(Originally published on Helium April 18, 2013) There are many criticisms on the internet of the Roman Catholic Mass by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. This article defends the Mass. The two major criticisms of the Mass by Catholics (also called Eucharist by Catholics) are: 1) that it’s boring and 2) that it is no...
Category: Prayer
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An imaginary visit with Jesus and his parents
In the sixteenth century, Saint Ignatius of Loyola wrote out instructions for prayer based upon his own conversion experience. A contemporary of Saint Theresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross, all spiritual giants in the Catholic Church, Saint Ignatius’ legacy to the order he founded (Jesuits), were his written instructions on prayer called...
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What do Christians Mean by Free Will?
Free Will simply means we have choices. God does not coerce us to take only one option.
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An Unexpected Consequence of Imaginative Prayer
I was introduced to imaginative prayer when on a retreat. The retreat master introduced us to Anthony de Mello and his meditation methods. Years later, I was introduced to the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola which rely heavily on the use of imagination. The Rosary also relies on imagination to visualize the lesson...
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Praying The Rosary
The Pieta sculpture represent the death of Jesus. He is placed in his mother's arms after he is taken down from the cross. The 5th Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary prayer.
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Using Imagination in Prayer
Many of us, when we think about praying or prayer, generally mean “talking to God.” Whether the prayer is a memorized prayer such as the Our Father, a spontaneous “Thank you God” whisper, reading prayers out of a prayer book, or asking for something, prayer is frequently vocal. We are talking to God. We either...
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The Stolen Miracle Mark 5:24-34
A brief incident, sandwiched in the middle of a story of another of Jesus’ miracles (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43) is unusual in that it tells of a stolen miracle. Unlike other miracles that Jesus freely gave away for the asking (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34, Luke 8:42-48), it was stolen because the woman who stole it...