Jesus Christ
Nostalgia and Advent – The Catholic Thing
The word “nostalgia” was coined in the seventeenth century by a Swiss physician named Johannes Hofer. The word was a Latinized combination of two Greek words: nostos, meaning “a return home” (think Odysseus), and algos, meaning “pain.” Hofer…
Seven Considerations on the Immaculate Conception
Many Catholics misunderstand today’s feast, which is also the patronal feast of our nation (the first country to claim her under this title). They confuse the Immaculate Conception of Mary with the virginal conception of Jesus. But today we…
A Tale of Two Prophets
Isaiah stands as the great prophet of Advent: so powerfully does he foretell Christ’s coming (as well as his Passion and Death) that this book has been called the “fifth Gospel.” Later in Advent, we will hear his most direct prophecy: “the…
Christ the Winter Fire – The Catholic Thing
“O God be gracious and bless us and let Your face shed its light upon us.” So begins Psalm 68, often said in the Daily Office, or Breviary, at the start of the day. In St. John’s Gospel, Philip says to Jesus, “show us the Father and that will be…
Advent, A.D. 2025 – The Catholic Thing
The Island of Mozambique is a speck on Google Maps, a tiny patch of land two miles off the East African coast. Today, it’s a sleepy UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s also a magnet for hardcore tourists. One reason is its beauty. The other is…
Leo Amid the Heresies – The Catholic Thing
Pope Leo has been traveling in Turkey and Lebanon, doing what popes do on such occasions: Visiting religious and political leaders, signing agreements about further “dialogue,” calling for peace and respect for human dignity. All good things,…
Advent and Christmas with the Church Fathers
Early in our marriage, my wife and I were determined to establish an atmosphere of faith in the home for our children. We wanted every day to be centered on Jesus Christ, the week would begin with the celebration of the Liturgy, and the year…
Time & Eternity – The Catholic Thing
In the 12th and 13th centuries, monks developed some of the first fully mechanical clocks. Their purpose was simple. The monks would come to chapel seven times a day to chant the praises of God and intercede for the world. Clocks enabled them to…
Saints in the Halls of Heaven
Only a few years ago – more than twenty years into my priesthood – I discovered the Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation. They have been in the Roman Missal for decades now, but many of us priests leave unexplored the treasures of the Missal –…
In Search of the Historical St. Francis of Assisi
Pope Francis left the Church with multiple controversies, some that he inherited, some that he induced. Indeed, amid the complaints about clericalism and “backwardists,” the considerable presence of LGBT and feminist concerns in recent Church…