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(Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) Jealousy is not the same as envy. Envy desires what another possesses, while jealousy seeks to guard what one has so that no one else may possess it. It’s an important distinction for understanding the Bible. God calls himself jealous toward his people Israel, wanting to keep them for himself so that they do not follow after the customs of surrounding nations and their strange gods. In Exodus 34, after charging Israel to tear down

(Photo: Unsplash) I just read a study that started by saying, “Pre-marital sex predicts divorce, but we do not know why.” The study found that the odds of divorce for these couples are double to triple — increasing as the number of sexual partners increases — over those who saved sex for marriage. These results remained consistent even after adjusting for religiosity, beliefs and values. In other words, it isn’t just because the “savers” are religious and hence don’t believe

(Photo: Lightstock) Back when I was giving talks to teenagers, there was always a point in the presentation where the audience knew we were getting dangerously close to discussing s-e-x. At that point, I would say, “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh no, she’s going to talk about sex. Please don’t let her talk about the details. I get so embarrassed.’ And then, ‘How come I get so embarrassed anyway? There must be something wrong with me, and I’m going to grow up to be some kind

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich in November 2018. (Photo by Olivier LPB via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Your Eminence: In an article recently published by a major German Catholic website, you suggested that the question of whether the Church can ordain women has not been definitively settled: “I cannot imagine how a Church can continue to exist in the long run if half of God’s people suffer because they have no access to ordained ministry.” Putting aside for a moment t

From nihilism to radical ideologies, many young men are searching for purpose — and not finding it. (Photo: Unsplash, edited) So, what is going on with young men these days? I know, every generation in recent memory has asked the same question. Those young hooligans with their leather jackets. The hippies with their psychedelic vans. The weirdos in the parachute pants. But those young men, for the most part, seemed to grow up to marry and become productive members of society.

What Genesis really teaches about sin, power and marriage (Photo: Lightstock) “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he will lord it over you.” Genesis 3:16 I think of all the beautiful aspects of the Genesis account of paradise, the one I perhaps envy most is the perfect relationship between man and woman. (I know, walking with God in the cool of the afternoon seems like a pretty good gig, too.) We have talked about how God created them specifically for each other , a

From trust to temptation, Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body reveals why the fall wasn’t about an apple, but about doubting the Father's love. (Photo: Lightstock) I have a friend who had a very sweet and precocious son. When he was very little, she told me, “Jack has a question for you.” The question: “Why is God so mean? He wouldn’t even let Adam and Eve eat apples!” Don’t we all kind of feel that way? I know I did. It took my beloved Pope St. John Paul I

We’re made in the image of a God who is a communion of love — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and we can only mirror that image when we live for others. (Photo: Pexels) I just finished reading the excellent book “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life” by Arthur C. Brooks. One of my favorite parts was his discussion of the importance of relationships to our happiness. Like many other academics who study happiness, he ha

"And God created them male and female," the Book of Genesis reads. (Photo: Lightstock) In this raw, emotionally overwrought moment in our...

Studies show married Catholics who save sex for marriage report the greatest fulfillment — here’s why. (Photo: Lightstock) Have you...

What Adam and Eve's Original Nakedness in the Garden of Eden Reveals About God’s Plan and True Intimacy, According to the Theology of the...

While Lent offers us a clear path of conversion, turning away from the world, Easter invites us into God’s own life. In Lent, we seek to...