Posts by Fr Jay Scott Newman

Dear Friends in Christ, The current controversies in the Church have placed many faithful Catholics in a position to which they are unaccustomed: namely, having grave disagreements with the pope about some of his policies and decisions and even having doubts about the capacity of the man now on the Chair of Saint Peter to…

Dear Friends in Christ, In my preaching and teaching, I urge all Catholics to read and study the Bible regularly, and from those who accept that invitation, I often get this question: Which Bible should I use? Today I write to suggest three different books, each containing the same translation of Holy Scripture. The Bible…

Dear Friends in Christ, All the baptized are sent in the Great Commission to be witnesses of Christ to others and must be equipped by the Church to teach the Gospel in word and deed. An essential dimension of true discipleship is the willingness to invite others to follow the Lord Jesus and the readiness…

Dear Friends in Christ, Being a follower of Christ requires moving from being a Church member by convention to a Christian disciple by conviction. This transformation demands that we consciously accept the Gospel as the measure of our entire lives, rather than attempting to measure the Gospel by our experience. Personal knowledge of and devotion…

Dear Friends in Christ, Receiving the Sacraments without receiving the Gospel leads to superstition rather than living faith, and the Church must therefore take great care to ensure that those who receive the Sacraments also receive the Gospel in its integrity and entirety. Consequently, before Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, and Marriage are administered, there must…