Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
I recently read an article by Damon Linker in The Week entitled Why Churches Should Brace for a Mass Exodus of the Faithful. And while the article presents a kind of doomsday scenario, the actual experience of the Catholic Church would be better described as a steady erosion in terms of weekly attendance. The prospect, in the light …
Jesus once rebuked the people of his time for their stubborn and unrepentant hearts: This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. …
Continue reading “The Problem of A Stubborn and Unrepentant Heart”
Poll taking has its place. But polls cannot establish truth or determine what is right and wrong. All they can do is report what people think at a moment in time. A poll in Nazi Germany in 1940 may well have reported that most Germans thought Jews could be deported or even killed. But even …
Continue reading “Another Poll, Another Poor Understanding of the Nature and Purpose of the Church”
The Story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, is a memorable story for most. And yet it has a strange angularity to it. On the one hand it seems to be a retelling of what is described in Genesis 10 of the table nations who spread forth from Noah’s sons, filled the earth …
In the gospel today the Lord describes metaphorically (i.e. figuratively) what a Christian is and what He expects of us. Note five things about what He says. I. The Definitiveness of his Proclamation – The Text says You are the Salt of the earth….You are the light of the World…..But if salt goes flat it …
Continue reading “Pass the Salt and Put on the Lights! – A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year”
It is a phrase in the Scriptures that, while speaking of mystery, is itself a bit mysterious and debated among scholars, The “Mystery of Iniquity.” St. Paul mentions it in Second Thessalonians and ties it to an equally mysterious “Man of iniquity” who will appear before the Second Coming of Jesus. Many modern translators (accurately) …
Continue reading “The Mystery of Iniquity – A Meditation on the Deep Mystery of Rebelliousness”
One of the more troublesome and damaging human traits is the tendency for us to be deceived. Scripture speaks often of this problem, and we do well to look to some of the texts and see what they have to teach us. Perhaps, it is good it first to look to the Latin and Greek …
Continue reading “A Biblical teaching on the problem of (self) deception”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birth we commemorate this weekend, is most known for his work with racial justice and civil rights. But Dr. King had other things to say as he preached each Sunday, first in his own assembly and later as he moved about. Among the recorded sermons that are available comes …