Author Archives | Fr. Paul Scalia

Fr. Paul Scalia - who has written 90 posts on Catholic Exchange.


Contact the author

Cowardly Relativism, Kingly Truth

Posted on 21 November 2009

Pontius Pilate would feel very much at home in our culture. His cynical question — “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38) — captures the prevailing mindset of our day. It provides a three-word summary of relativism — the view that objective…

Bartimaeus: The Everyman

Posted on 24 October 2009

We know very little about the people our Lord healed. We know he healed many, but we hear few details about them. And yet from each one of them we can learn something about ourselves and about the healing we…

Pharisees, Good and Bad

Posted on 29 August 2009

It is probably not a sign of spiritual health when you agree with the Pharisees. We know that the Pharisees opposed our Lord in His ministry and message. Yet few of us would dispute their criticism that some of our…

The Seal of Approval

Posted on 01 August 2009

In the “electronic age” we may not grasp the significance of a seal. After all, we will more likely hit the “send” button than seal and post a letter. We will sooner click “open” than break the seal of an…

His Native Place

Posted on 04 July 2009

Tucked away in a little room on the ground floor of the National Gallery of Art you will find a wonderful medieval sculpture called “Holy Kinship.” It depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph — and our Lord’s grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles…

On Familiar Terms

Posted on 06 June 2009

We grow so accustomed to and familiar with certain things that we risk losing sight of their significance. “Familiarity breeds contempt,” the old saying goes. Not outright, malicious contempt, perhaps. But certainly such neglect and disregard that appear contemptuous. Such…

Spiritual Pruning

Posted on 09 May 2009

Imagine plants could speak, as if in a J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis story. Then, as we pruned them in the spring, they would cry out in pain, begging for mercy. After all, the annual snipping, cutting and trimming seems…

Live Jesus!

Posted on 09 May 2009

The WWJD trend began several years ago. “WWJD?” — What Would Jesus Do? — appeared on T-shirts, bracelets, necklaces, key chains, etc. The ubiquitous question prompts its readers to reflect on our Lord’s example before saying or doing something. The…

Easter’s Subtlety

Posted on 11 April 2009

Someone important fails to make an appearance on Easter Sunday. Namely, the risen Lord Himself. In the Gospel for Easter Mass He is conspicuously absent. The angels speak of Him and of His resurrection, but He Himself does not appear.

The…

Too Crowded

Posted on 14 March 2009

“He who serves the public serves a fickle master.” Thus does an old proverb teach us, and not without reason.

As we all learn eventually, the crowd is fickle. Its hero one moment becomes its villain the next. And vice versa.…

CE Spotlight

Faith Factory

Champions of Faith Ad