The Second Death

July 12, 2024 By Henry Karlson

Christian Scripture offers us a glimpse of what is to be in the eschaton, sometimes in ways which appear to be contradictory, which is why there are various, often contradictory, interpretations and beliefs concerning it. Some Christians believe that Scripture indicates that those who are not “saved” will be annihilated (a view, to be sure, repudiated by most Christian traditions). Most Christians believe that everyone will be brought back to life in a general resurrection from the dead, whereupon everyone... Read more

PRS VII Humanity Needs A New Cosmology

July 10, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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In the introduction to the book I am currently reading, Prayer of the Heart, the author, Fr. George Maloney, a writer I greatly respect for his knowledge and wisdom, wrote something which I found to be greatly mistaken: Only a human person, of all God’s material creatures, has the ability to stand on the mountaintop of his or her consciousness and ask the why and where of human existence. Why have I been created? Where is my life going? Where... Read more

When We Find Ourselves Needing Some Leisure Time, Take It

July 9, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. We let our worst thoughts get the best of us. We find ourselves becoming stuck in a bad headspace, and when that happens, we don’t know what to do to get out of it. This is especially true with those who are actively striving for perfection in their lives. They think all they should be doing is wrestling with all their temptations, and the thoughts which generate them, but in doing so, they... Read more

Agape

July 5, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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John tells us that God is love, “Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν” (1 Jn. 4:16). The love known as ἀγάπη (agape) or caritas in Latin is translated into English as love or charity; the original word suggests both at once, not just one or the other, so when we read translations from Scripture or various patristic and medieval sources which talk about love or charity, we should keep this connotation in mind. Agape love is a love which has us treat... Read more

PRS VI Reading And Writing

July 4, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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I’m an avid reader. I love to read (but, like most things, how great that love is waxes and wanes, as sometimes I read something which completely enchants me and I can’t wait to read more, and at other times, I find what I am reading not so exciting, making it difficult to reading, that is, when I think there is a good reason to do so). I try to read at least an hour every day. I consider doing... Read more

Learn From the Past And Transform The Present

July 3, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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We can learn much from those who came before us. But, to do so properly, we must be willing to be critical, and examine what they said and did instead of merely accepting it all. We must engage them, willing to learn from their wisdom and knowledge, but also, we must be willing to distance ourselves from what they said which has since been proven false or unwise. We should not expect anyone to be perfect. We can appreciate from... Read more

PRS V: The Chaos And Destruction Of The Supreme Court

July 1, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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I was not surprised with the decisions made by the United States Supreme Court last week (the week of June 16 – 22 2024); indeed, I expected them based upon the known ideological influences affecting most of its current members. They have proven themselves to hold no consistent hermeneutic by which they decide their cases, which is why precedent means nothing to them; rather, they have a conclusion which they want to reach, and will justify it any way they... Read more

Becoming More Like God

June 30, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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Grace comes to us from God, providing us the means to share in and participate in the divine life. There are a variety of ways we can receive it, each with its own particular way to makes us better. God gives us grace out of love, hoping for us to engage grace in the same way, with love, not only with love towards God, but for us to love all that God loves. We are meant to receive grace, not... Read more

Peter, Paul And Leadership In The Church

June 29, 2024 By Henry Karlson

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There are two major events in Scripture which show us Christ giving Peter leadership over the temporal, institutional church. The first was when Peter said that he believed Jesus to be the messiah, that is, the Christ. When Peter did this, Jesus replied that he had been inspired to come to this belief, and now, he would have a new name, for before then, he was simply known as Simon. This itself is significant, for in Scripture, someone is given... Read more