Corpus Christi Blog

Among the more common challenges that Catholics encounter from non-Catholic Christians is the objection to calling priests “Father.” The basis for the objection is usually a single verse from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus says: “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father who is in heaven” (Mt 23:9). At first glance, this verse seems straightforward, so are Catholics disobeying Christ’s teaching? Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus meant by his words and the foundational reasons for why we call our priests “Father.”

The Sacrament of the Eucharist is one of the most beautiful gifts given to us by Jesus. It is an ongoing opportunity to receive all the graces that come from consuming, or adoring, the real presence of Christ in his body, blood, soul, and divinity. The Eucharist comes to us in two forms, or species — the consecrated Host and the Precious Blood. Sometimes, when you attend a Mass, you will find that the Precious Blood is not offered at all, while at other times you see a chalice offered at every communion station. Because of this, there can be some confusion as to whether there is a difference if you receive the Sacrament under one or both kinds, or if you are somehow being shorted if you are not offered the Precious Blood. Let’s take a look at what the Church has to say about receiving the Eucharist under one or both species.

Last week, we discussed the nature of our free will and some indicators that can help us discern God’s influence on our decisions. Now, we’ll discuss the hallmarks of demonic influence on the will as detailed in Fr. Cliff Ermatinger’s book, Who’s Speaking: Discerning the Good Shepherd’s Voice from that of the Stranger.

The past two weeks I have written about how we can discern between the voices that influence our thinking by identifying the hallmarks of both God’s and Satan’s influences on our intellects. Once we determine which of our thoughts are coming from the Stranger, we can more quickly and easily reject them so we can focus on the voice of the Good Shepherd that breaks through the darkness in our intellects caused by original sin. Of course, the work does not end with our thoughts. We must make choices and act on those thoughts. This week, continuing to draw from the wisdom of Fr. Cliff Ermatinger's book, Who's Speaking: Discerning the Good Shepherd's Voice from that of the Stranger, we will examine the hallmarks of God’s influence on the will. Next week, we’ll cover the hallmarks of the demonic influence on the will.