A Hollywood Commentary on Original Sin
A Hollywood Commentary on Original Sin We also have footnotes that harmed our character and perhaps robbed souls of sanctifying grace, necessitating a good Confession. These events, too, are embedded in the footnotes of our lives and readily surface in thoughtful meditation. https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/hollywood-commentary-on-original-sin/ In the 2025 movie Nuremberg, the narcissistic war criminal Hermann Göring, brilliantly played by Russell Crowe, taunts the
External Pious Practices
External Pious Practices At the heart of the Mass during the Consecration, we kneel in reverence as bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Like Saint Thomas the Apostle, we gaze upon the Host and quietly say, “My Lord and my God.” Holiness can seem like an elusive goal. In its essential sense, we are holy when we are in the state of sanctifying grace. We do not judge the state of another person’s soul—God alone is our judge. Our conce
“I Am Not a Racist”
“I Am Not a Racist” Every human being struggles with sinful inclinations in some form. Some are predominantly prone to arrogance, others to miserliness, and still others to sins of the flesh. The central moral question is not whether these inclinations exist—they do—but whether we acknowledge them honestly and resist acting upon them. https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2026/01/18/i-am-not-a-racist/ In our highly politicized culture, sin is rarely discussed as a viola
The Truth and Beauty of Revelation
The Truth and Beauty of Revelation The doctrinal formulations defining the Incarnation—culminating in the Nicene Creed—represent theological precision at its highest level. These formulations do not embellish belief; they define reality. https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/truth-and-beauty-revelation/ “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). “Man” is comprised of male and female—a communit
Marketing beer vs. teaching Marian dogma
Marketing beer vs. teaching Marian dogma The marketing of beer shows how persuasion shapes perception. But only faith directs the mind and heart beyond appearances, guiding us to the reality of God’s work and His plan for salvation. https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/marketing-beer-vs-teaching-marian-dogma/ The raging debates we see all around us come down to two questions: 1. Does perception shape reality, or 2. Does perception help us understand
The Virginity and Celibacy of the Holy Family
The Virginity and Celibacy of the Holy Family The example of the Holy Family points toward a deeper understanding of family life and of communities of families: tribes, nations, and cultures. Bonds of blood are real and important. https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/virginity-and-celibacy-holy-family/ Catholics are accustomed to viewing the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model for every family. Yet because all three were celibate—understood in a broad
The Guardian of the Covenant
The Guardian of the Covenant By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Dec 22, 2025 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/guardian-covenant/ In co, parties engage in trade agreements. Nations make treaty agreements. Every agreement enhances mutual understanding. Some even prevent war. Throughout Scripture, God also enters into trade agreements with man. At first glance, St. Joseph may appear to occupy a relatively obscure role as a negotiator in the Gospe
The Evidence of Affirmation
The Evidence of Affirmation By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Dec 15, 2025 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/evidence-affirmation/ Every so often we must examine our intellectual patterns of thinking with the humility to admit that we can be wrong—and the wisdom to know where firm certainties of truth are found. Good Catholics accept Church teaching as true and reliable. We needn't be great theologians to accept the Creed and try to live by
Old Time Thomistic Metaphysics
Old Time Thomistic Metaphysics By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Dec 09, 2025 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/old-time-thomistic-metaphysics/ From our morning coffee routine to scientific research, we are a bundle of habits. Good habits are virtues; bad habits are vices. Whether good or bad, our habits govern the faculties of our souls and shape our emotions. At times, vices intermingle with virtues like poison ivy hidden among flourishing f
We Know Not the Day nor the Hour — If You Get My Drift
We Know Not the Day nor the Hour — If You Get My Drift By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Dec 01, 2025 https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/we-know-not-day-nor-hour-if-you-get-my-drift/ Advent begins with the same warning that ended the liturgical year: Be watchful. Stay awake. You do not know the day nor the hour (cf. Mt. 24:37-44). Jesus speaks these words not to frighten us, but to shake us free from spiritual lethargy. Advent is our time to wa
