Vivat Agnus Dei

Pictured (color-edited with some error in the shadow): Josemaria Escrivá The atheist, materialist, and even some scientific interpretations of the "soul" differ sharply from that which the Catholic Church teaches. In the popular or materialist view, the soul is often portrayed as a "ghost in a machine," a Gnostic concept that posits the body as merely a vessel or the soul as merely a part of either the brain or mind. This misunderstanding becomes a strawman for atheists and materialists to refute, for it seems to conflict with empirical science. However, the Catholic understanding, rooted in Aristotle and perfected by St. Thomas Aquinas, presents no true quarrel with science. The Church teaches that the soul is the form of the body, constituting with it a single human nature (cf. CCC 365 , 382 ). As Aquinas beautifully articulates, "the soul is not in the body as contained by it, but rather contains the body" ( Summa Theologiae I, q. 76, a. 8 ). The soul,...

Psychological therapy often faces stigma, to the point are some people are skeptical about its value or concerned it contradicts their faith. However, therapy is a powerful tool for addressing mental and emotional struggles, offering healing that goes beyond just the mind. While secular therapies, such as Freud's psychoanalysis, Adlerian therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, can provide practical solutions, they often do not fully align with the Christian understanding of the human person. Catholic anthropology, which views humanity as a unified being of body, soul, and spirit in relationship with God, provides a more complete framework for healing. Secular therapies may help with emotional pain, but they typically overlook the spiritual and redemptive dimensions of human life. True healing, from a Catholic perspective, involves recognizing both our current struggles and our ultimate destination in communion with God. As Scripture teaches, authentic freedom is intertwined with...

Building from  Commandments Toward Communion , and the Series on Love. Undoubtedly, in a culture where individualism is so esteemed, it is no wonder divorce rates soar and discussion of its immoral nature is avoided.[1] Whether we are discussing an indissoluble marriage or a friendship, division is not the will of God, because the closer the relationship the greater damage a rupture of communion brings. Divorce, producing preeminently negative effects, is a rupture of the foundational communion essential for society and the formation of children in love/holiness, severing the highest and most complete communion material man is capable of, and undermining the dignity of man, which rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion. First, divorce is a rupture of the foundational communion essential for society, severing the highest, most complete communion amid material man. Marriage (between a man and woman) is the most profound union that human beings can achieve, because ...