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This article first appeared at: stpaulcenter.com Amidst the somber beauty of the many readings at Easter Vigil Mass, there’s a line from the prophet Isaiah which feels rather jarring: “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back” (Is 54:7, NABRE). For souls whose hearts have been pierced by deep suffering, this verse might feel disconcerting. Why would our loving Father ever abandon us, even for a brief moment? And does that mean He might be abandoning me r …

This article first appeared at: fireupministries.comThe one thing we all want, without question, is to be loved by others.Sadly, we assume that we get the love we want by working super hard to hide our flaws and weaknesses from others so that they won’t be repulsed by us. In fact, it is almost directly the opposite.The love you desire is on the other side of being vulnerable and honest about your weaknesses. Contrary to what most of us think, when we let our guard down in front of a trusted love …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcenter.com The description of a Godly woman in Proverbs provides a table of contents for a topical Bible study for women using a wide range of Scripture.My first study, Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage, focuses on the core relationship of a family—marriage. My newest study, Graced and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker’s Heart, centers on the tasks of making a house a home, a place of beauty and order, where the needs of our lov …

This article first appeared at: spiritualdirection.com My co-workers at the large Christian Apostolate where I worked as Director of Strategy Development used to call me “Nuke.”That’s because I was always one irritation away from going off, raining emotional shrapnel on everyone in the vicinity. In some ways, my rage was working for me. Professionally, I was challenging and piercingly to the point to those in authority. I was solving problems and saving the company millions of donor dollars. Bel …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com When a man and a woman discern the vocation of marriage, they move from a private promise to each other—I am my beloved’s, and he is mine—to a public engagement. They approach the Church, at least six months before their hoped-for wedding date, to formalize their commitment. They prepare by learning more about what the Church teaches regarding marriage, for “marriage introduces one into an ecclesial order, and creates rights and duties in the Chur …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com So what is the difference between a heretic and a schismatic? St. Optatus, another of the great African Christian writers, wrote a surprisingly polite argument against a Donatist named Parmenian, in which he makes the important distinction clear. The Donatists are schismatics, but not heretics. They believe the same fundamental truths that Catholic Christians believe. They have the same sacraments. But because their predecessors broke away from th …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com Modern scholarship tends to date Mark’s Gospel around A.D. 70-75, Matthew around 75, Luke around 80-90, and John around 90-100. In part, these dates rest on the assumption that Mark’s Gospel was written first—a view known as Marcan priority. Marcan priority is based on a number of considerations, including Mark’s being the shortest of the four Gospels, and the fact that its Greek prose is a lot worse than Matthew’s.If Mark were writing after Matth …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com By Dr Scott Hahn with Brandon McGinleyEverything that is true of so-called secular societies is true of so-called secular individuals. To refuse to submit oneself to the living God—to refuse to acknowledge, adore, and serve Him as justice demands—is not a neutral choice. It does not preserve one’s objectivity or intellectual freedom; it does not liberate the soul. One of the most destructive pieces of catechesis taught by modern secular liberalism …

This article first appeared at: catholic.com The (Catholic) Eucharist appears in a striking and mystical way in the book of Revelation.On Easter morning, two disciples of Jesus are on their way from Jerusalem back to Emmaus. They might be husband and wife, but the text doesn’t say for certain. St. Luke names only one of the two: Cleopas. If they are a married couple, they might be Jesus’ aunt and uncle. (Hegesippus, a Christian writer from the second century, references “the Lord’s uncle, Clopas …