts between those who are willing to follow him and those who close their hearts to the Gospel message, contrasts between the healing power of God and human illness,…

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A Risen Savior

He must rise again from the dead (Jo 20: 9) Beginning with this simple statement, that Christ must rise again from the dead, Aquinas, pouring out all his affection for the mystery of the Risen Lord says, that there are five things to be noted:2 1. The infinite goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ 2.…

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A Forgotten Devotion…?

Old man and a woman with their baby

“Devotion to St. Joseph was a hallmark of St. Teresa of Avila. Teresa attributed her miraculous cure to Saint Joseph. When she was living in the Incarnation Convent in Avila, she was struck with an ailment that left her half-dead. She was paralyzed and was presumed dead at one point. She prayed and prayed to…

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