Does God Condone Violence in the Old Testament?
Is God a proponent of violence? Does He condone the rampant fighting and killing seen in the Old Testament? Does He encourage it? How come God seems so different in the Old Testament from the New Testament? These are just a few of the questions people have when they begin delving into the books of... Continue reading→
Love Transforms Rules into Beatitudes
A well-formed conscience enables us to discern God’s will and build up relationships of love for him and for his family on earth, the Church. It is not just about avoiding sin, keeping ourselves unstained, but about showing our love for God in deeds, in everything we do and say. On Mount Horeb God gave... Continue reading→
Love Goes Beyond Rules
Nobody likes rules, which seem like arbitrary directives instituted by people in power to control our lives. More appealing is St. Augustine’s often repeated adage: “Love and do what you want.” In fact, if you truly love then you don’t need rules or commandments, love itself will suffice. Think about it: does a newlywed bride... Continue reading→
The Objective Dignity of Human Persons
Good parents not only teach their children the house rules and laws, they teach them the reason behind them. God does the same with us by teaching us our great dignity as human persons made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). The web of relationships and interdependence into which we are born images the... Continue reading→
The Divine Pedagogy
Forming our conscience is key to living in Christ’s love, a “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith,” moving us to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Timothy 1:5,18-19). To help us... Continue reading→
Why the Seal of Confession Can Never Be Broken
Recently on The Patrick Madrid Show, a listener named Cat called into the show to ask Patrick about the reasoning behind the seal of confession and why it exists. She explained that she has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that priests are not allowed to turn in people who commit heinous... Continue reading→
Why are There Differences in the Four Gospels?
Hi Cale, Thank you so much for your program. Why are there so many differences in the gospels? (For example, with the Christmas stories) Carlos from Chicago Recently on The Faith Explained, Cale Clarke took the opportunity to address this popular and understandable question that many have, including non-Catholics. For non-Catholics, the differences in accounts... Continue reading→
Always Follow a Conscience Enlightened by Truth
The Church values God’s gift of conscience as the sacred place where God enlightens our path with the light of truth, the truth of the goodness and evil of our actions. When we seek to follow God’s will, the light of truth shines upon the conscience. This is why we are obliged to follow certain... Continue reading→
Conscience: The Truth Shall Set You Free
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, stirring them to action. He doesn’t come by some momentary action but continues to manifest himself in our hearts in various ways. One of those ways is his work in our conscience, moving us to choose good and avoid evil. Conscience is a wonderful gift whereby... Continue reading→
Unforgivable Sins Against the Spirit
We are preparing for the feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Let’s do so praying that the whole Church—and each one of us—be open to his inspiration. Our Lord’s mention of a sin that will not be forgiven and some find this disturbing: “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will... Continue reading→
