Essays Archives | St. Philip Institute

Seriously? Shutting Down Public Masses? A Canonist Responds

by Admin | Apr 5, 2020 | Essays

Rev. Gavin N. Vaverek, JCL In many ways, we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation, a time when a new virus can spawn a worldwide pandemic in 90 days, and a time when we can continually keep up with the spread on our phones. With the endless stream of news and...

Do Not Put the Lord to the Test: Lessons for the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Allison Low | Apr 2, 2020 | Essays

By Allison Tobola Low, MD, MA Imagine being in a desert for forty days by yourself. There is no easy access to the comforts of life. You quickly become hungry and thirsty. With no sign of civilization, the loneliness can weigh you down. And the desert is dangerous....

Mary and the Virtue of Blind Obedience

by Stacy Trasancos | Mar 19, 2020 | Essays

St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort is most remembered for his devotion to Our Blessed Mother, Mary. So strong was his devotion that he turned it into a method that anyone can practice. This method is known as the “Way of Total Consecration to Mary.” The idea is...

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ

by Allison Low | Feb 7, 2020 | Essays

Who is Jesus Christ? When we profess the Nicene Creed, we declare that Jesus is uncreated, of the same divine substance as God the Father, eternal, truly God and that he became man. The Church also teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that “Jesus Christ is...

What is Virtue?

by Stacy Trasancos | Jan 30, 2020 | Essays

Virtue has a precise meaning in the Catholic intellectual tradition. It derives from the Latin virtus, which means worth, merit, the particular excellence of character or ability, moral excellence, goodness. Virtue means strength or power, maximum potential. Virtue,...

The Cardinal Virtue of Prudence

by Stacy Trasancos | Jan 30, 2020 | Essays

“Prudence” is a word that seems to have lost its meaning. Upon hearing the word, one may think of the prude, the prudish woman, who is obsessed with the proper expectations of society and has an excessive “prudent modesty” characterized by a fearful attitude towards...