Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
In November, Catholics are encouraged to meditate on the “Last Things.” As you know, I write quite often on Hell. But I have written on Heaven, too. In this post I propose simply to set forth how much of our liturgy is a kind of dress rehearsal for Heaven. Indeed, Catholics are often unaware just how biblical …
For ongoing education and spiritual growth, I am always reading. One of the books I am currently reading is Peter Kreeft’s Angels and Demons. As most of you know, I have often expressed concern that angels have been sentimentalized and even trivialized. Most people’s conception of angels is far from what the Bible describes! If you …
Earlier this week we read the magnificent hymn from Philippians, which sings of the Humility of Jesus: Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the …
Continue reading “Why Did Christ Humble Himself in the Face of Evil?”
Today is the Feast of All Souls. Today we pray for the souls of all the faithful departed in Purgatory. It makes sense for us to reflect on the Doctrine of Purgatory and its roots. The Catholic teaching on Purgatory is one of the teachings of the Church that many struggle to understand today. Non-Catholics …
Continue reading “99 and a Half Won’t Do – A Homily for All Souls Day”
A very common word in the New Testament is “deceived.” In English we tend to think of this word as referring to someone who has been tricked or fooled. And thus the emphasis is on intellectual terms. The Greek and Latin roots, however, have an almost physical dimension to them. The Latin roots for “deceived” or “deception” are de- (from) + capere (to …
Continue reading “Do Not be Deceived! A Meditation on a Constant Theme of Scripture”
This morning, I celebrated one of the most remarkable funerals of my 25 years as a priest. With the body present, I sang a Requiem Mass for a man who died ten years before I was born. On January 1, 1951, Private First Class Arthur Richardson of A Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division …
In today’s Gospel the Lord firmly sets before us the need for the Cross, not as an end in itself, but as the way to glory. Let’s consider the Gospel in three stages. I. The Pattern that is Announced – The text says, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem …
Continue reading “Every Round Goes Higher, Higher – A Homily for the 22nd Sunday of the Year”
It is critical for us who would preach the Gospel to ponder what sorts of presuppositions our listeners bring to the conversation. Today, sadly, there are many trends that have poisoned the culture and make our task much more difficult. But difficult does not mean impossible. It helps to describe modern mindsets not to despair of …
Continue reading “Six Presuppositions that Challenge the Modern Evangelist”