Author name: spc

The Creed: Gateway to Grace

The Creed is both a prayer at Catholic Mass, and a basic catechetical instruction. It’s the statement of Catholic beliefs. What is a creed? Why do Catholics and other Christians need a creed? Here’s a look at how the creed developed and how it is crucial for Catholics today. Singer-songwriter Rich Mullins won lasting fame

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Covenant and Communion

In some ways it seems like yesterday I was hailing—in this very column—the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as supreme pontiff of the Church. I noted that he was the first world-class biblical theologian to be elevated to the papacy. I observed that he was probably the first pope since St. Peter to be so

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Facing the Future

When we teach someone to read the Scriptures, we’re pleased. We praise and thank God for the grace and the privilege. “For we”—you and I—“are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). When we teach a teacher, however, we magnify our praise, because we see once again the marvels of God. When we teach a teacher,

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The Lawler Treasury

Father Ronald Lawler was an advisor to popes and cardinals. He was a bestselling author whose catechism fed millions of Catholics. To Franciscan University students at the turn of the millennium, he was a winsome and passionate teacher of theology. Just before he died in November of 2003, Father Lawler arranged for his papers to

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Bible and the Mass in Toledo

For the second time in three months Rob Corzine and I traveled to Findlay, Ohio, to offer Presenter training for Journey Through Scripture, the St. Paul Center’s parish-based Bible study series. And just like when we presented Genesis to Jesus back in March, we again enjoyed the company of a very large crowd of people

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A Defining Moment

It seems almost too good to be true—a midsummer night’s dream. But I pinch myself, and I find that it’s really here. After several years of labor—intense collaboration with a team of my colleagues—The Catholic Bible Dictionary is now resting on my desk. It’s never long at rest, though, because I’m actually using it. I

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