Faith & Spirituality

The only thing to fear…is not being in awe of the Lord

Part of the tradition of the Catholic Church is meditation on “Fear of the Lord” as a gift of the Holy Spirit, based Isaiah 11:1-3 and Jesus’ fulfillment of its prophecy. Since fear has damaged so many of our human relationships, this part of our tradition can strike people as odd. How can it make sense to cultivate any kind of “fear” in our relationship with the Lord? It might be helpful to reflect on our own natural development to understand what the Church means by the supernatural gift...

The good news of God’s fatherhood

family, childhood and fatherhood concept - happy father and little son playing and having fun outdoors over autumn park background...

Love, revealed: Understanding the central mystery of the Trinity

VIENNA - JULY 27: Holy Trinity. Detail from fresco of scene from apocalypse from 19. cent. in main apse of Altlerchenfelder church on July 27, 2013 Vienna. By Elizabeth Klein Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute If you are a lifelong Catholic or if you have taken theology classes at some point in your life, you are probably familiar with what the Church teaches about God: that God is Trinity, one God in three persons. You have likely made the Sign of the Cross and heard...

Like Father, like Son: Ten Ways Jesus Christ Reveals God’s Identity

In the Old Testament, God’s people of Israel knew of God as father, but only in a general sense. For instance, since God is creator of...

I AM Who Am: God is greater than anything we can imagine

An image of a burning thorn bush christian symbol Even when Thomas Aquinas was young, he was known often to ask, “who is God?” As he grew into one of the Church’s greatest theologians, he realized that it was much easier to explain who God is not. This might be a good place to begin today as well. God is not just a more powerful being within the universe. He is not like Zeus, a human-like being with superpowers, bossing and bullying other creatures around. He is not an old man in the clouds...

Seven keys to finding God in nature

Today, many of us often hear the phrase that one “finds God in nature.” While something in that near cliché phrase rings true with me, my experience has shown me that this “finding” is quite a bit more challenging than it appears at first glance. The idea that one simply “finds” God in nature, perhaps like a friend waiting patiently on a park bench, seems to strike a dissonant chord with my own experience. There is evidence to support my intuition. Many people outside of the Church have come...

Christ, the ballast of Christian community

(Photo: Adobe Stock) On the morning of August 10, 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa set sail from its harbor in the port of Stockholm. Built...

What happens in Germany, revisited

Writing on the quincentennial of the Reformation and its parallels with emerging problems in the 21st-century German Church t hree years ago , Charles Chaput, then the archbishop of Philadelphia, noted that: “Being human, bishops often disagree. Internal differences are common in any episcopal conference, and they’re handled—no surprise—internally. But two things set the German situation apart: the global prominence of the [German intercommunion] controversy and the doctrinal substance of...

St. Joseph through Mary’s eyes

Detail of high altar by Sieger Koder in St. Joseph's Church in Bad Urach, Germany There are two people who could best provide a...

The Resurrection: Hysterical Belief or Historical Reality?

By Dr. Alan Fimister Assistant Professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary At the Last Supper, Our Lord told his disciples, “Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do,” ¹ and this prophecy has been vindicated in the many marvels that have filled the lives of the saints throughout the history of his Church from that day to this. In one respect, however, no member of his mystical body has equaled the...

St. Dismas: A penitent thief and the paradise of belief

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” There is power in words, and especially so in the words of Christ. While...

The Crucified Christ: An emblem of victory

The Christ on a background of the sky ,3d render (Photo: Adobe Stock) The crucified Christ is both the most popular and powerful image in...