21. Mercy is not opposed to justice but rather expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe. The experience of the prophet Hosea can help us see the way in which mercy surpasses justice. The era in which the prophet... Read More >>

 What is the value of these books? First of all, they are part of our Christian heritage. Our forebearers used them for sixteen centuries. These books give us an in-depth view into the religious and secular culture of those times. Tobit and Judith are fascinating stories that... Read More >>

 The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), and look for the Promised Land (Exodus 3, Hebrews 11). Some biblical passages have become popular maxims, such as "Do unto others as you... Read More >>

 Versions of the Bible are translations of the Bible into other languages. The following are the most important versions or translations of the Bible. 1. Septuagint. The oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament is known as the Septuagint, and was made between 300 and 130 B.C. It... Read More >>

 The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October 7th  It was instituted to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in gratitude for the protection that she... Read More >>

 Our Church has been marked by outstanding examples of holiness in the lives of the saints of every age. No matter how dark the times may have been for our Church, there have always been those great saints through whom the light of Christ radiated. Yes, we are frail human beings, and at times... Read More >>

 In the Nicene Creed, we profess, "I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church": these are the four marks of the Church. They are inseparable and intrinsically linked to each other. Our Lord Himself in founding the Church marked it with these characteristics, which reflect... Read More >>

 The only way in which justice could be done would be if God were to raise both his faithful people and their persecutors to life again so that he might judge both and give both their just reward. But what was only a hope for the ancient Jews became a reality when Jesus Christ, ‘the Holy... Read More >>

 ACCORDING to St Mark’s account, Jesus came proclaiming the Gospel that ‘the Kingdom of God is coming near’ (Mark 1:15). For this reason, he called every human person to believe this good news, and to repent of their rebellion against God so that all might enjoy the coming... Read More >>

 The three states of the Church. When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in... Read More >>

  After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles Creed adds the communion of saints. In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints? The communion of saints is the Church. Since all... Read More >>

 To conclude, I want to present some logical facts that clearly indicate that Jesus could not have had brothers. These are: 1) If Jesus had brothers or sisters, does common sense not state that the descendants from Jesus’s mother would be proud of it? And accordingly, would these... Read More >>

 Did Jesus have biological brothers as some non-Catholics claim? Or is this just another attack on the Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Since the early days of the Catholic Church, the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary has been asserted and defended. First of all, I will... Read More >>

 The Church is One Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of competing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23-32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church. His Church also... Read More >>

 Fundamentalists are sometimes horrified when the Virgin Mary is referred to as the Mother of God. However, their reaction often rests upon a misapprehension of not only what this particular title of Mary signifies but also who Jesus was, and what their own theological forebears, the... Read More >>

 Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness... Read More >>

 The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting... Read More >>

 The capital sins are the source of all sins. The word capital derives from the Latin "caput," meaning "head." Note that they are not called "capital" because they are prevalent around a nation's capital or capitol. Actually, St. Thomas Aquinas preferred to use... Read More >>

 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ but are found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when... Read More >>

  And eating together with them, [Jesus] commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth. (Acts of the Apostles 1:4) Before Christ ascended into heaven, he commanded his Apostles to... Read More >>