Jesus Christ
The Mother of God, Virgin in the Act of Giving Birth
Did the Virgin Mary suffer the trauma of labor and its pains? Not a few preachers at Christmas Mass speak as if Mary did. But a long tradition in the Church presents a very different picture. First, what does Scripture say? “She gave birth to…
On the ‘Happy’ in Happy New Year
Pascal Bruckner, the political philosopher, is a classic French intellectual. Raised Catholic and educated in Jesuit schools, his adult thought is thoroughly secular. But he has a keen intellect, a clever pen, and a lively skepticism. And, to…
Incarnation Wonder – The Catholic Thing
Many have likely seen the amazing photos from the James Webb Space Telescope showing thousands of galaxies. Not just stars, mind you, but galaxies, each of which is filled with trillions of stars. Now imagine those thousands upon thousands of…
The Holy Innocents – The Catholic Thing
The Church, “expert in humanity” (as Pope Paul VI put it), knows that the mystery of Christmas (like that of Easter) is so great that it cannot be adequately plumbed – let alone celebrated – in a single day. And so, taking a page out of our…
Imitating the Holy Family – The Catholic Thing
The collect for today’s feast prays, “O God, who were pleased to give us the example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them.” Now, that’s a tall order. After all, the Holy Family was exceptional. Inimitable, one might say.…
St. Jerome and the Lion
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”– Revelation 5:5 There’s a story (likely a legend echoing the earlier…
A Thousandfold Intuited – The Catholic Thing
A few months ago, I was lucky enough to be in the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava, formerly Pressburg, staying in the beautiful Old Town, to speak at a conference. To say it is charming makes it sound like a wedding-cake creation; it charms…
A Pro-Life Christmas – The Catholic Thing
Let’s start with the “O Antiphons.” They began yesterday. There are seven of them, and they end on December 23. Then, with Christmas Eve and Christmas, they make nine – a novena – which is a period of expectation, the same in number as the…
On Santa’s Secret Police – The Catholic Thing
The Mahoney and Maier clans have been best friends for half a century. Our kids – their eight, our four – grew up together and remain close. Kim, the oldest Mahoney sibling, is godfather to our youngest son. A former Marine Corps fighter…
Annoyed and Frustrated at Mass
I am often annoyed and frustrated at Mass. Not with the Mass, mind you. I used to get annoyed and frustrated a lot with the way Mass was done when I first became Catholic. But some of that craziness from earlier years seems to have subsided…