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If you read the Book of Acts or any other account of the early Church, what do you find? Men and women filled with the Spirit who couldn’t resist the holy urge to speak of Jesus to everyone they met.

For them, Christianity wasn’t simply a “me-and-my-Jesus” sort of deal. They knew that the Good News of salvation through Christ must be shared with all. Many early Christians even chose to die a martyr’s death rather than keep the Gospel to themselves.

Today, parishes are lucky if a few people are baptized during the Easter Vigil, when the Church traditionally brings in new members. What a contrast to the sometimes hundreds of baptisms that would take place at once in earlier centuries!

This begs the question: Are we failing to evangelize those around us? Looking at the numbers coming into the Church, the answer is definitely yes, at least in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

We need to step up our evangelization efforts. Here are a few things to keep in mind as we go out and proclaim the Good News to those around us.

 

Learn people’s pain points.
When beginning to evangelize someone, it’s too easy to vilify them and assume they’re not in the Church because they’re full of hate.

That’s not always the case. Some people stay out because of unresolved suffering and pain, and they simply don’t see the Church as the answer.

Start your discussion by listening to their pain points and tailor your message around those.

Focus on the fundamentals of the Gospel message.
Unless the other person brings it up, don’t get into theological intricacies that are likely to confuse them. Also, avoid Church politics as much as you can. Many non-Catholics are turned off by the constant bickering between Traditionalists and Novus Ordo attendees.

Focus on the basics, as the early Christians did. They made Jesus’ resurrection the core of their evangelization efforts.

Above all, pray!
Even if you’re an eloquent speaker who can refute every objection a non-Catholic brings up, it’s all futile if God’s grace isn’t at work. God is the one who converts hearts. We merely plant the seeds.

Pray for each person you evangelize and offer up sacrifices for them.

There’s no denying that the Church is in crisis. We need to reclaim that original zeal of the early Church. If we don’t, we’ll continue to see Mass attendance dwindle and churches close.

We can’t afford that, so let’s get to work!

In the hustle and bustle of our world, we need to reclaim the practice of Christian meditation more than ever.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

 

Sources to inspire your meditation
There are many. Scripture is one of the best, especially the Gospels and Psalms. Many saints have written about Christian meditation. St. Francis de Sales covers it in his “Introduction to the Devout Life.” This is one of the best sources because, unlike many other books of devotion up to that time, St. Francis wrote with laypeople in mind.

Steps for meditation
1. Recall yourself to the presence of God. St Francis de Sales emphasizes this point. Obviously, we’re always in God’s presence, but we often don’t think of it. You can do this anywhere, but some times and places are more suitable, such as Holy Hour.

2. Ask for the grace of prayer. Prayer is tough. You’re not guaranteed to pray well. Ask God to inspire you and make your prayer pleasing to Him.

3. Have the right intention. Your prayer should ultimately be for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. You can have other desires you want to offer up, but they are secondary.

4. Consider preparing for your meditation by spiritual reading. If you have time, take a moment to reflect after your meditation.

How to meditate
There are different methods. One is discursive prayer, where you work through certain points of meditation you prepared ahead of time (or that someone prepared for you).

You can meditate on the doctrines of the Church, especially as contained in the Creed. For example, “I believe in God, the Father almighty.” Use this as a basis to contemplate the fatherhood of God.

While working discursively through your meditation, form resolutions. For example, “Lord, help me to do better in approaching you as a child does their father.” This step helps you move from mere contemplation to action.

Always conclude your meditation with a prayer of thanksgiving to God.

Go ahead, give meditation a try! You’ll find that it brings you much peace, even as the world around you falls apart.

Bibles come in all styles, from the beautifully illuminated Book of Kells to hip teen versions.

But are all Bibles created equal (in terms of construction)?  No, they’re not.

Here‘s what makes a good Bible.

Stitched binding
The strength of a Bible is in its binding. Given that a Bible is a book you want to pass down, binding matters.

The “block” of the Bible (the text pages stacked together) should be stitched, not glued. Sadly, many publishers take the block and glue it to the side of the binding. Then the Bible is only as strong as the glue.

In premium Bibles, the pages are sewn to the binding, which generally lasts much longer than glue.

A good translation
The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition is one of the best translations out there. It’s faithful to the original texts, yet easy to understand. Stay away from translations that take too many liberties. Also, note that Protestant Bibles don’t have all the books that Catholic Bibles do.

The Bible lays flat
Few things are as frustrating as having to hold your Bible open with your elbows as you fold your hands together in prayer. One slip and the book closes and you lose your place.

Hardcover Bibles are difficult to keep open, but some leather-bound editions easily comply. The key is the flexibility of the binding.

A beautiful cover
As we said, your Bible is one of those possessions you want to last past your death. It’s the Word of God and so it should be clothed in glory. Plus, a beautiful Bible, proudly displayed in your home, may catch the attention of a visiting atheist or fallen away Christian!

Ultimately, the value of a Bible lies in its content. But exteriors do matter, so keep these tips in mind next time you go Scripture shopping!

J.R.R. Tolkien is most famous for “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “The Silmarillion.” But did you know he also wrote short stories?

Perhaps his most famous shorter work is “Leaf by Niggle.” If you haven’t read this gem, I recommend that you do so! You can finish it in well under an hour.

Here’s why “Leaf by Niggle” is worth your time.

An Allegory of Artistic Creation and the Spiritual Life

Tolkien wasn’t a big fan of allegory, yet symbolism abounds in Niggle’s world.

Niggle has been spending his entire life working on one painting. But most people ignore the emerging masterpiece and quickly forget Niggle after his death.

Niggle goes to a place akin to Purgatory. On his way out — before he reaches Heaven — he enters an earthly paradise. It’s his painting, transformed and brought to life by God.

What’s the symbolism? Niggle represents Tolkien. The painting is “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarillion,” which consumed much of his life.

Tolkien is suggesting that — maybe — he and others would enter the world of “The Lord of the Rings” before going to Heaven.

This might sound insane, so let’s turn to Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories” to try to understand it. There he posits that God, in His infinite bounty, may take our feeble works of imagination and make them real. After all, according to Tolkien, legend and history have fused in the Gospels.

Of course, we have no way of knowing if this is true. But we do know that with God, all things are possible.

So why not get a copy of “Leaf by Niggle,” grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and lose yourself in a heartwarming tale of God’s infinite goodness!

Pope Francis has put faithful Catholics in a tough spot. He’s the true successor of Peter and we owe him obedience as such. But he also says and does things that have us scratching our heads, such as cracking down on the Latin Mass and chastising conservative Catholics while seemingly giving liberals a free pass.

This is a good time to remind ourselves what we owe — and don’t owe — the pope.

Who the pope is (and is not)
The pope is not the Oracle of Delphi. He’s not a demi-god who can usurp truth and reason or overturn divine and natural law.

But he is the vicar of Christ and the successor of Peter. He’s given the threefold power of teaching the truth, administering the sacraments, and governing the Church in the name of Christ.

The meaning of infallibility
Infallibility is a negative charism. It guarantees that the pope doesn’t teach heresy. It does not mean that he defines teachings in the best way or at the best time. It also doesn’t protect him from error when he speaks as a private individual. In fact, most statements from popes do not meet the criteria for infallibility (though they may still be authoritative).

Infallibility covers faith and morals. It does not cover science or other branches of secular knowledge. For example, the pope can authoritatively speak on our moral obligations IF global warming is real. But he can’t infallibly state that global warming is happening.

When Catholics should speak up
The Code of Canon Law stipulates that Catholics have not only a right but also a duty to manifest their opinions to Church leaders when these leaders stray from their sacred office.

However, before doing so, make sure you are informed about the matter you are speaking about.

Remember, Christ is still guiding His Church, even if her shepherds do things that leave us baffled. Also, thank God for the good lessons Pope Francis has taught us. Let’s take them to heart as we pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance of the Holy Father.

A few thoughts about the state of the Church from an unsophisticated and uneducated—but hopefully humble—Catholic.

When things are chaotic and turbulent, a reasonable response is fear and anxiety. When we are fearful and anxious, a reasonable desire is to be consoled and reassured. It seems more than obvious that many (most?) faithful Catholics are in a state of fear and anxiety regarding the state of the Church and are looking for consolation and reassurance. I see two extremes:

Extreme 1: “All is basically well. Yes, there are problems, yes Pope Francis says and does some confusing things, but almost all of this is blown out of proportion by the media and by online RadTrad types. Things are well. Things have always been well. We need to stop overreacting.”

Consoling, reassuring, but — from where I’m standing — whether intended or not, an act of gaslighting. Things are not well and pretending that they are is insulting, not to mention a lie.

Extreme 2: “Pope Francis is not the Pope! He is an antipope! And more, he may in fact be the antichrist!”

This option at least seems to take the fear and anxiety we feel seriously but offers a false conclusion. But, false answer though it is, it is at least *an* answer. It seems to give us some sort of clarity. Never mind the terrible consequences this false view will inevitably lead to in the not-too-distant future (illegitimate bishops who have ordained illegitimate priests; illegitimate cardinals, one of whom may be named pope next). We want to be soothed now! The fear is too much! The anxiety is too great now!

Ok, here’s the not terribly insightful, not at all satisfying, third option: Acknowledge the corruption, the bad decisions, the false teachers and your own wretchedness. Then, like Job, sit in a pile of dung and wait upon the Lord. As my spiritual Father put it, “Stay in the tension. Every heresy comes from trying to force a resolution in the tension. Remaining in the tension, stretched out on the Cross, is the only way. And it feels/smells like a dung heap!”

One more piece of advice for me and for you: Continue to live by and teach the truths of the Holy Catholic Church. The failure of others (including leadership) to do this does not alleviate us of the responsibility to do so. What else? Ask that God make you a saint. And while waiting on that, at least be kind to the people around you. Don’t cause your loved ones any unnecessary grief. Be a cause of joy for them. Be gentle with yourself and with those around you. Pray at all times, forgive your enemies, read the writings of the Holy Fathers and frequent the sacraments. And don’t leave the dunghill.

Told you it was going to be unsatisfying. If you have a better answer, I’m all ears.

Some words to meditate on:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” – Psalm 27:14

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:25

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” – Isaiah 30:18

“Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” – Psalm 33:20-22

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14

“Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” – Psalm 37:34

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” – Psalm 62:5

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” – Psalm 37:7

“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” – Psalm 130:5

“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” – Proverbs 20:22

“I wait for your salvation, O Lord.” – Genesis 49:18

Atheists pride themselves on breaking the “chains” of servitude to God and the Church. But do they unwittingly worship another god?

Many atheists have a fill-in for God and it’s called the state. Here’s why.

The allure of the state.
In a sense, the state is a perfect society. By “perfect,” we don’t mean flawless. We mean complete. The state is self-sufficient. It doesn’t need outside help.

The state builds roads, secures food, combats crime, and (supposedly) protects its citizens’ rights. By contrast, the family is an imperfect society. Families normally need outside help to survive and flourish, such as hospitals, grocery stores, and places of worship.

Since the state supplies most of our needs, it’s easy to unconsciously deify it. We see this with left-wing atheists who constantly clamor for the state to provide more benefits.

Atheists may claim to put the individual first, but many are willing to sacrifice individual freedoms if the state so desires. We see this with recent attacks on freedom of religion and speech.

We all have a God-sized hole in our hearts. Someone — or something — has to fill it for us to be happy.

Which would you rather have: a loving, all-powerful Father who sent His son to die for you or flawed political leaders who are prone to lie and throw you under the bus when you inconvenience them?

In our Bibles, we have the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. For centuries, scholars have debated which of these came first and whether one evangelist borrowed from another.

More recently, some scholars have talked about a document called “Q.” Maybe you’ve heard of it. But what is it and is it a threat to your faith?

Let’s find out.

What is the Q Gospel?
The Q Gospel is a hypothetical document. Scholars posit its existence to explain why there are similar passages between Matthew and Luke that are absent in Mark.

Why is this important? Matthew, Mark, and Luke contain many of the same stories about Jesus, so it’s curious that Mark omits some of them.

The dominant hypothesis within mainstream secular New Testament scholarship is this: Mark writes his gospel very early on. Another unknown person writes a document called “Q,” which contains many teachings of Jesus. Matthew and Luke come along and use Mark, Q, and their own writings to compose their gospels, but they don’t use each other’s material.

Not all scholars accept this hypothesis. They say Luke used Matthew’s material and Q didn’t exist.

Does the Q Gospel theory pose a danger to the faith?
Not necessarily. Scripture scholar F.F. Bruce suggests that Q was an early form of the Gospel of Matthew or a lost collection of sayings penned by Matthew. According to this hypothesis, Mark writes his Gospel first and Matthew produces Q. Later, Matthew — or one of his followers — takes his early writings, Mark’s material, and new Matthean material to produce the Gospel of Matthew.

This position is compatible with Catholicism. Do note, however, that some scholars use other versions of the Q hypothesis to discredit the Church’s traditional understanding of Scripture. They posit that anything not found in Mark or Q is made up.

Just be cautious when you encounter a scholar supporting the Q hypothesis. Make sure their position doesn’t undermine the divine inspiration of Scripture.

Many non-Christians try to undermine the credibility of the Bible by saying it contains no explicit condemnation of slavery. Some go so far as to blame the Scriptures for perpetuating this heinous act.

Sadly, there are even Christians who have used the Bible to justify the slave trade.

Does the Bible actually approve of slavery? Let’s examine both the Old and New Testaments to find our answer.

 

The Old Testament
Under Moses’ leadership, true slavery was outlawed among the Israelites. You could indenture a fellow Israelite if they owed you money, but you couldn’t treat them as a slave. Their civil rights remained intact.

They could work for you to pay off their debt, but only up to a point. During Jubilee Years, these obligations were canceled and you would have to free them.

Deuteronomy 15 allows the Israelites to enslave the Hebrews surrounding Israel, but only temporarily. Note that the Hebrews were a larger group than the Israelites. They included other descendants of Abraham, such as the Ishmaelites.

The Israelites were allowed to keep these slaves for six years, then they had to release them. A slave sometimes wanted to stay with their master for the security that was provided. The ancient world was, after all, a brutal place. Masters had to care for slaves when they were sick, but they couldn’t force them to stay indefinitely.

While we wouldn’t consider this an acceptable position today, it is nowhere near similar to the more inhumane forms of race-based slavery that came later. In the ancient world, anyone could become a slave.

The New Testament
St. Paul tells masters to be good to their slaves and says slaves should obey their masters. Is St. Paul condoning slavery?

That’s reading way too much into the passage. Nowhere does Paul say that slavery is good and desirable. He’s trying to work with the cultural norms of the time.

Many slaves in the Roman Empire were entirely dependent on their masters for food and shelter. Even if he wanted to, St. Paul couldn’t have commanded everyone to free their slaves, as that would have put many of the slaves’ lives in danger. Many slaves simply wouldn’t have had the skills to survive on their own.

As social structures changed, the Church became more vocal in criticizing slavery. And it was especially harsh on race-based slavery — such as the African slave trade. The Bible gives absolutely no support for slavery based on race.

As history shows, Christians should not try to justify slavery from the Bible. That’s a serious misuse of the sacred text.