casual theology

Yesterday was the solemnity of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, and the perfect occasion to reflect on what it means to call Christ my king. Our culture doesn’t like mixing politics and religion. Every year we witness numerous efforts to push religion from the public square. A relativistic, pluralist society simply cannot tolerate the absolute claims of religion, specifically those of Christianity. But, to call Christ King is as much a political as it is a religious statement. When Paul claimed “Jesus is Lord” it was a direct challenge to Caesar’s claim to be Lord.  In fact, it was the rise of modernism and secularism that motivated Pope Pius XI to institute this feast in 1925, when he stated: “Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society.” (...

I've been blessed to have a couple posts on some national sites. Please check these out if you get a chance:

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"   He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.   The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." Matthew 22:34-40 I taught freshman and sophomore religion classes at a Catholic high school for three years. It was easily one of the most fulfilling jobs I ever had. Every Friday, I would cut my lecture short to allow time for what I called “Question Box Friday”. I would pass around a shoe box and students would anonymously write down whatever questions they may have about God or religion. Morality, specifically sexual morality, was always a consistent th...