The Joy of the Truth

The best hymns pack a lot of meaning into a few words. The Christmas hymn, "Oh Holy Night" begins with a beautiful and powerful summary of the entire Christian faith. Long lay the world in sin and error pining 'til He appeared and the soul felt its...

The moral life is too often separated from the rest of the Cristian life. If you ask Catholics what is the goal of the moral life, they are likely to say, "To avoid sin." Some may take it further and say, "To get to heaven," but morality is often seen as...

Last week's reflection during Eucharistic adoration was on lukewarmness. The moral life is not primarily about what we do, but about who we are becoming. What we do is important because the choices we make (and therefore the actions we perform) shape...

Question: Does the Church still teach about purgatory?Response: The Church does indeed still teach about purgatory.Many people think that the Second Vatican Council abolished the teaching on Purgatory, or at least that post-Vatican II theology has moved...