About 850 years ago there was an important Englishman named Thomas Beckett, who was the Chancellor, or prime minister, of England. This made him the most important man in the country, except for the king himself. Thomas had success, power, and...
In 1519, just over 400 years ago, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez led a small invasion force of only 700 men from Cuba to Mexico for the purpose of conquering the powerful and blood-thirsty Aztec empire. After establishing a base that...
A young man named Tom was a very skilled cabinet-maker, and after several years of working for a home-builder, he decided to go into business on his own. He loved fine woodcrafting, and because of his talent and dedication, he was sure he’d be...
There was a professor of religious studies at a college for girls who always began his first lecture of the new school year by paraphrasing the parable of the Good Samaritan. He said, “A certain freshman went from home to college and fell among...
According to some surveys and research polls, 70% of Catholics do not believe the Eucharist truly is Christ’s Body and Blood, and consider it only symbolic—even though the Real Presence of Jesus is clearly attested to in Scripture and has always...
A girl named Betty was visiting her grandmother down South, and on Sunday morning they went to the only church nearby—one having a free-spirited, charismatic or Pentecostal congregation. The service was very emotional, with people expressing their...
Once a priest was in an airport, waiting for his flight to be called; as sometimes happens, a stranger came up and began sharing his opinions on religion. The man boasted, “I won’t accept anything I can’t understand. For instance, take this business...
Once there was a young priest—we’ll call him Fr. Brian—who was appointed pastor of a big parish, even though he had been ordained just a few years. The prospect of being in charge of a large staff and serving as spiritual leader of almost 2000...
