Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
In the Gospel today the Lord describes metaphorically what a Christian is and what He expects of us. Note five things about what God 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 …
Continue reading “Pass the Salt and Turn on the Lights – A Homily for the Fifth Sunday of the Year”
There is a line from the Letter to the Hebrews. In it was an important admonition, especially appropriate for our times: Encourage yourselves daily while it is still today, so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin (Heb 3:12). Collectively speaking, we been hardened by the deceit of sin. Many …
Continue reading “The Hardening of Hearts Caused by the Deceit of Sin”
Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Part one is available here. At its root, anthropology considers what human beings are and how they have interacted with one another and the world around them over time. While many think of anthropology as a secular study of cultures from ancient to modern day, I …
Anthropology is, most simply, the science or study of human beings through time and space. Different specialties focus on the analysis of biological/physiological characteristics and the examination of societies/cultures. In the religious sense, anthropology deals with the origin, nature, and destiny of human beings. In our times there are many moral issues emerging from viewpoints …
Continue reading “Basics of Christian Anthropology (part 1 of 2)”
On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it is a chance for us to rejoice in the great mercy of our divine Lord and our blessed Lady. I am drawn to mediate on the miraculous quality of our Lady’s eyes on the tilma. As many of you know, recent discoveries using modern magnification and …
Continue reading “On The Hidden Mercy of the Tilma of Guadalupe”
In yesterday’s post, we considered the sins of the priests (and they were numerous enough). Today we examine the sins of the people that the Lord sets forth in the Book of Malachi. Here, too, please understand that not everyone is guilty of all of these things. However, they are common human sins and sinful …
Continue reading “The Sins of God’s People As Stated in the Prophet Malachi”
Many Catholics have struggled to find a voice that has been nearly washed out of us by our training. We remember a time when it was unthinkable to criticize a priest; those who did were quickly rebuked, with little opportunity for explanation. Bishops and especially the Pope were not to be questioned let alone criticized. …
This Sunday’s Gospel about the rich man and Lazarus contains some important teachings on judgment and Hell. We live in times in which many consider the teachings on Hell to be untenable. They struggle to understand how a God described as loving, merciful, and forgiving could assign certain souls to Hell forever. Despite the fact …
Continue reading “Ignoring the Poor Is a Damnable Sin—A Homily for the 26th Sunday of the Year”