Posts by Arrowood
The Seven Days of Creation
Debates surrounding the Creation story typically focus on whether or not the Biblical account of creation coincides with a scientific understanding of the origins of the world. Such a focus loses the point of the first stories of Genesis. These stories are not written as scientific accounts, and were never understood as such even by…
Read MoreMoses – God Teaches His People How to Love
The promises of the covenant with Abraham were to unfold through history. As his descendents grew, God took care of them. He sent Joseph to Egypt through the jealousy of his brothers to help the Hebrew people survive a great famine. While in Egypt, Abraham’s descendents did indeed multiply. They grew so numerous that the…
Read MoreNoah – a Beautiful Promise of the Covenant
Noah’s flood is another story that is often caricatured into a children’s story. Yet, the story of the Flood is filled with meaning. The Flood shows what happens when humanity chooses to live without God’s limits. God’s law establishes order in the universe, and in the human heart. When God removed His limits from Creation,…
Read MoreThe Fall – the Covenant Broken but Not Destroyed
Adam and Eve broke the covenantal relationship of love with God. However, the broken covenant did not mean that God stopped loving us. From the very beginning of the Fall God’s love is revealed as mercy. For example, it is a plausible understanding of the Genesis story that God gave Adam and Eve the chance…
Read MoreMoral Principle the Ends Do Not Justify the Means
Definition We cannot reach a good goal (“ends”) by doing evil to get it (the “means” to the goal). Explanation We’ve all heard someone justifying doing something evil by saying, “but I meant well,” or, “I did what I had to do.” Euthanasia is often justified by claiming it is done to relieve suffering. Movie…
Read MoreJesus Fulfills Salvation History
People of the Jewish faith who become Catholic (or part of a Christian ecclesial community) often claim that they are not changing religions, but living the fullness of their Jewish faith. Indeed, as Catholics we see it very much the same way. As Saint Paul tells us, we Gentile Christians are grafted onto the tree…
Read MoreMaterialism
Stuck in This World Materialism is the philosophy that reality consists only in the physical and tangible. Materialists seek their ultimate happiness in physical pleasures and possessions. They don’t believe in spiritual goods and they don’t really value human nature. People who embrace materialism often teeter between living life to the fullest and falling into…
Read MoreAuthor Book Reading: God the Father and the Best Day Ever
This week’s book reading is for the kids! Gracie Jagla reads her children’s book God the Father and the Best Day Ever. As she reads she also explains the illustrations. The Father’s “best day ever” is when His Son conquered death and opened Heaven for us. Her book begins with a simple…
Read More5 Meaningful Gifts To Celebrate Christian Confirmation
Confirmation is a very important part of any Christian child or teen’s initiation into adulthood. Presenting the newly confirmed person with a special gift is both a wonderful commemoration and congratulatory memento. Here are five gift ideas for this special time in any Christian’s life. A Rosary A beautiful rosary is a special gift for…
Read MoreCatholic Discipleship: Helping Others Grow in Faith
I think Catholics are becoming more aware of our need to evangelize. In a world that is increasingly secular and increasingly embracing evil, we are coming to realize the greater importance of inviting people into the faith and into the truth. The new evangelization reveals an increased awareness as well that not everyone in the…
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