February 29, 2004
Violence and the Passion of the Christ
I thought this was such an exceptional post on the violence in The Passion of the Christ that I would make it a post on the site. It is written by Josh, whom we at DeoOmnisGloria.com know very well: I...
February 28, 2004
The Passion of the Christ: My Take
Walking out of The Passion of the Christ one thought struck me. I continually read in the papers about the violence of the movie. But that wasn’t how I saw it. Rather, the theme of the movie for me was...
The Folly of Atheism
Lately, we’ve had some atheists hit the site and generally they’ve attempted to mock Christians as suckers. Particularly, they seem to suggest that all religions are similar and therefore none are true (talk about misunderstanding logic!). So, I thought I...
February 26, 2004
Lent 2004: Unwavering Focus on God
Luke 9:23-25. And He said to all, "If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses...
February 25, 2004
Reviews of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"
I have posted this article so that we would have a centralized location on this site for any of you either wishing to post a review or those searching for reviews of the movie. I went to see The Passion...
The Reality of Gay Marriage
Is allowing gay marriage an issue of fairness? Or is it an issue of giving preferential treatment to a class of citizens? In the Wall Street Journal today there is an interesting opinion piece tackling this topic. First my opinion:...
Lent 2004: Pontius Pilate and Jesus
During Lent I’m going to make an attempt to provide some reflections as often as possible that illuminate the purpose of and need for the season. This is the first in that series. When we think back to the Passion,...
February 24, 2004
A Great Lenten Resource
Lent is a special time of preparation for Easter and the risen Savior. In order to prepare, I'm always seeking suggestions; particularly for family devotions. Amy Welborn just pointed out this website containing detailed information on Lent and appropriate practices....
Mel Gibson on O'Reilly Tonight
A reminder: Mel Gibson will be discussing The Passion of the Christ tonight on FoxNews at 8 PM and 11 PM. Bill O'Reilly is a Catholic, although he has expressed some misunderstandings about Catholic teaching, but I'm looking forward to...
The Devil Made Me Do It . . .
How much power does the devil really have over our lives? Often times, we hear someone suggest that the devil “made” me do it, but is this possible? First, it’s important to understand that there is a devil. The Devil...
Andy Rooney divinely declares Mel Gibson a 'wacko'
In a very odd 20/20 piece, Andy Rooney said a few things of note: God is speaking to Mr. Rooney, despite our doubts Bush will win in a landslide this year, despite all evidence to the contrary (NOTE: this came...
February 22, 2004
Losing the Sacred: The Moving Away from Liturgical Music
I will begin this article with a question. What is the purpose of music at Mass? I think this would be a good question for any director of liturgical music at every parish. Today at Mass I witnessed an incredible...
Does God Punish?
At a family get-together yesterday, my father posed the above question to me. I had to pause and think about it for a moment. I knew that sin had entered the world due to man's chosing not to obey God,...
February 21, 2004
Do you have a Guardian Angel?
I’m always surprised when someone suggests that Guardian Angels are simply a myth; it’s very logical to assume that if God loves us He would constantly watch over us spiritually and physically. Moreover, the belief in Guardian Angels comes directly...
Lent and the Christian Life
Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return. - - Ash Wednesday mass, see Genesis 3:19 Lent is one of the Catholic practices I recommend for everyone – it’s hard to understand how much you...
February 20, 2004
John Kerry, Abortion and Politics
We all know that John Kerry is unapologetically pro-abortion. But as a Catholic, he is required to be personally opposed to the murder of unborn children – and this is his current claim. But is he? I just received this...
Can Norma McCorvey overturn Roe vs. Wade and end Abortion?
For those who aren’t aware, Norma McCorvey was the “Jane Roe” in the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade court decision that legalized abortion. Since then, McCorvey has had a conversion experience and begun fighting to overturn the ruling she received...
February 19, 2004
Matthew’s View of “Church”
How did Matthew understand the idea of Christ's church? This is important since Matthew wrote the first Gospel and we all agree that the Holy Spirit directed what is included in it. This article analyzes the passages of Matthew centered on the Church in order to understand his view.
Senator Saxby Chambliss' Stance on Same-Sex Marriages
I received via email a response from Sen. Chambliss' office in reference to a recent petition I filled out opposing same-sex marriages. Below I have copied that email and then my response. I sincerely believe that in these morally dark...
February 18, 2004
A Cry of Stone
Michael O'Brien delivers again. This is a truly moving story teaching one poverty of spirit through the trusting footsteps of Rose Wabos, a Native Indian artist. Through her humble life and example, I realized how entrenched I am in the...
Dave Armstrong on The Passion of the Christ
Just wanted to point out that Dave Armstrong has seen The Passion of the Christ and posted a thoughful review of it here. It's worth taking the time to read. Also - if you're planning on going I would suggest...
The Real Roman Road: Our Path to God
The Roman Road is a common protestant technique to lead others to God. It involves a series of verses from Romans that seem to exemplify the protestant belief system (I disagree with some of the interpretations). I’m not sure if...
The Holy Spirit and The Catholic Church
We often seem to forget that God is made up of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is a lot of talk about Jesus Christ, and, of course, this is natural considering that Jesus is...
February 17, 2004
Sola Fides 2: Understanding Faith and Works
I started a series of articles on the protestant doctrine of sola fides, which states that we are saved by faith alone apart from any works. My first article analyzed the Biblical evidence for salvation by faith alone and found...
Special on Catholic Mugs, Steins
Just wanted to let you know that you can now get $2 off any purchase of our coffee mug or beer stein that features classic DeoOmnisGloria.com charm. Any money goes to support our work (after our tithe of course). Just...
Modern Sex and Gender Roles
Are we becoming more androgynous in modern times? Why? I just read an interesting article, Making Men Dispensable that suggests men are becoming unnecessary to women for any reason. The article covers several interesting topics on sex and gender roles,...
February 16, 2004
Diane Sawyer’s Interview of Mel Gibson on The Passion of the Christ
First, Diane Sawyer’s understanding of Christianity needs some help. It would have helped for her to have some knowledge of Christian history and Catholicism, in particular, when she started the interview. My favorite point was when she contrasted “believers” who...
Bearing False Witness: Jon Meacham's Newsweek Article on "The Passion"
Jon Meacham, an editor with Newsweek magazine, recently wrote a lengthy review of "The Passion", which was published in the most recent edition of Newsweek. Naturally I read the article as soon as it came out. As one of our...
The DeoOmnisGloria.com Suggestion Box
We're always interested in posting topics on subjects of interest to our readers, but it's sometimes difficult to guess what you guys are interested in learning more about. So we're adding the DeoOmnisGloria suggestion box (or email). Something you want...
February 15, 2004
What’s the point of Godparents? The Role of the Godmother and Godfather
I’ve been asked this more than once, so I thought it would be an interesting post. Catholics choose godparents for their children when the children are baptized. The role of godparents stems from the reality that it is a big...
Contact Information
There have been a few requests to contact us by email. This is actually pretty easy: just use our first name followed by the @ sign and deoomnisgloria.com. Each of us has a valid email at this address. God bless,...
Ignatius Press: A Company Dedicated to Spreading the Catholic Faith
For years I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the books published by Ignatius Press. I first became familiar with them when Jay and I were running a Catholic catalog company about 8 years ago. I always felt confident that whatever...
February 14, 2004
"Do you understand what you are reading?"
The title of this article is a quote from Acts 8:30. Most of you will recognize it as Philip's question to the Ethiopian who was reading from Isaiah. The Ethiopian's response is rich with meaning: "How can I unless someone...
Leisure and the Mass: A Philosophical Approach to Rest and Worship
Too often in our hectic world do we find ourselves failing to truly make time for leisure. It could be argued that leisure can take on different meanings for different people and to a certain extent I would agree. But...
Good News for Lord of the Rings Fans
The Wall Street Journal yesterday ran an article on New Line's attempts to get "The Hobbit" to theaters. The important quote: Mr. Jackson and key cast members recently have made noises that they want to take on the cult novel....
February 13, 2004
A Test for Protestants
Here's an interesting question: Who wrote this? There are almost as many sects and beliefs as there are heads; this one will not admit Baptism; that one rejects the Sacrament of the altar; another places another world between the present...
Jewish Leaders and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ
Just wanted to point out an article by Rabbi Daniel Lapin on the Mel Gibson's movie. Rabbi Lapin is of the opinion that Jews should not be concerned about the movie and fairly critical of those portraying the movie as...
The Saints: the Best Friends you could ever hope for
We don’t do enough on this blog to emphasize the value canonized Saints provide to the faithful, so I’m going to try and convince my other blog writers to write some articles on specific saints for the site. Why? Let’s...
On the Proper Understanding of Sex
One of the issues I have with our “age” (if you will) is the objectification of everything. At this point we have some such as Britney Spears actually seeking to become a sex object, which in reality lowers the value...
February 12, 2004
Authority and Dissent in the Church
There have been a number of discussion strings lately dealing with the question of the nature and extent of authority in the Church. I have postulated that a fundamental difference between the Catholic Church and Protestant denominations is that the...
Why Apologetics is Important
The issue that’s been floating around various blogs has cropped up in the comments section on our site, so I thought I would address it from my fully fallible point of view. Why is apologetics important? Some would ask, why...
February 10, 2004
Human Yearning for God
The other day Mark Shea pointed out this Zenit article on the growth of paganism. I keep running through the implications in my mind. The article simply discusses the rise of paganism (essentially nature worship) in today’s world, particularly in...
February 9, 2004
Protestant Traditions
Protestants are quick to suggest that all traditions fall under the condemned “traditions of man” in the Bible. However, what protestants don’t realize is they also trust in tradition. There are some key beliefs they hold to that are actually...
The Truth of Catholicism Book Review
I just finished The Truth of Catholicism by George Weigel subtitled Ten Controversies Explored. Weigel is the author of Witness to Hope, the biography of Pope John Paul II, and is considered a fairly influential Catholic thinker. This was actually...
Being Catholic in the Modern Workplace: A Meditation on the Practicing of Virtue at Work
So it’s Monday morning again, another work week begins. As you prepare to head out the door for the office, the store, the factory, the warehouse, or school it is important to meditate on how you will live throughout the...
February 8, 2004
The Moral Needs of a Democracy
I recently finished The Truth of Catholicism by George Weigel (review to follow), but one passage was especially thought-provoking, particularly in light of the recent judicial decision in Massachusetts. First, Weigel quotes Pope John Paul II from Centesimus Annus: Authentic...
Canonization: Why does the Catholic Church name certain people saints?
Canonization or the canonizing of certain individuals as saints is an old tradition in the Catholic Church. But when exactly did the process of canonization first appear in the Church? In the first centuries the popular fame or the represented...
February 7, 2004
Idolatry! The Catholic Veneration of Icons and Relics
Among the many common objections to Catholic doctrine so frequently voiced by Protestants is the objection that Catholics practice routine idolatry in violation of First and Second Commandments. After all, Catholics pray before graven images, not only of Christ, but...
Why can’t non-Catholics receive Holy Communion?
Often non-Catholics are surprised and even annoyed when they learn that they cannot partake in the Eucharistic celebration during mass. They feel excluded by the Church and offended. So why would the Church stop non-Catholics from reception of communion? First,...
Therese: A Movie Review
I SAW THÉRÈSE By Anthony Ryan Director of Marketing Ignatius Press Recently my wife, Marcia, our 12-year-old son, Sean, and I had the opportunity to attend a private screening of Luke Films’ new motion picture, THÉRÈSE, at Sony Studios in...
February 6, 2004
Understanding the Apocrypha
In case you don't know, the Apocrypha or the "deuterocanon" is a set of Old Testament books that Martin Luther removed from protestant Bibles. Originally, King James (in his famous translation) included them at the end of the protestant Old...
Prayers for a little girl
Our thoughts and prayers are with Carlie Brucia and her family this morning....
February 5, 2004
The Right to Homosexual Marriage?
I’ve considered this for about 24 hours now. First, a definition: Right n. That which is just, morally good, legal, proper, or fitting. Something that is due to a person or governmental body by law, tradition, or nature. Something,...
Voting at St. Blogs
Voting has begun for the 1st Annual St. Blog's Awards. Stop by and pick your favorites! God bless, Jay...
February 4, 2004
Embracing Immorality one Sin at a Time
The Massachusetts Supreme Court just made homosexual marriage a reality in America. My understanding is that because of the complex agreements between states, homosexual couples married in Massachusetts must be recognized elsewhere - please correct me if I'm wrong. The...
A "Post-Christian" World?
I keep hearing the term that we are in a "Post-Christian" age, but I'm having trouble with this. It seems to suggest the demise of Christianity, which is down in some areas, but clearly up in others (see Africa). Simply...
Implicit Materialism and American Culture
I made a commitment to begin discussing Materialism a little more on this blog, so this is the first installment. To start, let’s understand what materialism is. The Christian mind has succumbed to the secular drift with a degree of...
February 3, 2004
Examining the Super Bowl and our Culture
I’ve read much of the discussions on various Christian blogs on the issues of the Super Bowl, but I’m really interested in what you think. Clearly this Super Bowl was more sexualized than any other I can remember and not...
Confession: The Sacrament of Grace and Mercy
I have wanted to write on this topic for some time now, yet apologetic needs on this blog have occupied much of my time as of late. Confession, or Penance and Reconciliation (as the Church formally calls it), for me,...
February 2, 2004
Can a Christan Remarry after Divorce? A Biblical Analysis
Divorce rates in the U.S. continue to skyrocket and no one seems to be asking this question. The question I have is: can Christians remarry after a civil divorce? Obviously from a legal aspect they can, but morally are there...
The Liturgy and the People
I'm currently reading a fascinating book, The Truth of Catholicism by George Weigel (Pope John Paul II's biographer). In it, Weigel discusses the Liturgy and some of the controversy surrounding the changes brought about through Vatican II. To understand his...
February 1, 2004
Can we become Sons of God?
This sounds almost heretical to some, but it is true? Let’s start with two quotes, the first from St. Athanasius: For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. On the Incarnation of the Word and...
