Every year all the deacons in the Diocese of Erie, where I now serve, are expected to attend a retreat. It is a requirement meant to revitalize them spiritually and simply spend some time praying and reflecting. I attended one of the two retreats recently that are made available by the Diocese for its deacons.
When the United States was a young nation there was a good deal of prejudice against Catholics. Much of this prejudice was a holdover from the religious conflicts of Europe that had afflicted that part of the world for centuries. One concern was that the Vatican would control American policy if Catholics had a strong
Another term that is associated with the Book of Revelation is “Armageddon”. It is a word that means “hill of Megiddo” and refers to the site for the great battle of the end times. John identifies this as the battleground where evil is overcome. At Armageddon, the beast creatures are overcome by Christ. The Roman
John wrote the Book of Revelation for the Christian communities of the seven major cities of the province of Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. These were Greek speaking communities and part of the Roman Empire. This was a time of persecution under the emperor Domitian. This was a mixed experience for many Roman
If someone asks you what is the most widely read book in the world, it is probably a safe bet to suggest the Bible as your answer. Though almost everyone is somewhat familiar with Scripture, most have not read it all the way through. The Bible is really a library of different books that
In the history of Christianity there have been several takes on how this works out. The first approach emphasizes the idea of propitiation, the second the idea of apocalyptic eschatology and the third the idea of Theosis. Let’s consider propitiation first. Jesus was taken prisoner and executed, even though he presented no military threat. His followers experienced Jesus as alive and
Not long ago a well-intentioned woman sent me correspondence dealing with an annulment for which she was applying. In the correspondence was a short tract put out by her Church (non-Catholic) that cited several Scripture verses emphasizing that all humanity is sinful but that Christ is the propitiation for human sin. In the correspondence, she
The religious liberty debate reaches a greater level of complexity when we turn to the “hot button” issues of abortion or LGBTQ rights. In general, Catholic hospitals and health care organizations have not been forced to perform abortions. There has been occasional push back by individuals and organizations but the courts have respected the religious
One of the least understood and most complex debates that has been raging the past few years, particularly in the United States, is the “religious liberty” controversy. It is at the heart of Church and government relationships. In this and a few subsequent issues of Along the Way I will try to explain what the debate is
Bill Maher is a comedian and political commentator on HBO’s “Reel Time”. His comedy shreds hypocrisy in any form, so he can be just as devastating with both Republicans and Democrats. He tends to get everyone riled up at one time or another, no matter what part of the political spectrum they are on. He