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Spirituality
None Greater Than John the Baptist
Since my mother’s womb, you have been my strength. (Ps. 71:6) Today, the Church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist, one of just three liturgical birthday celebrations, along with that of Jesus and Mary. According to pious Christian speculation, John was born (though not conceived) without orig...
Spirituality
Baptized Into His Death: The Ruthless War of the Soldiers for Christ
Fear no one. That was Christ’s command to the Twelve after He told them they were going to be flogged in synagogues and dragged before governors and kings. That would be the fate of the Twelve, Christ’s hand-picked confidants, His band of brothers. Band of Brothers was a highly acclaimed miniseries...
Spirituality
Christianity and the Decline of Pagan Cults in Late Antiquity, Part 1
This two-part article examines how Christianity gradually displaced paganism and idol worship throughout Europe from late antiquity into the early Medieval period. Part 1 of this article describes the religious landscape of the pre‑Christian world and discusses the formation of a distinct Christian...
Spirituality
Constant Online Theological Debates Are Turning Young Women Away
I was ministering to a young woman recently who confirmed something for me that I’d been hearing about in different circles. She said young women are having a hard time in young adult groups because they are filled predominately with young men who want to argue religion and politics incessantly. Fue...
Spirituality
Chara: The Vanguard of the Church
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) You can sense it almost everywhere now. The exhaustion and misery of a civilization that has forgotten how to hope. Watching the news, scrolling through social media, or checking in on X to see what’s going on in the world is an...
Spirituality
Christ’s Hard Lessons in Discipleship: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives the Twelve lessons in discipleship, both its costs and its blessings. Gospel (Read Mt. 10:37-42) In verses preceding this reading, Jesus perhaps startled His disciples with this warning: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to...
Spirituality
Christianity and the Decline of Pagan Cults in Late Antiquity, Part 2
This two-part article discusses how Christianity became a dominant force upon its emergence through the combined effects of imperial patronage, missionary endeavors, and ritual appropriation. Archaeological evidence and contemporaneous texts reveal that the aforementioned strategies were instrumenta...
Spirituality
How to Witness Miracles
“Have I ever witnessed a miracle?” is a worthwhile question in our Western culture dominated by rationalism, materialism, and scientism, as many skeptics and agnostics—and even some Christians—believe miracles impossible. A miracle, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an extraordinary event manifestin...
World News
Vatican says ‘nein’ to lay homilies in Germany
The Vatican’s liturgy department announced Tuesday that it had rejected the German bishops’ request to authorize lay preaching at Masses.Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, pictured on Aug. 28, 2022. © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.The Dicastery for Divine Worship said June 23 t...
World News
Meet Sr. Rani (and some World Cup tips)
Hey everybody,Thanks for reading The Tuesday Pillar Post.Today I want to tell you about Blessed Sister Rani Maria Vattalil.Sister Rani.She lived in India, was a Syro-Malabar Catholic, and entered religious life with her cousin in the early 1970s, when they were young women.Her religious community wa...
World News
Vatican releases consistory schedule, confidentiality note
The Vatican has published the schedule for the upcoming extraordinary consistory, as well as a note on the confidentiality of the gathering.Cardinals at the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Edgar Beltran/Pillar Media.Subscribe nowA June 22 statement from the Vatican outlined the detailed s...