Obtaining The Divine Life
From Death to Life: the Process of Salvation

What is something we all want, but never finish receiving?

More.

or a more expensive house. But even if we get these things, we still feel like we need more of something: we are never fulfilled. There is still a basic emptiness that exists in us. Why is it that we never feel satisfied with what we have? The answer lies in our very nature...More...

Paul and the Sacraments
What is the Role of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist in the Pauline Concept of Salvation?

Over the centuries, the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist have been considered integral to the Christian concept of salvation. Although there has been much debate throughout the centuries regarding exactly how they integrate into the salvific plan of Christ in the life of the Christian, most Christians have acknowledged at least some role for them. This is no less true of the Apostle Paul.

The sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist did not originate...More...

Catholic Scripture Interpretation
Resting on Fundamentals, Resisting Fundamentalism

The purpose of man’s existence in life, according to Catholic teaching, is to know, love and serve God. More than simply a duty that man must fulfill to obtain salvation, this divine design exists so that God can have an eternal relationship with each one of His children. From the creation of the first man, God has revealed Himself to the human race so that man may know Him more fully. The summit of this revelation occurred with the "new man" - Jesus Christ. In...More...

Transformation of Israel into the Church
How did the nation of Israel transform into the Church of Jesus Christ?

One of the most divisive battles in the 1st century Christian community regarded the relationship of Israel - with all its laws, structures and membership requirements - with the new Christian church. This debate forms the background of many New Testament writings, such as the epistles of Paul. In the Acts of the Apostles, this controversy plays out, climaxing in the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. Under the authority of the apostles, this council determined...More...

Abolished or Fulfilled?
The Mosaic Law in Relation to the New Covenant of Christ According to the Fathers of the Church

The entire scope of salvation history consists of God’s covenants with man. From the covenant of creation to the covenants of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Christ, the development of the plan of salvation can be traced since the Fall of Man. The relationship between these covenants is at once both clear and obscure. Each covenant serves the same basic purpose: to bring man into a deeper relationship with God. However, on a human level, these covenants sometimes seem to be in conflict and even contradictory....More...

From Ignorance to Bliss
My Journey to the Catholic Church

Manicured lawns, kids playing in the streets, and dads barbequing in the summer: I grew up in the quintessential suburban American neighborhood. Each family was similar to the next, having the same values and outlook and each relatively the same size. One family on my street, however, broke the mold. Instead of the standard two or three children, this family had seven. I remember asking my mother why that family was so large, and her simple answer was, “Oh, they’re Catholic.” Knowing little of Catholicism and even less of how children were conceived, I figured that these “Catholics” must have a better relationship with the stork than the rest of us....More...