Filed under: Reflections | Tags: belief, creation, creationism, doubt, evolution, faith, miracles, problem of evil
Is not your piety a source of confidence, and your integrity of life your hope?
-Job 4:6
I’ve mentioned before that I have been through several crises of faith in my life. I anticipate more to come. But for now, I do have faith in God, and I believe I will be able to hold onto that faith for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, many people today find it increasingly difficult to believe in God. What follows is a brief story of how I came to hold the beliefs that I do today, a cataloging of my journey of faith thus far. I hope it can help you find confidence in your own beliefs. (more…)
Filed under: Homilies | Tags: bread and wine, Communion, consubstantiation, difficult teachings, Eucharist, flesh and blood, sacrament, transubstantiation
This reading is one of passages in the Gospels that the Catholic Church invokes to explain the sacrament of Eucharist. In it, like the scene at the Last Supper, Jesus offers up his flesh and blood for his disciples and followers to “eat” and “drink,” offering immortal life. The demand seems to echo ancient sacrificial religions and cannibalism, and it even sounds a bit horrific-indeed, the Broadway musical “Lestat” about a vampire played off of this quote, and had a tagline that read “Eat of me and live forever.” But if anything, this reading serves to emphasize that rarely do Jesus-or the Bible-speak literally. (more…)
This is it. The big three-one-six. On a sign held up by a guy in a rainbow wig, in a pamphlet, or maybe written in a bathroom stall, this is the most referenced reading in the entire Bible, and many would argue that it is the core of Christian teaching. (more…)
With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
-Ephesians 6:18
Most people pray on their knees, with their hands clasped or pressed together, with their eyes closed. At least, this is the “traditional” form of prayer that one may imagine when one thinks of the word “prayer.” The kneeling is supposed show reverence, the clasped hands are supposed to show commitment and desire, and the closed eyes are supposed to shut out the outside world and focus your attention on God. The last part is the one I have the most trouble with. (more…)
Filed under: Homilies | Tags: God-given gifts, parable of talents, Psalm 50, talents, trinity
This is a long and confusingly-worded gospel reading, but I cannot help but feel that it contains important theological insight. I will attempt to divine what I can from it in this letter. (more…)
