A common complaint against the Catholic Church is that it has too many rules. Some say that it seeks to restrict human freedom by presenting a list of dos and don’ts that ultimately “ruin our fun” and destroy happiness. Such a claim stems from a misunderstanding of freedom, happiness, and their relation to God’s laws. Freedom is the ability to choose one thing or another. This definition hearkens to the concept of free will, which is defined by the Church as “the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.” Yet, freedom and free will are not the same; to be free is not to merely exercise one’s will in whatever way one pleases. If that were the case, then any sort of law, whether associated with… Continue reading on...
A Resurrection Worldview – Missio Dei Article
Before Easter, the first-grade catechist I assisted asked our class if they knew what the Resurrection meant. One boy answered that it meant Jesus rose from the dead—and he had heard the story so many times by now that he was beginning to be bored of it. The answer brought a laugh and a deeper explanation from the catechist, but in reality, any of us can feel as that little boy did. We celebrated Christ’s Resurrection for forty days. It is good to question how that changed us, if at all… Continue reading on Missio Dei....
Spring & The Tender Heart of God
I saw spring for the first time this year. I don’t mean that I somehow wasn’t on earth March-June every year of my life until now. I mean that I never saw a real spring before. If you grew up in a normal place that experienced four seasons a year, you may ask if fake springs are a thing. They are. Perhaps ‘abnormal’ is a better word. I lived most of my life in a town 8,000 feet above sea-level. Not much grows up yonder besides pine trees and sagebrush, but it sure does snow. Springtime was when you got to say hello to the dirt and sagebrush again. You might get a few aspens budding, some flowers, but it wasn’t explosive in the least. Until last year, the only other place I’ve lived was a desert. No, all those palm trees are not native to Southern California. Nor...
Pondering the Paschal Mystery in its Entirety – Missio Dei Article
The transition from the penitential season of Lent to the joyful season of Easter is a spiritual and tangible shift. Rejoicing replaces mourning. Our senses too are imbued with the joy of the season. The Gloria and the Alleluia… Continue reading on Missio Dei....
In My Weakness I Am Strong – Missio Dei Article
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10) We do not want to be weak. To be weak is to be vulnerable, to be open to rejection, suffering, or defeat. It is natural for us to recoil from weakness, to shield or strengthen our emotional, physical, and spiritual weak points… Continue Reading on Missio Dei....
Aquinas, Charity, and the Cause of Our Joy — Missio Dei Article
As Christians we long for joy in a special way. We know that one of the distinguishing features of the saints was their contagious joy, present even amid suffering. Yet, while we are members of the same Church as those joyful saints, joy often escapes us. This may result from a misunderstanding of the nature of joy and how it grows in our lives as Christians. Scripture itself contains… continue reading on Missio Dei. ...