We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
Many of us are still reeling from the report of widespread and decades-long sex abuse in Pennsylvania that came out last week. Compounded with the credible accusations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, reports of corruption and sexual deviancy in our seminaries, and the continuing wave of priests who are coming forward reporting what they have …
Continue reading "Avoiding Wrath About the Sex Abuse Scandals"
One of the biggest struggles many Catholics face each year is how to financially support our parishes and dioceses, while also giving to the poor and needy, and providing for the needs of our families. This topic results in a wide range of opinions, some of them heated. The most recent sex abuse scandals, including …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Supporting Our Parishes is an Act of Love"
I know a lot of Catholic writers are responding to the the release of the Grand Jury Report out of Pennsylvania yesterday. I honestly don't have any words. I can't bring myself to read the report. Some of the excerpts that I've read horrified me so much that I couldn't read any further. All I …
Continue reading "There Are No Words For The News Out of Pennsylvania"
As the depths of the moral and spiritual corruption in the hierarchy continue to be brought into the light, many in the laity are wondering what should and can be done in response? Some want massive overhauls of the hierarchy, but quite frankly, that is not in our power within the laity. We should, and …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Living Holy Lives Will Help Heal the Church"
A few years ago, when The Benedict Option was becoming popular in certain Christian circles—primarily through the writings of Rod Dreher who is influenced by Alasdair MacIntyre—I was initially intrigued and drawn to this approach. The culture was, and continues to be, in a downward spiral. Anti-Christian sentiments and policies continue apace throughout the Western world, while …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Re-Thinking the Benedict Option in Light of Lumen Gentium"
When I read Bishop Robert Barron’s Op-Ed last week entitled “Getting out of the Sacristy: A look at our pastoral priorities” a lot of questions immediately came to mind. I’ve read many of Bishop Barron’s books and I recently made sure that every member of our parish’s Evangelization Team, and both of our priests, got …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: To Evangelize the Culture, We Must Equip the Laity"
Rather frequently, I hear people make arguments about aspects of the spiritual life, the Church, morality, or relationships that are predicated upon a particular individual’s feelings. Some will complain that the Mass doesn’t make them “feel” good or the Church’s teaching doesn’t cause a flood of the emotions they are looking for in their lives. …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Put Your Faith in Christ, Not in Feelings"
In the past few weeks I have come into contact--both in person and in social media--with people who have felt the need to lecture me on their individual learning in areas of the Catholic faith. I stepped in at a Catholic bookstore when a man was telling a woman in full communion with Rome that …
Continue reading "The Dangers of Isolationism and the Need for Holy Guides"
The Church in the United States is once more stunned to learn of scandal within our leadership as news of accusations of sexual abuse by Cardinal McCarrick continue to be reported. The news coming out of Chile has been bad enough, but now a high ranking member of the hierarchy is accused of multiple instances …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Don’t Let the Scandals of the Hierarchy Lead You to Despair"
Image taken from Wiki Commons. I recently started reading Bishop Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr.’s book To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age. I’ve read quite a few of Bishop Barron’s more theological books and I own both the Catholicism series and the most recent Pivotal …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Why the Culture Wars Don’t Evangelize Souls"
Swimming the Depths 