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When I was on the outside looking in at the Catholic Church, I truly believed the emphasis on Mary in Catholic theology led to a loss of focus on Jesus. My aim, in speaking with Catholics, was not only to debunk Catholic theology’s many myths about Mary, but also to point them back to what really matters for salvation: Jesus Christ. Often I would say to them words that I have since heard many times from scores of well-meaning Protestant Christians: “We can agree to disagree about Mary. Afte …

Ten Aids to Mental PrayerMental prayer is a furnace, in which the watch fires of vigilance are constantly rekindled. Fidelity to mental prayer gives life to all our other pious exercises. By it, the soul will gradually acquire vigilance and a spirit of prayer—that is, a habit of ever more frequent recourse to God. Union with God in mental prayer will lead to intimate union with him, even in the midst of our most absorbing occupations.The soul, thus living in union with God, by custody of …

Rule 1: The Bible’s human authors were not divine stenographers. Everything asserted in Scripture is asserted by the Holy Spirit, but God allowed the human authors of Scripture to incorporate their own words, ideas, and worldviews into the sacred texts.Rule 2: The Bible’s human authors were not writing scientific textbooks. Scripture does not assert a scientific description of the world, so details in the Bible that utilize “the language of appearances” are not erroneous.Rule 3: The Bible contai …

Contraception Advice for Big KidsWhile I was waiting for my 13-year-old son who was getting a haircut, I started flipping through a women’s magazine and was drawn to a slick, double-page ad for an implant contraceptive. A beautiful young woman with a radiant smile beamed out from the page with all her potential life plans laid out attractively: “get a job,” “find my own place,” “fall in love,” “save up,” “take a trip,” “finish school" (interestingly, ”get married" was not among the desired …

How to Talk to Pre- and Post-Abortive Women How should we confront those who are personally connected to abortion? You will succeed in saving the child of an abortion-minded woman unless she sees that you are trying to talk her out of an abortion for her sake, because you genuinely care about her. Now, this doesn’t mean that your concern for the child doesn’t enter into the equation. You must show her that because she is now a mother (even if she claims she is not ready to become …