Credibility Motives

Faith is a supernatural gift from God, a completely undeserved gratuity, a theological virtue infused into a soul at Baptism. It is, in its ultimate meaning, not something arrived at by any logical human reasoning unaided by God's grace.…

Ancient Origins

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (C.C.D.), which is a recent and modern organization formed to provide the systematic presentation of the Catholic Faith in catechetical form to children, youth, and adults, reflects nevertheless a practice and undertaking that appear…

Catechists

Catechists and religion teachers often enjoy a few smiles over the occasional mistakes of their young pupils. The story of Lot's wife (Genesis 19:1-26), as retold by children, provides one instance of this: "Lot's wife turned around and immediately was…

Filled with Christ

In preparation for the next year, which our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has indicated that we should dedicate to Saint Paul, it might be more than useful for us carefully and prayerfully to read over in the…

The Tomb

Because the coming year will be, by designation of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, dedicated to Saint Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles (sometimes called "of the Nations"), a significant amount of attention currently is being directed to…

Great Event

Every year on January 25th, we celebrate in our liturgical calendar one of the most important events in the history of the early Catholic Church. That day is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. More than one…

O Felix Roma

More than a half century ago, when I was a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, I was always moved by the words carved on the side of the roof of that institution, where there…

Celibacy

Our divine Lord, Jesus Christ, told us that He would call with a special grace some persons to give up the joys and satisfactions of good, legitimate, and holy married life in this world "for the sake of the kingdom…

Pope Pius XI

Although he wrote his Encyclical Letter on the Catholic Priesthood (Ad Catholici Sacerdotii) in December of 1935, only a few month after I was born, what Pope Pius XI said then was remembered decades later when I was…

Urgency

During the season of Lent, we are repeatedly warned in the readings in the sacred liturgy that a general and continuing attitude of repentance must characterize and condition our lives as Christians. Always, but especially in Lent, are we to…