December 30, 2004
Comment Delays from Comment Spam
Just as an FYI, comments are likely to be slightly delayed moving forward. As many of you have seen, we get lots and lots of "comment spam" on a daily basis (spam posted in our comments). Half of it is...
Is the Shroud of Turin real?
Christianity Today reports on more evidence that the Shroud of Turin is real. At this time only the carbon dating suggests otherwise. The article doesn't touch on this, but carbon dating is notoriously unreliable - there are numerous factors which...
December 28, 2004
Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Fund
The numbers of dead coming out of the area devastated by the Tsunami are heartbreaking. You can help by donating to the victims and survivors here. I believe this one of the areas where Americans really shine: we're quick to...
The Catholic Carnival is Online
The Holiday edition of the Catholic Carnival is now online. As always, the postings are well-worth a few minutes of reading time! Stop by and check out what Catholic bloggers are saying. God bless, Jay...
December 27, 2004
New Year’s Resolutions and Christianity
I’ve always felt that New Year’s Resolutions are perfect for Christians: we try to improve little by little and resolutions are essentially worthwhile goals for improvement. Of course, Christians should make sure to specifically focus on improving their spiritual lives...
December 25, 2004
Merry Christ's Mass
Merry Christmas to All! May the birth of Christ renew the joy and love in your life. By the way, the word "Christmas" comes from an Old English combination of the words "Christ's Mass," which of course is held on...
December 24, 2004
Little Jesus by Francis Thompson
This is an excellent Christian poem about prayer and the Christ Child by Francis Thompson: Little Jesus Ex ore infantium, Deus, et lactentium perfecisti laudem. Little Jesus, was Thou shy Once, and just so small as I? And what did...
December 23, 2004
An Early Christmas Present
Still don't have a Gmail account? I have some invitations and would be glad to give them as a Christmas present to anyone asking (first come, first served of course). Just post a request below or email me at jay...
December 22, 2004
The Sacraments: An Overview
Continuing our reflections on the Catechism, in particular the Seven Sacraments, I thought it would be good to step back and review what the Church has to say about the Sacraments as a whole. ARTICLE 2 THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN...
December 21, 2004
The 9th Catholic Carnival . . .
. . . is now online at A Penitent Blogger. Take a minute to check it out - it's a good collection of Catholic thought and is organized around The Family's Christmas Dinner. God bless, Jay...
December 20, 2004
Despair and Christmas
I’ve often heard the statistic cited that more suicides occur during the Advent/Christmas season than during any other time of year. This is not only depressing, but speaks to the materialism problem in our culture and the lack of simple...
Holy Orders (Priesthood) In The Economy of Salvation: What The Church Teaches
II. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION The priesthood of the Old Covenant 1539 The chosen people was constituted by God as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." But within the people of...
December 19, 2004
Confirmation In the Economy Of Salvation: What The Church Teaches
I. CONFIRMATION IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION 1286 In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus...
December 18, 2004
Baptism In The Economy Of Salvation: What The Church Teaches
I thought we would continue to look at what the Catechism says about the Sacraments in terms of their place in the "Economy of Salvation". II. BAPTISM IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION Prefigurations of Baptism in the Old Covenant 1217...
December 17, 2004
The Eucharist In The Economy Of Salvation: What the Church Teaches
The Eucharist....this is the big issue everyone. It has been the reason for the conversion of countless Protestants to Catholicism. It is "the source and the summit of Christian life." I would ask that everyone take time to read this...
December 16, 2004
Why does Jesus call Himself “Bread”?
Jesus called Himself "true bread" and "true wine" in John 6. What does this mean? This post examines Scripture to point out exactly what Christ was talking about.
December 14, 2004
Catholic Carnival is now online
The 8th Catholic Carnival is now online. It is formatted using the three Cardinal virtues (Faith, hope, charity) and there are some great posts included. Take a minute and read them yourself. God bless, Jay...
December 13, 2004
Golden Globes ignore The Passion of the Christ
The Golden Globe nominations are out and The Passion of the Christ isn't among them. The movie only made about $600 million, so maybe they didn't notice the little Christian flick? Yeah right. This is probably an indication that The...
December 10, 2004
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Bible
I keep hearing the claim that Mary is “invisible” or “faint” within Scripture, which I disagree with. As we near Christmas, Catholics often think of a woman with God actually within her body. As any parent understands, mothers have an...
December 7, 2004
Hanukkah and Scripture
Is Hanukkah in Scripture? This is an interesting question, because the answer depends on whom you ask. If you ask a protestant, the answer is “No,” which would mean that the celebration of Hanukkah was a “tradition” handed down outside...
Catholic Carnival 7: Advent
This week's Catholic Carnival is now online. It's focused on Advent and provides a good overview of what Advent is and how we live it. I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read it. God bless, Jay...
December 6, 2004
A Christmas Crusade
As many of you have heard, the mayor of Denver has effectively secularized Christmas. A church group wanted to march in the city's "Parade of Lights" (that just happens to coincide with the day we celebrate Christ's birth, apparently), but...
December 2, 2004
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Online
Hello Everyone! This is just a quick post to make all of you aware of a wonderful resource that is available online....that's right, it's the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I challenge all of you to take time to learn...
December 1, 2004
What is Advent?
Although Catholics automatically understand the Advent season (they have lived it since their birth), non-Catholics are unlikely to understand exactly what Advent means or is. Advent is more than just a time of year, it is an anticipation of Christ...
