FAITH AS IT IS

My exquisite gifts I have reserved for you, my Love! (cf. Song of Solomon 7:13) August 7th, 2025, will be a deeply meaningful day in my journey toward the priesthood. On that day I will be received by the Holy Mother Church in the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. But if you’re wondering what this is all about, keep reading! Up until this point, much of seminary life was centered around discerning if God is calling me to the priesthood. But candidacy marks a change. It’s no longer the question,  “Lord, are You calling me?”  but rather the prayer,  “Lord, thank You for calling me, and help me to prepare and configure myself to you well.”  From here forward, the discernment continues, but it puts on a new veil: not of exploration, but of configuration to the heart of Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother Church. And it is in this mass I publicly express this, and the Church, in turn, receives me as a candidate for Holy Orders. This rite is not an ord...

by John Paul Philips Christopher Marlowe's controversial play The Jew of Malta  is a powerful cautionary story about the dangers of allowing religious intolerance to take root. Through the tragic story of the Jewish merchant Barabas, we witness the cycle of violence that can erupt when one group persecutes and dehumanizes another over differences in faith. As Catholics, we need to look at this 16th century drama and use it as a mirror to reflect on our own potential for hatred and cruelty towards those outside our religion. The Christian rulers of Malta justify stripping away the Jewish population's rights and wealth solely due to their religious identity. As Barabas accuses, "What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?"  History has shown time and again how religious differences have been twisted to justify unspeakable acts - the Crusades, the Inquisition, modern extremism. We must reject the misguided notion that anyone who believes differently is less deservi...