May 16, 2020

Pope Francis, Big Bang, Evolution

According to a news article, Pope Francis recently acknowledged the Big Bang theory and evolution. I was quite startled by comments I’ve heard about this story. I hope you can enlighten me on this matter.

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Meaning of the Word ‘Paschal’

I know that words often have a root meaning. For example, our word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which I know St. Augustine described as “an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” In preparing for a ...
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A religious painting

Finding Satan’s Story in the Bible

Where in the Bible can I find the story of Lucifer and the fallen angels? I’ve looked, but without success. Is there some other book that contains this story?
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Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Q. Matthew 3:13-17 describes the baptism of Jesus, including John the Baptist’s objection that Jesus should be baptizing him. Why did Jesus want to be baptized, anyway? A. This question was raised by Christians already in the first century, which ...
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Baptizing Grandchildren Secretly

At a recent meeting, the topic of unbaptized grandchildren came up. I have been told by many priests and deacons that I could not baptize my grandchildren because it can only be administered once. What happens when grandparents baptize their ...
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‘Dresser of Sycamores’

Q. In Amos 7:14, at the king’s sanctuary in Bethel, the prophet verbally defends himself against the priest Amaziah by denying that he ever said he belonged to a company of prophets. Amos adds, “I am a herdsman and a ...
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cross with the sun behind it | Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Giving Up on Giving Up: A Lenten Reflection

Years ago, as Lent approached, I asked a trusted spiritual counselor what he was going to give up. He gave me a sly grin and said, “I’m giving up giving things up for Lent.”
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