Monday, November 24, 2003. I alluded to a debate with some conservative Catholics who rejected a statement I made that by receiveing the transubstantiated. Bread, we ourselves are transubstatiated. There is a also a contemplative and mystic tradition in Catholicism that speaks of divine union, and when we examine this in light of sacramental theology and Scripture, a rich understanding of our union with God emerges.

Brief Overview of Church Teaching on Islam. Monday, November 10, 2003. I intentionally wanted to keep my own commentary concise and to the point because of the sensistive nature of the subject while a war is occurring in the Middle East. Adore the one, merciful God! Though we can rightly say there is no salvation apart.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005. Recently, I posted a rather lengthy series of questions and answers on celibacy. Then I got to thinking that there are two other common religious vows I left untouched. Many readers already know that I spent my time in formation with a Franciscan community. Here are the opening lines of the original The Rule of Saint Francis.

Just before the Thanksgiving break, I received my December 1, 2003 copy of Newsweek. In the regular feature, The Last Word. Anna Quindlen wrote a column entitled A New Kind of Poverty. Quindlen quotes Mary Brosnahan, who runs the Coalition for the Homeless in a section of New York City. Quindlen goes on to paraphrase from The Betrayal of Work. I remember the time I spent in formation for Cat.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005. Recently, I wrote a lengthy reflection on celibacy. A few days later, I wrote a reflection on obedience. It makes sense that now I would offer some thoughts on the vow of religious poverty. I confess that I am struggling with articulating anything meaningful on this vow, even though it was the vow I felt most essential to my own vocation when I was exploring religious life. I did not think of the vow of poverty so much as sacrifice as freedom.