So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thes. 2:15) Whether you’re Catholic with Evangelical roots, or if you’ve ever been challenged with the question, “but where is that in the Bible?” then this article is for you. ... Read more

In Part One of the Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales shepherds Philothea—his generic name for the reader, which signifies a soul in love with God—toward transformation of the will; toward a life of devotion and holiness that would be the foundation of a blessed life. In Part Two, then, the bishop ... Read more

If you’ve ever been to a Catholic Mass, and you’re not Catholic, my guess is that you walked away utterly confused…or worse, completely bored. But if you knew what you were actually experiencing in the Mass, you’d walk away—mind, body, and soul—eager to share the love of Jesus Christ with the world. Here are some ... Read more

Over my fifteen years creating content for my blogs, website, and YouTube channels, I’ve encountered many people from 12-step programs. One of the more shocking statements I’ve heard is that some are “grateful for their addiction.” This idea seemed bizarre to me for many years as I struggled with my own addictions. In the comment ... Read more

In The Brothers Karamazov (Bk VI, ch 2) Markel at one point says to his mother, “Mama, my joy, it is not possible for there to be no masters and servants…” This is a truth most men and women fear to acknowledge about the human condition, namely, there will always be masters and slaves (servants) ... Read more

These words from Sirach come to my mind when I reflect on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness: My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord…prepare yourself for temptation. (Sir. 2:1) Two things are clear about Christ’s temptations as He embraced His public mission. Firstly, He knew that He was going to ... Read more

I have to remind myself of that every single year. As Lent progresses, I catch myself doing something a little silly: I start “grading” my heart. I slip right back into teacher mode with an imaginary rubric, a mental checklist, the whole thing. I begin evaluating how “prepared” or “holy” I feel, usually landing somewhere ... Read more

Perhaps one of the most significant stumbling blocks to most would-be theologians is the question of why God created the universe at all. It is not a particularly complex question. In truth, it is a startlingly simple proposition, and one that is grounded in so much of our understanding of the world, God, and the ... Read more

Sixteenth-century France was a time of moral, political, and intellectual chaos, when the dearest assumptions of Western Tradition were turned upside down.       Born in 1533, Catholic intellectual Michel de Montaigne entered the sphere just as Nicolaus Copernicus was leaving it. Copernicus passed in 1543, shortly after his publication of On the Revolution of the ... Read more

“I know I’m not supposed to say this, but God’s promises don’t seem to apply to me,” a family member said to me recently. I didn’t bother looking up from my work and just gave her the theologically true response, “God wills everything that happens to you for your good, even the things that are ... Read more