Commentary by Mark Shea
Is the Gospel of John Anti-Semitic?
Mere ethnicity cannot save, and that baptism...frees us from sin.
Evangelicalese 101
"Isn't he implying that Catholics are not Christian?"
Don't Bind God To Contracts He Didn't Sign
"Nothing particularly forbidding the Church from making lay women cardinals."
Capitalism, Colossians, and the Miller Brewing Company
Seek first the earth and you lose not just Heaven but earthly things as well.
Rudy's Tricks
"The only thing we have to offer is… fear itself!"
Disgust Is Not Enough
Catholics are far closer to Muslims than we are to secular postmodernists.
From Juju to the Eucharist
"Who do you say that I am?"
Lying About the Loaves and Fish
Just like He's God or something.
The Acoustic Candidate
A Christian who consciously flaunts his faith should really have some clue...
Philip Pullman's Useful Idiots
The task of the bishop is to teach, govern, and sanctify, not review movies.
The Culture of Fear
The signs of it are everywhere.
Sin Weakens Us
Evil confuses us and leaves us more vulnerable than ever to our enemies.
The War On Liquids
For if we do not fear Everything, then Terror will already have won.
Divine Hatred, Divine Love
Some acts are so depraved and inhuman...
Compensating Cowards
Cowards don't like the knowledge that they are cowards.
Fisking King David
How the blogosphere would respond to Psalm 51 if David lived today…
Why Not You?
If God himself has to suffer, what makes me think I'm so special as to get a pass?
The Gospel of Barack Obama
For lo, all that was written by the pundits must be fulfilled...
Dispatches from Post-Christian America
Believing a person's innermost being is knowable from his or her physical features.
The Stupid Prime Directive
Why is this stupid rule at the heart of the New Secular Jerusalem?
Saved by Christ, Not by Rules
Nobody really knows why one rule is more important than another.
Easter and the Liberty of the Icon
We live in liberty as icons of the Risen Christ!
God's Laughter
Easter commemorates the ultimate practical joke.
Science Fiction and the Areopagus
Science fiction and fantasy are absolutely awash in theological speculation.
Not So Bright
Not every atheist is a humorless geek out of touch with elementary social skills.
Evangelizing the Hiltonized
My prayer is that Benedict will wake us up.
Benedict and the Scandal
I much prefer a Church that is about mercy.
Benedict and the Scandal Redux
We're simply arguing with a phantom pope about phantom motivations.
"Vatican Cracks Down as Devout Catholic Bus Plunges!"
Is everybody (or at least every Catholic) devout?
Getting Past Clericalism
Clericalism continues to poison and distort the way we think.
The Delusion of the Familiar
Seeing something often makes it something other than strange and wonderful.
The Coming of the Obamessiah
In the beginning was Obama...
Behold the Spam of God!
You wonder what is going through the minds of people who write such stuff.
The Darkened Intellect Serves the Fallen Will
Fervent prayer to the Holy Spirit, who alone can change the heart.
Secular Messianism, On the Left and Right
But a Messiah is what we have, thanks be to God.
Down the Memory Hole
Those who don't know bogus history are doomed to repeat it.
The Latest Historical Attack on Jesus Falls Flat
Jesus was Jewish? Golly, my Christian world is toppling!
Concerning Eucharistic Desecration
Show them, by your actions... The world is watching.
Stealing from Supernaturalism
Atheism is an acid that inevitably corrodes the human person.
On Mediocre Liturgy
There are a few things I find vile, loathsome, and dreadful in contemporary liturgy.
Those Angry Traditionalists
"Not really being a good witness to the faith."
Atheism, Christianity and the E.T. Problem
"Will We Lose God in Outer Space?"
The Speech Hillary Longed to Give
"Most noble Hillary! – We'll revenge her campaign."
Palin Hits a Nerve
Obama's worshipers may not be able to help themselves.
How the Enemies of the Normal Are Destroying Obama
Sin does indeed make you stupid.
Got Soap? On Swearing and Vulgarity
"Nobody blasphemes Thor."
Caesar and Mammon - Together Forever
Here's what I can make of the latest fraud to emanate from our Ruling Classes.
Pursuing Virtue, Not Clintonism
"Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you as well."
Literalischtick
Interpret the books of Scripture "following the rules of sound interpretation."
Reading the Bible Like a Grown-Up
Difference between literalistic interpretation and the literal sense of Scripture.
Tools for Thinking Sensibly About Scripture
The remarkable thing...is the organic unity of growth one sees in it.
Getting Beyond the Literal Sense of Scripture
"Seek first the kingdom of God..."
Coming to Our Senses - The Allegorical Sense
We should read for both the literal and the spiritual sense of Scripture.
Coming to Our Senses - The Moral Sense of Scripture
Scripture communicates ways in which an authentic disciple should live.
Coming to Our Senses - The Anagogical Sense of Scripture
Word and sacrament go together because both point to our destiny in Christ.
Monsters, Moralists, and Happiness
Only the intervention of the grace of God can lift us into the happy life of the Trinity
Charity vs. Dhimmitude
Bishops provide for Muslim students to observe prayer rituals in Catholic schools.
Why I Wrote 'Charity vs. Dhimmitude'
To keep reaction...from devolving into nonsense.
What A Useful Word 'Taboo' Is!
It's about power...Tolerance is not enough.
Grace Is Dark Matter
Grace conquers the hearts of even his bitterest enemies.
Docility
The smartest thing to do is follow Mother Church's counsel.
Staying Balanced on Israel and Gaza
"They have a right to a homeland as does any civil nation..."
The Most Heroic Thing I Have Ever Witnessed
"...the meaning of the priesthood so clearly incarnated before my eyes."
On Finding Christ in the Church
The only sure avenue for coming to know Christ.
The First Commandment
"...speaks to Israel...in the language of covenant."
The 1.5th Commandment
...then what's up with that Mary statue or that crucifix?
The Second Commandment
Take God's Name seriously, as He takes you seriously.
The Third Commandment
For, of course, it was God who invented the weekend.
The Fourth Commandment
...one of those things knowable to anybody with a pulse.
The Fifth Commandment
<em>Now</em> can we start killing?
The Sixth Commandment
A grave and cruel betrayal.
The Seventh Commandment
That wasn't <em>stealing</em>; that was <em>Manifest Destiny</em>.
The Eighth Commandment
"Tell the truth. Then you won't have to remember what you said."
The Ninth Commandment
...just sitting there stewing over his hot wife, his sweet ride, or his good looks...
The Media and Pope Benedict XVI's "Growth"
Constantly astounded to find that their caricature of him is not true.
You May Remember the Reformation
One of the great ironies of history.
The Tenth Commandment
Rely on God, not on envy, to give meaning and value to our lives.
Christ vs. the Power of Now
Only the truth of Christ can keep us from the power of Now.
What Would Jack Bauer Do?
Absolutely no room for debate on the question of whether we should torture.
The Mother of the Son - The Case for Marian Devotion
Why do Catholics honor Mary so much?
Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1984
The broad movement among some conservatives...to excuse the use of torture.
The Beatitudes
If you want to see God's face, that is where you must look.
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
We are called...to look back on goodness and forward in hope.
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
We are not to judge but are simply to assume that the poor we meet are Jesus.
Clericalism
The bad idea that only the ordained and religious are fully Catholic.
Cooperating with the Creator - The Church and Birth Control
Obeying the will of the Creator of human life.
Blessed Are the Meek
Those who are meek are not weak but almost inconceivably strong.
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
For transformation into the fullness of His image and likeness.
Blessed Are the Merciful, for They Shall Obtain Mercy
Forgive everybody. Always. Forever.
Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
Purity -- and impurity -- originate in the heart and soul.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
A sacrificial and therefore priestly act.
Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake
We are graced to pray for those who despitefully use us -- as He did.
Blessed Are Those Persecuted for Christ
Those who do God's will are doing it whether they think they are or not.
The Semi-Permeable Membranes of the Various Protestantisms
Protestants rely on parts of Sacred Tradition and usually don't know they do.
The Perspicuity of Scripture and Other Creation Myths
The result of theory run amuck and removed entirely from real life.
Tribalism Is Unhealthy
What will they do if they get their claws into the health care system?
Introduction to the Perfect Prayer
"We do not know how to pray as we ought."
Our Father
Not a prayer of petition, but the recognition that He is in heaven
Who Art in Heaven
The source of all the beauty and the ultimate fulfillment of all desire.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The highest form of prayer that a human being can offer with his lips.
Thy Kingdom Come
Where the King is, there is the kingdom already present and yet still to come.
Thy Will Be Done
We're not at all sure what that actually means on a day-to-day basis.
On Earth as It Is in Heaven
We don't quite know what to make of Heaven.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
A prayer asking God to meet our elementary bodily needs.
Mere Theism - The Case for God
Evidence: The physical world and the human person.
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses
There is no limit or measure to the mercy of God.
Lead Us Not into Temptation
Why on earth are we asking God to not do what He would never do?
Deliver Us from Evil
A prayer to be delivered from sin.
Our Culture's Sacred Stories
We are tempted to elevate them to the altar and confuse them with Word of God.
See No Evil
A spectacular display of deliberate willed stupidity by media culture.
Stopped Clock Right Twice a Day
Three eminently sensible reasons to the existence of Jesus.
Rush Limbaugh and the Right's Tortured Conscience
Limbaugh has done nothing but cheerlead for torture.
Israel and Judah
I am not on anybody's side, because nobody is on my side.
Through a Veil Darkly
I favor inquiry, even when the inquirers are making mistakes.
Celebrating Advent in a Culture of Fear
The penitential psalms of Advent are God's way of saying there is hope for us.
In Praise of Credulity
God shows Himself to the faithful, whom the world routinely sneers at...
The Inescapability of the Gospel
We simply can't help putting Gospel themes into our stories.
Spike and Hitch
Christians who think he is somehow on "their side" are fooling themselves.
In Search of the Sinister and Elusive Neo-Catholic
A term that exists in a state of quantum indeterminacy.
The Paradox of the Neo-Catholic Traditionalist
So many questions!
Another Pyrrhic Victory for the Pro-Life Movement
Elect pro-aborts — as long as they're also pro-torture.
Hail Mary
Where she is, we too will one day be, if we continue in faith in her Son.
Full of Grace
A title that is too full of meaning to render accurately in English.
The Lord Is with Thee
Thank God for being with you as He is with Mary.
Blessed Art Thou among Women
The most fully saved human being who ever lived.
Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus
"Friends don't let friends do Mariaphobic exegesis."
Holy Mary, Mother of God
She was set apart, as no other mortal has ever been, by the Holy One.
Pray for Us Sinners
It is the truth that things are connected in Christ and only in Christ.
Now and at the Hour of Our Death
The fact is, nobody's getting out of here alive.
Wielding Our Little Tridents
Just some unsettling Holy Week musings.
Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?
Catholics must not complain about this.
Media Distractions
Can we rely on the MSM for total accuracy and defense of the truth?
One Hundred Fifty-Three Fish and Related Matters
Sometimes things happen that are just packed with symbolism and significance.
Introduction to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
"Inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
Feed the Hungry
Not simply concerned with feeding the belly.
Give Drink to the Thirsty
A fitting symbol of the grace of God.
Clothe the Naked
Clothing is not something you can reduce to mere materialism.
Harbor the Harborless
Welcoming the stranger — be he homeless or merely "checking out the parish."
Our Crybaby Culture
Every couple of days it seems somebody falls apart due to "insensitivity."
Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?
A look at five views of <em>Unam Sanctam</em>.
If Christ Had Not Been Raised - The Evidence for the Resurrection
The Resurrection is the factual cornerstone of Christian faith.
The Gospel of Ann Coulter
Ann, Ann, Ann. Stick to politics.
The Future Isn't What It Used to Be
Only the Church progresses, because only the Church is going somewhere.
The Traditions of Men
This is when things got weird.
Some Advice for Moderate Muslims
"We must deal with the violence in our tradition, or it will destroy us."
The New York Times' Latest Double Standard
While Christians impose their religion, scientists have no agenda at all.
Ransom the Captive
How do we live this precept out in this day and age?
Conspiracy Theory
I believe in almost no conspiracies except the Cosmic One.
Technological Messianism
The single most influential member of the New Media.
Padding the Case for the New Atheism
All find what they truly seek.
Fear of the Incarnation and Its Discontents
Great hope for the future of the Catholic faith among Evangelicals.
Post-Atheism
Atheistic fads tend to wane and latch on to some form of "spirituality."
Visit the Sick
The insistence that we <em>see</em> the sick, including those suffering from sin.
Bury the Dead
The last reminder that sin cannot win, that our power is not eternal...
Instruct the Ignorant
Knowledge puffs up, and knowledge of holy things puffs <em>way</em> up.
Counsel the Doubtful
Doubt can be a healthy exercise or it can be a soul-shattering crisis.
Admonish the Sinner
The most thankless and despised of all the works of mercy.
Bear Wrongs Patiently
Unforgiveness does nothing about defeating evil or establishing justice.
Forgive Offenses Willingly
A greater miracle than the creation of the universe.
Comfort the Afflicted
Rooted in every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Pray for the Living and the Dead
The ancients prayed to the Unknown God; we pray for the Unknown Sinner.
Noodling the Theology of the Body
A classic example of healthy intellectual ferment in the life of the Church.
Hail Lucy, Fair of Face
Her life, like yours and mine, is pure gift.
It's Time You People Confronted Your Obesophobia
"Tolerance is not enough. You must love what I love..."
We're Out and We're Stout!
"It turns out that we are larger than we realized!"
The Presence(s) of Jesus
We do far better seeing every human person as Jesus Christ in disguise.
The Presence(s) of Jesus
We do far better seeing every human person as Jesus Christ in disguise.
