Our life here below is analogous to the night the virgins spent in awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. Sooner than expected, it will end and the night will give way to an encounter with the Bridegroom in all his infinite holiness and glory.
The Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Church: How To Survive It and What To Do About It
The deplorable, criminal actions of some bishops and priests may tempt us to say to Christ, “I’m still your follower but I’ve had enough of the corruption in the Church. I’m leaving.” However, there’s a serious problem with that attitude.
Purification, Judgment, and Hope In The Wake of Sexual Abuse In The Church
This will be a time of judgment and purification for the Church. I firmly believe that good will come of it—although the Church will suffer severe scars for decades. I have no doubt that the sexual abuse crisis will drive countless Catholics from the Church and prevent countless other people from entering into full communion with her. That in itself is cause for great sorrow.
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Net Thrown Into The Sea
Instituted by Christ and founded on the apostles, the Church on earth is the kingdom of heaven in its seed and beginning. The Church is God the Father’s intended home for all people, deigned to be so from before time began. She is inclusive, barring no person from communion with her and her founder, Jesus Christ. It is only the individual who voluntarily excludes himself by rejecting communion with the Church through free-choices that are incompatible with the love of Christ and the rule of his kingdom.
Jesus’ Teaching Parables: The Mustard Seed
Was Jesus wrong about mustard seeds? If we’re worried about that, we’re missing the point. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed is not intended to make scientific horticultural statements. Rather, he used the example and imagery of mustard seeds and the bushes they produce to make a metaphorical comparison with the kingdom of heaven.