Author name: Molly Hostetler

Over the centuries, various theories have been proposed regarding how St. Joseph reacted to the news that Mary was pregnant (see Mt 1:18-21).

Catholic doctrine clearly teaches that a person in a state of mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins – that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church” (#1395).

When Pope Benedict XVI authorized a series of corrections to the English translation of the Mass in 2010, one of the changes which raised more eyebrows than most was the alteration made to the words of institution over the Precious Blood.

The purpose of crucifixion for the ancient Romans was twofold: (1) to produce a protracted death struggle aimed at killing the victim in a gradual and excruciating way lasting hours or even days; (2) to humiliate the victim and provide the ultimate deterrent against anyone else who might consider defying the power of Rome.

The Parable of the Unjust Steward, also known as the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, appears only in Luke 16:1-13, and is arguably the most controversial of all of Jesus’s parables. The story revolves around a rich man who calls his steward to account for poor management of his estate.

Amidst the somber beauty of the many readings at Easter Vigil Mass, there’s a line from the prophet Isaiah which feels rather jarring: “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back” (Is 54:7, NABRE).

Demons do not know everything. While they are extremely intelligent beings—far smarter than even the highest IQ human beings—still they are not aware of all that takes place in the material world. This raises the thorny question of whether the demons knew that Jesus was God.

One Old Testament text which skeptics will sometimes point to as evidence of biblical misogyny is Leviticus 12:1-7.

For many Catholics, the fourth joyful mystery—the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple—can be a difficult scene to meditate on. What’s the episode about, anyway? And what might be its deeper meaning?

The opening chapter of the book of Genesis famously records God’s decision to “make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). But what precisely do the words “image and likeness” mean? And are humans the only creatures who fit this description?