As if the Church doesn't have enough to deal with, lay and clerical faithful have recently turned up the heat on a debate that the average Catholic had no idea was going on in the first place: which form of the Mass is the better one, the Extraordinary Form ("Latin Mass") or the Ordinary Form… Continue reading Extraordinary vs. Ordinary: A View from the Pew
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Authentic Love and Morality Courses from the O’ahu Faith Formation Conference 2018
On June 22-23, I had the privilege of participating in my first faith formation conference as a facilitator. It was a blast! I had students from high-school age to golden years, and their thoughtful questions and comments during our time together was as humbling and informative to me as I hope my courses were for… Continue reading Authentic Love and Morality Courses from the O’ahu Faith Formation Conference 2018
Magic in the Mundane
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. -Leonardo Da Vinci There is something deeply compelling about the fantastical: the ideas, the possibilities, the inhabitants, of a world that is so like ours yet alien… Continue reading Magic in the Mundane
The Tree
On Ke'eamoku St. in Honolulu stands a tree. It is a large tree, with large, fanned roots that in and of themselves are impressive. I am always awed by this tree, and fascinated by its shape: one side obviously receives the brunt of the elements, and the other flourishes with leafy branches. I came across… Continue reading The Tree
It’s Time to Change How We Defend the Church’s Teaching on Contraception
Karl Keating recently wrote about an all-but-forgotten work of apologetics called Some Thoughts on Catholic Apologetics, by E. I. Watkin. Skimming through Mr. Keating’s explanation of the book’s relevance for modern apologetics, I was struck by how much of the sentiment mirrored my own. As Mr. Keating notes, “To Watkin, dry, abstract approaches used during the… Continue reading It’s Time to Change How We Defend the Church’s Teaching on Contraception
What’s the point of Social Justice?
Catholicism, to the surprise of many, barely supports capital punishment. In fact, the robust history of Catholic social justice seems to be unknown to many Catholics, let alone non-Catholics. Otherwise I don't think there would have been such a collective sigh of relief when Pope Francis shifted Church rhetoric away from procreative issues. Just for fun, let me list… Continue reading What’s the point of Social Justice?
Why Can’t the Church Support Gay Marriage?
The topic of homosexuals, gay marriage, and Catholicism weighs heavily on people’s minds. I understand how confusing and hurtful Church teaching seems on this issue, and a good friend has been gently nudging me to address this for a while now. His most recent comment to me is as follows: One thing, as you might… Continue reading Why Can’t the Church Support Gay Marriage?
