Historical Studies

Iran (International Christian Concern) – This year marks the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the beginning of 39 years of a harsh Islamic regime that would profoundly change the country and every stratum of its society. Tat Stewart, founder of Talim Ministries, is an American who... Read more

On a recent episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert and frequent visitor Neil deGrasse Tyson joked about the astronomical insignificance of New Year’s Day. Before long, Tyson was talking about the role the Catholic Church played in creating the calendar as we know it. “The... Read more

Despite their disagreements, both believing and skeptical Bible scholars can agree on certain things about the life of Jesus. One of these is that, during his day, Jesus had a reputation as a miracle-worker. Accounts of his healings, exorcisms, and other miracles are found throughout the... Read more

Aristotle was a pagan. He died more than three hundred years before the Incarnation, and so Dante put him in the first circle of hell along with his great teacher, Plato. Yet St. Thomas Aquinas consistently referred to Aristotle as “The Philosopher,” and the Catholic intellectual... Read more

St. Paul’s conversion began when, with a flash of light, he fell from his horse. Shutterstock One feast day that often slips by without notice is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. This miraculous event, which has been part of the Church calendar for more than 1,500 years, is an... Read more

When the order was telegraphed, the garrison was under siege. And it became hard to know who was dealing each particular death. Was it the Luftwaffe above? The Panzer tanks from all sides? The seething Nazi fighters filling every conceivable gap? The British and French fighters hunkered... Read more

When I was a young man (a long, long time ago), I was sensitive to many arguments against belief in God. I didn’t become an atheist, but I probably became something of an agnostic – at least in my head, if not in my heart. What brought me back to an intellectual conviction that God... Read more

At Epiphany you may hear a homily about the symbolism of the gifts the Magi presented to the Christ Child: gold for his royal status, frankincense for his divine status and myrrh which foreshadows his sacrificial death. You may also hear about how the coming of the Magi fulfilled the... Read more

For over 1,700 years Christians have been the indisputable sons of Iraq. Contrary to the wild imaginings of ISIS, their presence largely preceded the Islamic conquest. Christians, who were evangelized very early on by St. Thomas, set about forming a church straight away. One of these early... Read more

Editor’s note: The following homily was preached by Father Stravinskas at the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan on January 4th, the liturgical memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The first week of January is a sanctoral hit-parade for the Church in the United States. Today we... Read more