This morning in Chapter I reminded my brother monks that among the most precious gifts we can offer God, is the gift of ourselves. However, until we actually know who we truly are, and by a thoroughgoing conversion, come into full possession of who God created us to be, then the gift of ourselves remains […]

In not too many months from now (at the Easter Vigil), we will once again hear those memorable words: O truly necessary sin of Adam! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer! These somewhat surprising words can be thought to reflect the conviction that the incarnation was made necessary by human […]

Saint Augustine makes the interesting assertion that littleness is proper to great souls, whereas pride, is the misleading greatness of the weak. He goes on to add that the truly humble person has no wish to excel in things that are going to pass away but fixes his or her thoughts on things eternal. In […]

Although we are edified—and even amazed—by those saints who died very young, some understandably wonder what these same saints might have become, had they lived long lives. Would they have been able to sustain their admirable virtues despite the simple spiritual “wear and tear” of a long life lived amid the inevitable trials and temptations […]

In the last twenty years (or so) there has been much to discredit the church and seriously question its purported divine origin—it seems all too human, sinful, and earthly. As we know, this has led many to abandon it—a trend that shows little sign of letting up. It is at such painful and difficult times […]

1 November, 2025: Solemnity of All Saints: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a I’ve heard some Christians claim that the number one hundred and forty-four thousand of every tribe of Israel are the total of those who “will be saved.” That is not what the text says: rather, a vision of a great […]

In his autobiographical work, Confessions, Saint Augustine admits that although he thinks he understands the concept of time, when asked to actually explain time, he finds himself at a loss. Something similar occurs with regard to Christian faith: We may think we understand what faith is, until someone asks us to explain it. We have […]

24 August, 2015, 21st Sunday, Year C: Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30 I don’t believe that Jesus is being evasive when he doesn’t reply with a number to the question, “will only a few people be saved?” I suspect he’s indicating that his interlocuter is asking the wrong question. What is as stake […]

In evaluating a person’s guilt or culpability in committing a sinful or immoral action, theologians may distinguish between vincible and invincible ignorance—with the latter involving something one could not have known (thus causing one to transgress without knowing it), and vincible ignorance, involving actions whose moral import could readily have been discovered. In the case […]

Prideful vainglory and perfection are sometimes close associates, while imperfection and humility can find solace in each other’s company. For many, perfection is a major prerequisite for God’s friendship and loving regard, whereas imperfection and sin invite God’s anger and punishment. In keeping with this mindset, a particular virtue is only possessed in its perfection, […]