BLOG: Matthew Neugebauer
The reign of King Saul was an unmitigated disaster. It was full of rash, vengeful decisions. Thankfully, God is more than capable of taking matters into His own hands. ...read more
Pope Francis stands in the great door of St. Peter's Basilica, looking out into the rainy, empty Square. He's decked in a humeral veil, hoisting a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament. Though rarely a solitary figure, this time he's all alone. ...read more
What is the "Pope Francis legacy?" Ten years in, we can start asking the question. ...read more
God called Abram and his family to undergo a great change of circumstances. He obeyed, opening himself to God's promises. ...read more
Creation, the Garden, Adam and Eve, the serpent, and the forbidden fruit. What does this story express about our desires and ourselves? ...read more
Joel 2:12-18 “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged, gather the children… Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord.'” (Joel 2:15, 17) What is the ...read more
The Continental Stage of the Synod on Synodality is upon us, and a few noteworthy news items have popped up: First, the consultations for the North American and Oceanian Ecclesial Assemblies are now complete, while the European Assembly is underway. The North American sessions were held online from December 14 to January 25: five in ...read more
It was April 11, 2019, in a library at Casa Santa Marta – the Pope’s own home. Selva Kiir, the Catholic president of South Sudan, stood next to Riek Machar, his incoming vice president, as well as other South Sudanese civil leaders. They were surrounded by Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian leaders from their country and ...read more
Gratitude for a generous gift. That is my overwhelming response to the life, ministry, and towering intellect of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Gratitude for this foremost public theologian of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Gratitude for his tireless efforts to communicate the faith of the Church in a world that is forgetting its theological ...read more
Facing (controversial) issues In Part One, I raised the possibility that the Synod on Synodality is both a microcosm of the millennia-long process of Tradition and an active participant in that process. In Part Two, I explored what it might mean for lay people to take part in this encounter, to themselves be more active ...read more