The Church cares for everyone, regardless of their status as legal or illegal By Deacon Bob Hunt There has been a great ruckus since Donald Trump became president over the role of the Church in politics. This was true when Joe Biden, who insisted that he was a devout Catholic, …
Focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving
They represent the totality of the Christian life, which calls us out of ourselves By Deacon Bob Hunt Lent is a season of transformation. The Church calls us to focus on three aspects of our Christian life: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. But focusing on these aspects of the Christian life …
Wanting Jesus and coming ‘back home’
He ‘finally arrived,’ desiring the Eucharist after years away from the Church By Deacon Bob Hunt I was raised in a Sunday Mass and sacraments Catholic family. By that I mean that my parents took us to Mass every Sunday and made sure we received the appropriate sacrament at the …
The solution to ‘What’s the problem?’
It is the birth of Christ on the first Christmas Day and His second coming By Deacon Bob Hunt Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Advent is a season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of the Lord. It is also a season …
The virtue of seeing Christ in others
In every encounter, we see one who is made in the image and likeness of God By Deacon Bob Hunt The universal call to holiness is one that is to be heard and acted on by every person who claims Christ as his or her savior. What does it mean …
To ‘bring Christ,’ love others as He does
He was Himself, and as Himself He served and saved—we are called to do the same By Deacon Bob Hunt The universal call to holiness is one that is to be heard and acted on by every person who claims Christ as his or her savior. What does it mean …
A few ways we can ‘be Christ for all’
Being there for each other and being available helps us live out His call By Deacon Bob Hunt The universal call to holiness is one that is to be heard and acted on by every person who claims Christ as his or her Savior. What does it mean to be …
The vicars of Christ
Bishops give life to the local Church by proclaiming the Gospel, leading ministry By Deacon Bob Hunt Congratulations to newly ordained Bishop Mark Beckman, the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville! Bishop Beckman, I believe you will find the Catholics of East Tennessee eager for your leadership and open …
Asking the right questions in a survey
Is a recent poll of Catholics about the Real Presence reflective of Church teaching? By Deacon Bob Hunt My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to talk about the Eucharist. There has been lot of talk about the Eucharist over the last couple of years, with the Eucharistic …
Two keystones of Catholic moral tradition
They are the intrinsic dignity of the human person and the social nature of human life By Deacon Bob Hunt On April 2, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published Dignitas Infinita, a declaration reaffirming the Church’s teaching on the intrinsic dignity of the human person and addressing …
The Bible is ‘the book of the Church’
It came from many sources but is ‘God’s Word for us today and for all generations’ By Deacon Bob Hunt Where did the Bible come from? The Bible is not a single book. It is a collection of many books, like a library. The word “bible” comes to us from …
If you are Catholic, the Mass is ‘what you do’
The Mass is where we are saved, the purpose for which Jesus came, and where Jesus is lifted up By Deacon Bob Hunt In one of the most profound Old Testament passages, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the Lord establishing a new covenant with His people. “The days are coming, …