with Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J. and Mike Hayes

Of the many explanations offered in the wake of natural disasters such as the recent one in Haiti, surely one of the most troubling was televangelist Pat Robertson’s claim that the Haitian people made a pact with the devil to rid them of their French occupiers in the 19th century and thereby incurred God’s wrath. In other words, “they got what they deserved.”
Does God take on a role in these tragedies? Where do we find God in all of this? Certainly not in Robertson’s ugly comments.
The true and living God is in our prayerful and passionate reflections on such tragedies, reflections that reveal a God of love, not an insane deity capriciously smiting…

In the United States thee are three formal regional dialogues between Catholics and Muslims: the West coast; the Midwest; and the Mid-Atlantic. Each dialogue is focusing on a different topic. In 2005, for example, the Midwest dialogue published a little book on Revelation: Catholic and Muslim Perspectives. The Mid-Atlantic dialogue has been working the past few years on the topic of Catholic-Muslim marriages. The resource materials they developed for both couples and clergy should soon be available on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website where reports from other dialogues are already posted  at this link http://www.usccb.org/seia/islam_index.shtml.

The Mid-Atlantic dialogue on…

The theologian Bernard Lonergan argues the innate operations of our being human, i.e., our experiencing, understanding, judging, deciding and loving, contain inherent transcendental precepts or norms.  We should be attentive, intelligent reasonable, responsible and loving in all we do and are.  To the degree that we are authentic, and live attentive, intelligent reasonable, responsible and loving lives, we progress and grow.  To the degree that we are unauthentic, and fail to meet the challenges of being attentive, intelligent reasonable, responsible and loving, we decline.  Our relationships with God, others and our deepest, truest self, falter and stall.  We are in danger of losing all we…

From canonical scriptures, we simply do not know what happens to St. Joseph after Jesus is found in the Temple at the age of 12.  Traditions exist intimating that Mary was a widow at the time of the public ministry of Jesus.  More important than knowing exactly when Joseph died is reflecting on what we do know about Joseph.  He was a worker, (“tekton” in Greek) possibly a carpenter, but surely much more a blue collar worker than a trader for Goldman Sachs.  He was willing to go against the culturally accepted norms of his time and risk taking in Mary, knowing she was pregnant, and that the child was not his.  Thus he protected her from stoning, the penalty for women in her situation.  The first words in Matthew,…

For many of us, the traditional blue-and-white statues of Mary can make it hard to believe that she was a real woman with a real personality.  However, the Gospels reveal that Mary was courageous, nurturing and resilient.
First of all, take the fact that she agreed to become the Mother of God.  At the time of the Annunciation, she was betrothed to Joseph but had not lived with him as his wife.  In accepting God’s plan, she was agreeing to become pregnant out of wedlock, making her vulnerable to charges of adultery and even to stoning under the Mosaic law.  Given the possible consequences, she showed stunning courage and faith in saying “yes.”
Throughout the Gospels, Mary notices and responds to…

People who speak more than one language know that, when translating a word or phrase, there is not always a one-to-one correspondence of words. Often, a word in one language can be translated several different ways in another language. In other words, when translating from one language to another, choices and decisions have to be made. When it comes to various translations of the Bible, one needs to know what thinking and philosophy are at the heart of those choices and decisions. Bible translations can be categorized according to 3 styles (see http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/English_Translations.htm)
1.    Formal Correspondence – this type of translation attempts to mirror as closely…

Hamartiology is simply put, the study of sin.  Hamartia is a Greek word meaning “missing the mark” and coupled with the word logia or “discourse,” we get the word for studying sin.
In general, Hamartiology is a division of systematic theology, so when you are looking for courses on Hamartiology you would probably find it in courses that fall under the “systematics” genre in theology.…

Angels in the Outfield (1951) was written by Jesuit Richard Grady (pen name “Richard Conlin”) and the 1994 remake with Danny Glover is one of the best baseball movies ever (along with Sandlot and Field of Dreams).  Grady’s story telling was a great way to get “religious” realities in front of the minds and hearts of people, and from there one can accompany people as they come to appreciate and deepen the truths of faith.  His story has lasted and has had more impact than most theology being published in the 1950s.
Sports have become such a huge aspect of peoples’ culture and lives.  The challenge is to relate the realities of our faith to sports, while keeping both in their proper sphere, and keeping…

This is definitely a lesser-known name for Mary, perhaps because, as you’ve indicated, it’s one that is very specific to Alaska. The title does not refer to an apparition (unlike the well-known titles Our Lady of Lourdes or of Fatima, say), but it does reflect the fact that Mary has been honored in the Aleutian Islands for quite some time.
Though the Catholic presence in the Aleutian Islands is relatively recent (missionaries first came there in the first half of the twentieth century), the Russian Orthodox Church brought Christianity there in the late 1700s. Early Russian monks apparently had a strong devotion to Mary, which was no doubt encouraged by the Catholic missionaries when they arrived. In fact,…

I once had a disgruntled adult student complain that there is too much confusion today over various translations of the Bible. She angrily blurted out, “we should just go back to the original English manuscripts to see what Jesus really said!”  I’m sure it broke her heart when I explained to her that Jesus did not speak English!
The truth is, most of the books of the Bible were written in Hebrew or Greek. In the Old Testament, 39 of the 46 books were originally written in Hebrew (with some portions written in Aramaic). 7 other books, called the deuterocanonicals (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees. ) were written in Greek. This explains, in part, why Catholic Bibles have 46…

Christians do indeed see the New Testament as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and Jesus, per se, as the fulfillment of the Covenant. It is important to note that the Old Testament, in and of itself, presupposes a fulfillment that lies beyond its pages. In other words, the Old Testament is, by its very nature, incomplete or unfulfilled.

Fulfillment, however, is not to be interpreted as negation. Jesus himself said, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). To refer to the first Testament as “Old” is not to suggest that it is the “obsolete” testament, but rather, that it is the first, original, and revered testament…

This is a common misconception that just as Jesus takes on our human form that God also takes on a dove’s body and therefore we perhaps might want to think about worshiping a lovely white bird.
We see this question come up most often when the Baptism of the Lord is the gospel passage on Sunday, as it was this past weekend. However, it is not the case that God becomes a bird.
If we read the scriptures carefully we see the following scenarios: The Holy Spirit is said to be <span style=”font-weight:bold;”>LIKE</span> many things in scripture including flame, winds, and a dove. We need to look carefully to see what the scripture really says:
From the Baptism reading: <blockquote>After…

No! (LOL).  If I could explain it, it wouldn’t be what it is!  Seriously, “ontological change” is very meaningful in the context of St. Thomas Aquinas’ medieval theological synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology, a stunning intellectual achievement for both his time and, to some degree, ours.
But once we move out of the Thomistic formulation of questions and the meaning of words in his system, we can find it more than difficult to explain what he meant then, and what it means for us now.  Terms like “ontological change” and “Transubstantiation” need updating for the 21st century.  Jesuit Bernard Lonergan’s work is a great place to start with that task.  Yet, I fear…

“Madonna” is an Italian term meaning “my lady.”   It has been used for Mary since late medieval times, and helps to emphasize the relationship between Mary and those who honor her (its French equivalent is “Notre Dame,” or “Our Lady.”)
The term is very familiar to art historians.  Traditionally, the name “Madonna” is used for images of Mary holding the infant Jesus (do a quick Google search to see hundreds of examples of “Madonna and Child.”)  More rarely, it’s used for images that depict Mary without Jesus.   Though it was initially used only for Italian art, it has since become an accepted term for Marian art from all cultures.…

If this and other parables cause you to scratch your head and perhaps even squirm uncomfortably, then you have succeeded in recognizing the purpose of parables. They are not cute fairy tales but deep, rich, and challenging theological tools. Remember, Jesus was put to death because of his teaching and his parables make up a huge part of his curriculum!
When it comes to parables, it’s important to remember that Jesus used them to make a specific point about one specific aspect of discipleship and the Kingdom of God. No one parable attempts to explain every aspect of the nature of God and our relationship with him.
In the case of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus uses this parable to continue…

It’s always uncomfortable for people to give and get criticism.  But when offered and received from a place of charity, it can often be a good thing.
A priest friend of mine some time ago told me that he welcomes criticism, especially on the weeks that he knows he was feeling a bit “off” in his delivery or preparation.  In fact he also says that he needs to hear from his parishioners to know whether he’s reaching them and ministering to their needs as a preacher.
I would say the following.  A homily criticism shouldn’t be the first interaction that you have with your priest.  He deserves an opportunity to get to know you and for you to get to know him.  Secondly, in the waning…

Funny you should ask.  I’ve been thinking of formally offering my services as a Chaplain to the Philly Police department now that I’m more settled in my new surroundings.  During the fifteen years I lived in Camden, NJ, I let police know they could ring the rectory door or phone anytime, especially after a stressful tour of duty.  There were a number of cops through the years who took me up on the offer.  Sometimes at 1:00 AM, there was no one else to talk with over a beer or a cup of coffee.  They knew it was better they come and chat with me before heading home.  They didn’t need professional counseling; just a sympathetic and listening ear to get them over a rough patch or sit with them while they shared about…

This was the gathering of all the world’s Catholic bishops in the early 1960’s to renew the Catholic Church. It was called by Pope John XXIII who called its purpose aggiornamento which means “updating.”  John XXIII did not live to see the Council finish and Pope Paul VI presided over the conclusion of the council.…

Is it a sin to treat my dog like a child?  He’s a good dog and I pamper him a bit, but people seem to be thinking that he’s like a baby for me because I am a childless person.
It is not a sin (i.e., sin is “humanity’s rejection of God and opposition to him” CCC#386) to treat your dog or any other pet as a child, but I would challenge those tempted to do so to reflect on the practice.  I always cringe a bit interiorly when I hear someone speaking to their dog or cat while referring to themselves as “Mommy” or “Daddy.”  It always sounds to me that such persons have a deep affective need in their lives which is not being fulfilled by human relationships.
Enjoy the gift of companionship and presence a dog…

Mary, Help of Christians is one of the numerous names by which Catholics have come to know and love Mary.  It refers specifically to the aid that Mary gives as intercessor, meaning one who prays with and for us to God.
The title of “Helper” has been applied to Mary at least as far back as the fourth century. Because of her closeness to Christ and her unique role in bringing about God’s plan, Catholics have traditionally viewed her as a particularly effective intercessor.  The title as we know it now came into being in 1571, when the Ottoman Empire prepared to invade Europe.  In the face of this threat, Pope Pius V called on Catholics to pray for Mary’s intercession.  The Turks were defeated at the…