Tag: Moral Life
Straining Out Gnats but Swallowing Camels, as Seen in a Commercial
In the Gospel of Matthew (Mat 12:1-8), Jesus is rebuked for violating the Sabbath. This reminded me of the video below, which illustrates how we sometimes follow smaller rules while overlooking more important ones in the process. The Lord Jesus was often scorned by the people of His day, who claimed that He overlooked certain […]
The Ten Commandments Are a Picture of the Transformed Human Person – A Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent
The first reading this Sunday (Year B) contains the Ten Commandments and thereby communicates a brief but sweeping summary of the Christian and biblical moral vision. Too often, there is a tendency to reduce the Christian moral vision to a set of rules. It is sad that many people today resent the Church for her […]
Look for Christ in Advent and Do Not Be Dismayed
During Advent we are reminded to look to Christ and ask for His presence in our life so that we can become deeper, brighter, and richer by His grace. One of our unfortunate tendencies is to be dismayed by the world around us. We must be soberly aware of both the events and conditions in […]
Some Advice from Mother Church, as Pictured in the Book of Ruth
Given our brief sampling of the Book of Ruth in daily Mass, perhaps a reflection is in order. The detailed background to the text is too lengthy to go into here, but a few points will help. The story features three main characters: Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi. Boaz is clearly a picture (or “type”) of […]
Why and How Does Satan Roam the Earth?
One of the more puzzling aspects of demonology is the freedom that Satan and demons appear to have in roaming the earth, causing trouble. If the condemned are consigned to Hell for all eternity, why is Satan allowed to wander about outside of Hell? Isn’t he supposed to be suffering in Hell along with his […]
The Biblical Roots of the Assumption of Mary
While the actual event of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven is not recorded in the Scriptures, there is a biblical basis for the teaching that, considered as a whole, confirms Catholic teaching as both fitting and in keeping with biblical principles. Let’s ponder this feast in stages: The Assumption Explained – To be “assumed” […]
Biblical Teaching on the Use of Colorful and Harsh Language
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord warns of using uncivil and/or hateful words such as “Raqa” and “fool.” And yet the same Lord Jesus often used very strong language toward some of His opponents, sometimes calling them names such as vipers and hypocrites. We live in a world that often insists on the […]
Fortitude, Patience, and Meekness: Three Virtues We Often Separate, but That Belong Together
There is an important interplay and balance between the virtues that many modern minds set in opposition to one another. False dichotomies often prevail when the subtlety of virtues are lost or their meanings are grasped in simplistic or inaccurate ways. Consider three virtues that are related and which enable and moderate one other: fortitude, […]
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