Assorted news stories about Christian suffering

Every so often I will cycle through various news outlets to see what may be happening with Christianity in various parts of the world. Today some of the stories reminded me that Christians are not accepted well in all parts of the world or even in this nation. Click on each headline to see the full story: Egypt’s anxious Copts ‘await next catastrophe’ Worshippers arriving for mass... [Read more]

The thing about saints

Here is a quick thought for you. We love to read about the lives of saints. They are wonderful stories that show us what a person who is totally submitted to the Lord can do. Often, they also show us how a person can overcome terrible sin in their lives. But, here is the thing about saints. If we misuse them, they can become an awful burden. Why do I say that? We tend to forget that the reason that... [Read more]

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The poor teach us

Fr. Alejandro Mesco The poor teach us. No, no, no, I am not talking some of the sloppy sentimentality that passes for serious thinking in too much of the Hollywood set. Rather, today I am thinking about the example of a friend of mine. In southern Peru, I was field director of a region. I had two indigenous priests under my care. Both of them lived out in the shantytowns, one by choice, and the other... [Read more]

St. Cyprian on traditions

I have to travel unexpectedly today, so for those of you waiting for the follow-up post on the Church, I leave you with the following. I am quite well aware that not all traditions are equal. In fact, so were the Early Church Fathers. St. Cyprian said: “Custom is often only the antiquity of error.” [Editor's Note: The Scylding pointed out that he had posted the same quote on his blog along... [Read more]

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On requesting intercessory prayers from the saints

Are there any Biblical and historical quotes that appear to demonstrate that both the Apostles and the Early Church Fathers expected that the saints and angels would be aware of what we are doing and would intercede for us? And is there anything that says that we should revere them and remember them with special days? Funny you should ask. Revelation 5:8 – “Now when He had taken the scroll,... [Read more]

Sacramental, Attractional, Missional, what is the Church? – Aslan knows!

The author of another blog asked several of us a question. “What is the way to go to be the church Jesus is building: Sacramental, Attractional or Missional? And in what mixture? For what reasons?” I answered as follows: In the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, the Pevensie children, after their death, are heading to Aslan’s country and have an odd realization.... [Read more]

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St. Andrew, Apostle and First-Called

Feast: November 30  [The acts of this apostle's martyrdom, though rejected by Tillemont, &c., are maintained to be genuine by Nat. Alexander, Hist. t. i. and by Mr. Woog, professor of history and antiquities in Leipsic, in learned dissertations, published in 1748 and 1751. The authority of this piece being contested, little stress is laid upon it, and the following account is gathered from the... [Read more]

The Secret of Father Brown

There is a wonderful series of stories published by G.K. Chesterton that have to do with a Roman Catholic priest in England who solves mainly murder mysteries. His name is Father Brown.  It is a series that I highly recommend and has been published in its entirety by Penguin Books in the past. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Fr. Brown does not solve criminal mysteries by deduction, but rather by knowing... [Read more]

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Salvation, Justification, Works 03

“Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.” — G.K. Chesterton I replied to a comment made on something I wrote on another blog and I thought the answer was worth posting here as well, with a couple of additional comments. I can remember being a guest preacher at a church where they allowed people to “share”... [Read more]

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The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe — Aslan is Eastern Orthodox

Aslan Warning: If you have not read C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe then this post will not make sense to you. In the midst of all the discussion that has been going on over justification, salvation, sanctification, etc. on this blog and on other blogs on which I have posted, I found myself remembering one of my favorite books, C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and... [Read more]