The cross of Christ does not take away suffering. No, it makes it meaningful because it announces what had never really been revealed before: the senseless enigma of human sin.
Sacraments
Posted inPodcasts
Preaching that cuts deep: the sharper edges of God’s Word
What is preaching and what is it for? The Rev. Lynn Barger Elliott, a fourth-generation Presbyterian pastor, brings the wisdom of that legacy to remind us that preaching takes root in lived experience and recalls how witnessing her mom undergo back surgery gave new insight into a passage from Hebrews.
Posted inThe Good Word
When it comes to the Mass, too many of us act like bored teens at the dinner table
Are adults at Mass not something like teenagers at the dinner table? Putting in our time, not able to see what it means to be gathered into the family we call the church.
Posted inFaith in Focus
How often should a Catholic receive Communion?
It depends what century it is.
Posted inFaith and Reason
Is there salvation outside baptism? A better way of looking at a difficult question
Nothing in revelation requires us to believe that salvation must be easy, likely or equally accessible to all, but it cannot be categorically impossible.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Making Communion a true meal: bring back wine, sing easy songs and no hosts from the tabernacle
For a true Eucharistic revival in our nation, we need to take seriously the command of Christ and the “General Instruction” of the Roman Missal to increase our efforts to give everyone a complete sign of reception of holy Communion.
Posted inFaith, News
Confirmation age lowered to 9 years old in Archdiocese of Baltimore
In lowering the standard age for confirmation, the Archbishop of Baltimore hopes to provide children with the opportunity to deepen their faith at a formative stage in their spiritual journey.
Posted inFaith, News
Sunday Mass attendance is back to pre-pandemic levels
Sunday Mass attendance in person at Catholic churches in the U.S. is back to pre-pandemic levels, although just under one quarter of the nation’s Catholics are in the pews on a regular weekly basis.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Fighting for my right to receive Communion as a Catholic with celiac disease
While I would never wish this disease on anyone, it has prompted a personal eucharistic revival of sorts within my own spiritual life.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
A ‘fourth order’ for women deacons in the Catholic Church? Reflecting on the possibility
The possibility of a “fourth order” of deaconess in the Catholic Church has become part of the conversation around women deacons. But is it the right response?