The diaries of Yves Congar, OP, written while he was an advisor at the Second Vatican Council. Translated by Mary John Ronayne, OP and Mary Cecily Boulding, OP, these writings offer a view of the activities of the council participants…
Author: Theologika
What Ryan Missed, by Gerald J. Beyer
A good presentation of the concepts of solidarity and subsidiarity that are essential parts of Catholic social teaching and have been cited by Representative Paul Ryan in the 2012 presidential campaign to justify cutting governmental budgets including social services. Beyer…
The Fruit of the Spirit: A way to live a transformed life, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
In his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23), Paul speaks of the “Fruit” of the Spirit. He uses this term in the singular, implying there is just one fruit, with nine aspects or expressions. Susan Mahan notes that Paul does not…
The Seventh Gift: Awe and Wonder (Fear of the Lord), by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
When I stare at the night sky, especially if I am out in the country, I get almost overwhelmed at the immensity of the universe. I am in awe of the beauty of the stars and then amazed at a…
The Feast of Corpus Christi: Celebrating the Mystery of Divinity Transforming Humanity
Known as the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday, the Feast of Corpus Christi has been officially celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church since the mid-thirteenth century. This…
The Fifth Gift: Courage, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
Courage comes from the Latin word for heart cor and the French coeur. To have the heart for something means to be able to face something difficult or frightening and to persevere. Courage therefore does not mean not being afraid. …
A Canada Lynx as an Image of God
A brief reflection on a picture of a Canada Lynx with her kitten in a meadow of wildflowers. Seen from the perspective of a mother vigilant for her young, as well as that of the young one protected by an…
A Fourth Gift of the Holy Spirit: Counsel or Right Judgement, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
Drawing from the example of the approach to invention of a vacuum cleaner, Dr. Mahan offers a reflection on the Gift of Counsel, also known as the Gift of Right Judgement. Noting that the two names of this gift reflect…
The Gift of Wisdom: Ancient but Pertinent? by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
"Wisdom is a gift from God which empowers us to do what is best." In this post on the Gift of Wisdom, Susan Mahan looks at wisdom from a variety of perspectives, offering examples and insights from daily life as…
The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit: Understanding, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
In this third post of her series on Pentecost and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Mahan explores the topic of Understanding. Beginning with understanding a bit about God and moving through the levels of our human experience of…
