The Narrow Gate Blog

This article first appeared at: fireupministries.com With all the confusion and harmful agendas being pushed on children in society today, it can be a scary time to raise a family. It is understandable to be concerned about the world our children are being brought into.But, will you be paralysed by fear and withdraw from the world, or will you step up, fire up and answer the call for our time? The best way to fight evil is with good!Every time I notice myself getting worried about the attacks on …

This article first appeared at: spiritualdirection.com I was in a meeting with my spiritual director.“My root sin is sensuality,” I said matter-of-factly.My spiritual director raised an eyebrow. “I’d say it is pride.”In retrospect, my response was classic, and I am surprised he didn’t laugh out loud. I said, “No, it’s not. It is sensuality.”He gave me a knowing smile and dropped the subject.A few years later, I was working late at the National Catholic Register with Fr. John Bartunek. The topic …

This article first appeared at: fireupministries.com Several years ago, I was part of a community service group at my parish that visited the elderly in a nursing home once a month. I looked forward to these visits so much. I always felt proud of myself for doing something good for the elderly, but I never realized how much they could and would do for me. God introduced me one day to an elderly man that would radically impact my life and my outlook on love.As I entered the nursing home one Sunda …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcenter.com 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). For souls whose hearts have been pierced by deep suffering, this verse might feel disconcerting. Why would our loving Father ever abandon us, even for a brief moment? And does that mean He might be abandoning me r …

This article first appeared at: fireupministries.comThe one thing we all want, without question, is to be loved by others.Sadly, we assume that we get the love we want by working super hard to hide our flaws and weaknesses from others so that they won’t be repulsed by us. In fact, it is almost directly the opposite.The love you desire is on the other side of being vulnerable and honest about your weaknesses. Contrary to what most of us think, when we let our guard down in front of a trusted love …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcenter.com The description of a Godly woman in Proverbs provides a table of contents for a topical Bible study for women using a wide range of Scripture.My first study, Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage, focuses on the core relationship of a family—marriage. My newest study, Graced and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker’s Heart, centers on the tasks of making a house a home, a place of beauty and order, where the needs of our lov …

This article first appeared at: spiritualdirection.com My co-workers at the large Christian Apostolate where I worked as Director of Strategy Development used to call me “Nuke.”That’s because I was always one irritation away from going off, raining emotional shrapnel on everyone in the vicinity. In some ways, my rage was working for me. Professionally, I was challenging and piercingly to the point to those in authority. I was solving problems and saving the company millions of donor dollars. Bel …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com When a man and a woman discern the vocation of marriage, they move from a private promise to each other—I am my beloved’s, and he is mine—to a public engagement. They approach the Church, at least six months before their hoped-for wedding date, to formalize their commitment. They prepare by learning more about what the Church teaches regarding marriage, for “marriage introduces one into an ecclesial order, and creates rights and duties in the Chur …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com So what is the difference between a heretic and a schismatic? St. Optatus, another of the great African Christian writers, wrote a surprisingly polite argument against a Donatist named Parmenian, in which he makes the important distinction clear. The Donatists are schismatics, but not heretics. They believe the same fundamental truths that Catholic Christians believe. They have the same sacraments. But because their predecessors broke away from th …

This article first appeared at: stpaulcentre.com Modern scholarship tends to date Mark’s Gospel around A.D. 70-75, Matthew around 75, Luke around 80-90, and John around 90-100. In part, these dates rest on the assumption that Mark’s Gospel was written first—a view known as Marcan priority. Marcan priority is based on a number of considerations, including Mark’s being the shortest of the four Gospels, and the fact that its Greek prose is a lot worse than Matthew’s.If Mark were writing after Matth …