In his first Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul addresses prominent divisions that plagued the Church during his time. He calls out the problem by saying, "there is jealousy and strife among you" (1 Cor 3:3). Many people belonging to the Church at Corinth were splitting into separate groups based on which preacher inspired their [...]
Tag: Christ
Shut Up and Pray
What is our job, as Catholics, when our nation tumbles into chaos, violence, and political mayhem? This is a fair question to ask, especially for anyone living in the United States these days. Unfortunately I do not hear a lot of people asking it. Everyone seems to think they know exactly what their job is. [...]
Is the Halftime Show a Big Deal?
"Oh, c'moooooon," says the skeptic. "It's not a big deal." How sure of that are you? How can you possibly watch that without feeling unsettled and disturbed? The first problem is with those women and what we've done to them. We pumped them so full of fame and praise and money and license that they [...]
The Morning Offering
What is the first thing you say each day? What is the first thing you think of? For most people, it probably varies quite a bit. Some days it might be, "what a nice morning!" Other days it might be, "this is going to be a very busy day." Most days it's probably something like, [...]
Five More Minutes! To Pray?
Most of us struggle to get up early. Perhaps you don't even bother trying. If you aren't forced to get out of bed for your job or school, it is pretty easy to shrug off the conventional wisdom which suggests there is real value in rising with the sun. I encourage you to reconsider. We [...]
On the Purpose of Baptism
For the longest time, if someone had asked me what the purpose of Baptism was, I would have given a pretty weak reply. I would have said something like, "it takes away Original Sin" or "it makes us children of God." These things are true in their own way, but such replies do not get [...]
How to Pray on Christmas
The Christmas season gives us special opportunities for prayer. Though all prayer is good at all times, I think the birth of Christ lends primarily to prayers of petition and thanksgiving. For inspiration, consider the following passage from Book 7 of St. Augustine's Confessions: "Then I sought a way of obtaining strength sufficient to enjoy Thee; [...]
Ambrose Bean 