Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”—Genesis 3:1. In Part 1 of Did God Really Say (Found on the Update section of my site this week) I told my own conversion story, explaining how God initially moved me from a progressive view of Biblical scholarship to a traditional Catholic view. This set the ground for my later conversions on both the moral life and even the liturgical life as a priest. I specifically credited a Hahn tape set on Providentissimus Deus [...]

Or how I became a "Catholic Fundamentalist." In 2024, I gave a talk at a women's conference at a traditional Catholic parish called My Two Conversions.  I explained how in high school, I was a pretty liberal Catholic who worked at The Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen in the afternoons.  Perhaps in the evening, I might be found at a downtown Denver coffee-shop writing letters against the death penalty for Amnesty International. But, at 16 years old, I had a big conversion and I came to believe that Christ was truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.  Then, another 16 years later (several years after ordination, in fact) I became a traditional [...]

One can always detect the preferred heresy of the age by what is removed from the Bible.  So, before we look at the USCCB’s Bible translations, let’s look at two examples of what heretics over the last 500 years have removed from their own versions of the Bible. 1) The Protestant rebels removed Maccabees because of Purgatory.   Maccabees is like the Braveheart of the Old Testament.  It's one of the most exciting books of the Bible, so no one should have removed it.  But the 16th century heretics like Martin Luther removed 1 and 2 Maccabees because it showed Purgatory and the necessity of sacrifice for the dead.  Here's [...]

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."—Mt 28:1-11 Why was there an earthquake at the Resurrection? Fr. Lapide writes: "Firstly, [...]

The above is M. Chrisman's Easter Vigil fire pit. Today we are going to consider some questions regarding the women of the Resurrection.  The Patristic answers will follow. How is it possible that the women had both joy and fear at the tomb? St. Jerome writes: "A twofold feeling possessed the minds of the women, fear and joy—fear at the greatness of the miracle, and joy in their desire for Him that was risen.” Why weren't the women going to the tomb to anoint Our Lord afraid of the Roman soldiers guarding it in the first place? Fr. Lapide gives a surprising answer: "It is very probable that they were [...]

When your son asks you in time to come, "What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?" then you shall say to your son, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in and give us the land that He swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do [...]

Was St. Mary Magdalene the biological sister of Lazarus who Christ raised from the dead? Most of the early Fathers believe so. In fact, the 16th century Jesuit, Fr. Lapide, reveals the ancient dispute of the Fathers.  Ultimately, however, he comes down on the side of the affirmative to that question.  Here, we will just copy-and-paste that great scholar's clear and profound words without any commentary, except Lapide's own commentary on Sacred Scripture and the early Fathers: Ver. 36.—And one of the Pharisees desired that he would eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to meat.  Ver. 37.—And behold a woman in the city. [...]

A little while, and you will see me no longer, and again a little while and you will see me.—St. John 16:16 John 16 is one of the most intimate chapters of the New Testament. Jesus has just washed the feet of the Apostles (chapter 13) and then we have several chapters of Him explaining at the Last Supper the Father's love for the Son and the Son's love for His own Apostles. This is just before the arrest of Jesus Christ. As most of you know, St. John spends nearly half of his Gospel on the Triduum prayer and the Passion and Resurrection, and a large part of this [...]