You are Peter and On This Rock....

After following up with questions about some apocryphal historical errors that appear in Church hymns, we will turn our attention to early Jewish and pagan interpretation and how that impacted Christian biblical interpretation. 

False books, "apocrypha," were written by heretics who signed the names of apostles to give them credibility. But some apocrypha were not heretical. They contained stories about the youth of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. Is there anything wrong with reading those stories? 

Who created the apocrypha and why? Why did the Fathers oppose Christians reading them? In this lesson, we will look at the rise of apocryphal writings and discuss why they were created. We will read excerpts from them to illustrate why they were rejected by the Church. 

In 1 Peter 3:19, we read that Christ “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey.” What might Peter mean? 

Fr. Mike goes all the way back to Genesis to explain why Catholics have a pope. God established the kingdom of Israel with the twelve sons of Jacob. Centuries later, he appointed David as the king who would unite this kingdom. Centuries after that kingdom was divided, Jesus estab ... Show More

Who is the Pope? Today, we focus on the role of the Pope in the Catholic Church as the Vicar of Christ and pastor of the entire Church. The Catechism teaches us that the institution of the papacy dates back to that powerful moment in the Gospel when Jesus changed Simon’s name to ... Show More

<p>Friends, today’s Gospel concludes John’s reflection on the Eucharist. At the end of this remarkable chapter, we are faced with a question that defines the Christian faith: Will you follow Christ? May we always answer as Peter does.</p> 

Ob der Petersdom in Rom wirklich über dem historischen Grab des Simon Petrus steht, bleibt auch nach Jahrhunderten noch ein Rätsel. Die katholische Kirche jedenfalls glaubt fest, dass der erste Papst einst dort bestattet war.**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.******* ... Show More

<p>Friends, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away at the age of 95 years old.</p> <p>In this special "Word on Fire Show" discussion, Brandon Vogt and I reflect on his life, impact, and key ideas and contributions.</p> <p>We sp ... Show More

<p>For this sixth Sunday of Easter, I would like to continue with the first letter of St. Peter, which is our second reading for this weekend. Peter says, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” In many ways, this is the master ... Show More