TOBET Blogs
March 25 and Our Re-Creation
My favorite day in Lent is March 25. No, it’s not my favorite since I can eat dessert because it is a solemnity (though that’s a bonus)! Rather, it is the day that “the body entered theology…through the main door” (TOB 23:4). What does Pope John Paul mean? And how...
Theology of the Body and Lenten Asceticism
Lent is back. As Catholics, we are accustomed during this season to hear various exhortations to further conversion in our lives, especially through practicing the three traditional Lenten practices of prayer, asceticism, and almsgiving. It seems to me that most of us...
Salvation and Sacrament
Increasingly, we as a society are not at ease in our own bodies. In the last twenty years, the availability of computers, smart phones, and other “screens” have made it easier than ever to “connect” with others—indeed, to live—in complete physical isolation. At the...
Valentine’s Day and Redeemed Eros
I am writing this blog on Valentine’s Day, which seems rather appropriate since it’s a day filled with cupids and hearts highlighting romantic love’s strong attraction. As Catholics, however, we sometimes downplay this erotic dimension of love in favor of emphasizing...
From “Luv” to “Love”
“I love you.” Those are powerful words—or they ought to be, if “luv” becomes love. What is “luv?” We all recognize “luv” as that attraction and infatuation for someone else and the intense feelings that come it. Now, I don’t mean to criticize “luv.” Not at all. In...
A Fresh Start
“Behold, I am doing a new thing...” (Isaiah 43:19) Somewhere along the way of the Christian life—somewhere amid all of the Masses, the Rosaries, the novenas, and the Confessions—anyone pursuing a life of Christian virtue very often ends up in a rut. The experience of...
Revisiting New Year’s Resolutions and Dodging Heresy
“And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Now that we are past the halfway point of January, it’s time to check in on the status of those New Year’s resolutions. How is that new diet or workout routine...
St. John Paul II’s The Hope of Everyday
One of my dearest friends knows that I try to grow in self-understanding by continuing to see my faults, weaknesses, and sins…and “walk away” from them toward the path of virtue and holiness. That’s why she sent me a gift called “Self-Authoring,” a guided reflection...
The Posture of Receptivity
As we begin the new Liturgical Year (which always points us to eternity), a central concept in the Theology of the Body comes to mind: Gift. “All of creation is to be received as a gift.” Notice the word received. Not just some things but everything is to be received...
Our Identity: Rooted in Gratitude
“What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? … I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.” (Ps. 116:12, 17) The American holiday of Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder of the importance of gratitude, a virtue...