In this blog post, we’ll explore two contrasting cultures presented in the Gospel, the love of winning arguments (philonikia) and the pursuit of hospitality (philoxenia).

When we imagine the Pentecost scene from the Acts of the Apostles, it often feels magical, as if the Holy Spirit implanted a divine translation device. Yet, the true "languages" of the 21st century are found in the suffering of others—poverty, pain, and exhaustion—which, when truly seen, allow us to speak the Holy Spirit's languages of consolation and un

“While the world turns, the Cross stands firm.” It’s a quote we attribute to Saint Bruno, who lived

more than 900 years ago in Europe at the peak of Christendom. It has become a popular

phrase among Catholics, who understandably want to stand proud and defiant against a culture

that has seemingly forgotten our importance in the modern world. And while Saint Bruno likely

would agree, the quote goes back to his desire to create Christian encounters that were lacking

for his day.

Aside from the fact that the people of Bruno’s day understood the world to be flat– the revolving

world does not refer to a globe– the turning refers to the problem of Christendom where

Catholics would fight against one another for their brand of Catholicism, their influence over the

Church, and their national representatives of Catholicism to sit in Peter’s throne. Saint Bruno

was reflecting on a unity and virtue problem, not a tradition problem.

First, thank you so much for your support of this project. Your subscription to the blog helps make the podcast possible and will also support the upcoming book with Paulist Press.

When I began putting this project together more than two years ago, a lot of people commented they were happy someone was working with Catholics on the margins. To a degree, they were correct, but it didn’t fully sit right with me.

Being "marginalized" is a wonky academic term. It’s almost impersonal. If someone says they are marginalized, they’re probably asking for a structural or political change. For example, if someone is handicapped, we can and should build a wheelchair ramp. But does that make them feel wanted?