It is Palm Sunday 2020. Palm Sunday was a day of peace and joy. Jesus enters Jerusalem to a joyous welcome. But he knew that this would not last. There were hard times ahead- a betrayal, a crucifixion. We are in a tough time but for most it will get worse before it gets better. … [Read more…]
I offer this prayer for all health care workers who are combatting the Coronavirus. Heavenly Father, we are living in a strange time. Help us to understand this moment and our role in it. Please, please hear us. We need you, more than ever, for we are now afflicted by an unseen enemy. It haunts … [Read more…]
Plenary Address by Dr. Phillip Thompson for the Catholic Orthodox Prayer Service on October 23, 2018 Christ the King Cathedral (Atlanta) Jesus Weeps “Jesus Wept.” This is the shortest sentence in the New Testament. He wept for the suffering of Mary and Martha at the loss of Lazarus. Their tears moved him. But what would … [Read more…]
In a film world full of junk that is cotton candy for the mind, I am providing here lists of movies with profound spiritual themes. These are Catholic lists. These are movies in my book, Lights in the Darkness,Exploring Catholic Themes in Twelve Extraordinary Movies. A Man for All Seasons The Flowers of Saint Francis … [Read more…]
I gave a talk this past spring at the University of Connecticut on where the Catholic Church would be in 2050. Part of the talk was on the shrinking membership of the Catholic Church. One woman leaving the talk shook her head and lamented, “Well, that was depressing!” I dedicate this article to her. The point of … [Read more…]
It appears that Catholicism in the United States is shrinking at an accelerating rate. But many of my fellow Catholics in Atlanta would scoff at such claims. We are building more churches and schools every year. The Atlanta Archdiocese is bursting with more than 1.2 million Catholics. As a point of comparison, when I was … [Read more…]
With his [Thomas Aquinas] spirit at once humble and swift, his memory ready and tenacious, his life spotless throughout, a lover of truth for its own sake, richly endowed with human and divine science, like the sun he heated the world with the warmth of his virtues and filled it with the splendor … [Read more…]
Over the years, I have had a number of African and Haitian American students. I have had students-dreamers-who were covered by DACA. They were all good people who were so deserving of respect and participation in our country. This is for them. My prayers have been with you, and now I write in solidarity with … [Read more…]
A prophet has the difficult and at times thankless task of calling a people back to their human dignity. Understandably, the chosen may not feel like being prophets. After all, when a prophet calls people to reform or change their ways or to heal the wounds of past injustice, they are rarely welcomed. Even Jesus … [Read more…]
(Pope Francis with the Egyptian Imam of al-Azhar University, Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb) Ok. I confess to really not understanding why a pro-life site is spewing anti-Muslim prejudice. See https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/muslim-takeover-of-europe-is-biggest-story-of-our-time-and-nobody-knows-it As a pro-life person, I must object. I hope other pro-life people will follow suit. Let me be clear-I am not condemning pro life organizations en masse. … [Read more…]