Since many will be searching for “all things Catholic,” we wanted to have a page that speaks specifically to Catholic thought and traditions and in general the role of the Christianity in the development of Western Civilization.
The Big Bang was the brainchild of a Catholic priest
The Big Bang, which today is held as the beginning of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator, but requires it. Evolution in nature is not at odds with the notion of creation because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.
Who said it? Pope Francis, in 2014. If it surprises you that the leader of the world’s largest religious denomination would be such an unabashed fan of a materialist account of the creation of the world, you might be intrigued by two more data points. The Big Bang was the brainchild of a Catholic priest in 1927—and when Pope Pius XII seemed to endorse his theories…that priest told the pope to knock it off.
The Rev. Georges Lemaître was a Belgian priest but also a theoretical physicist and a mathematician. Born in 1894, he began studying for the priesthood in 1911 but joined the Belgian army in 1914, serving in World War I as an artillery officer. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels in 1923, also earning a doctorate along the way. While like many a priest-scholar before and since, Father Lemaître spent much of his life being mistaken for a Jesuit, he remained a diocesan priest and a member of the “Priestly Fraternity of the Friends of Jesus” throughout his life.
A professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain from 1927 until his retirement in 1964, Lemaître was awarded a second doctorate by M.I.T. in 1927. He was in constant conversation with other prominent physicists in those years, including Albert Einstein (with whom he is pictured above), whose equations describing the universe were an early research subject. Between 1927 and 1931, he formulated and then proposed his “hypothesis of the primeval atom,” what we know today as the Big Bang (originally meant as a sneer): the notion that the entire universe began from a single incredibly dense atom whose explosion billions of years ago, and ongoing disintegration, has formed all matter in the universe as well as the fabric of space-time.
Because most physicists up to then—including Einstein—believed the universe to be a static phenomenon, Lemaître’s idea was revolutionary, but eventually won acceptance by the larger academy. His work in the years that followed included an embrace of early computers to handle the increasingly complicated theoretical physics in which he and his peers were engaged.
Father Lemaître was surprised when Pope Pius XII weighed in on the Big Bang in a 1951 address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican (where Lemaître was present). “Indeed, it seems that the science of today, by going back in one leap millions of centuries, has succeeded in being a witness to that primordial Fiat Lux, when, out of nothing, there burst forth with matter a sea of light and radiation, while the particles of chemical elements split and reunited in millions of galaxies,” the pope said, adding further that science “has indicated their beginning in time at a period about five billion years ago, confirming with the concreteness of physical proofs the contingency of the universe and the well-founded deduction that about that time the cosmos issued from the hand of the Creator. Creation, therefore, in time, and therefore, a Creator; and consequently, God!”
Hold on a hot second, said Father Lemaître and others in the aftermath. On the one hand, the Catholic Church’s ongoing embrace of science should be seen as an almost unmitigated good; on the other, Lemaître thought the pope had gone too far in his comments, and told him so in the aftermath. Why?
We were blessed last week at America to have a visit from Guy Consolmagno, S.J., the outgoing director of the Vatican Observatory, and got a chance to ask him why Lemaître was upset with the pope’s words. Several reasons, he said, but first among them is that the Big Bang is a hypothesis, not a fact—and like most science, it will be revised and found to be incomplete (or false) at some point; it should not be equated with an eternal truth expressed poetically in Scripture. (This has of course already happened—Pope Pius XII’s “five billion years ago” now looks more like 14 billion years ago.)
Further, theology and science work best as dialogue partners in search of the truth; just as they need not be antagonists, they do not exist to justify the propositions of each other. Indeed, Lemaître had long argued that Catholic scientists should be careful to keep their faith separate from their science, once writing: “He does this not because his faith could involve him in difficulties, but because it has directly nothing in common with his scientific activity. After all, a Christian does not act differently from any non-believer as far as walking, or running, or swimming is concerned.”
“His conception of the relationship of science and faith was rather circumspect, carefully delineating their roles as ways of knowing,” Karl van Bibber, then professor and chairman of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, told America in 2016. “Science for him was the methodology for understanding the physical cosmos; revealed religion taught truths important for salvation. He was quite content to observe that the findings of science were in no way discordant with scriptural revelation, and vice versa, but neither should overreach.”
Pope Pius XII seems to have heeded Lemaître’s words—though that hasn’t stopped later popes, including St. John Paul II and the aforementioned Pope Francis—from giving credence if not a papal imprimatur to the Big Bang.
In 1959, Lemaître was appointed the second president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He retired from Louvain in 1964.
Father Lemaître seems to have dodged another science/faith bullet during the 1960s, when Pope Paul VI asked him to serve on the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control. His failing health—and his suggestion that mathematicians shouldn’t weigh in on moral theology—led him to decline to participate in a process that eventually culminated with the encyclical “Humanae Vitae” in 1968.
Father Lemaître died in 1966 at the age of 71. Upon the 50th anniversary of his death in 2016, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences held a “Special Session on Cosmology” to recognize his achievements. The precis for the session noted that three days before Father Lemaître’s death, friends brought him news of the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. If those waves are indeed the leftover radiation from the origin of the universe, it would go a long way toward bolstering the Big Bang hypothesis. “Je suis content,” Lemaître is said to have replied. “maintenant on a la preuve.”
“I’m happy. Now we have the proof.”
Christianity has had a profound influence on Western civilization for nearly two millennia. Its contributions shaped philosophy, law, culture, art, science, and social institutions. Here are some of the most noteworthy:
1. Human Dignity and the Value of the Person
- Rooted in the belief that every person is created in the image of God (imago Dei).
- Helped establish the foundation for human rights, equality, and the protection of the vulnerable (the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers).
- This Christian anthropology influenced modern concepts of individual worth and freedom.
2. Law, Justice, and Political Thought
- The natural law tradition, developed by thinkers like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, laid groundwork for Western legal systems.
- Concepts such as just war theory, rights of conscience, and moral limits on rulers grew out of Christian thought.
- The idea that rulers are subject to divine law contributed to constitutionalism and limited government.
3. Education and Scholarship
- The Church preserved classical learning after the fall of Rome.
- Medieval monasteries copied manuscripts and became centers of literacy.
- The first universities (Paris, Bologna, Oxford) grew out of cathedral schools and were Church-founded.
- The intellectual tradition of Christian theology encouraged inquiry, debate, and the integration of faith and reason.
4. Science and the Natural World
- Belief in a rational Creator who ordered the universe encouraged the assumption that nature is intelligible and consistent.
- Many pioneering scientists were devout Christians (e.g., Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Mendel).
- The Church funded astronomical research, hospitals for medical study, and botanical gardens for medicinal purposes.
5. Art, Music, and Literature
- Inspired some of the greatest works of architecture (cathedrals, basilicas), painting (Michelangelo, Raphael), music (Gregorian chant, Bach, Handel), and literature (Dante, Milton, Dostoevsky).
- Christian themes shaped Western artistic imagination, symbolism, and storytelling.
6. Morality and Ethics
- Christianity emphasized love of neighbor, forgiveness, humility, and care for the poor.
- These values reshaped cultural norms on charity, social responsibility, and the inherent worth of life.
- Opposition to practices like infanticide, slavery (over time), and gladiatorial combat arose from Christian moral convictions.
7. Social Institutions
- Hospitals: Christianity created the first institutional hospitals for the sick and poor.
- Charities: Orphanages, leper houses, and poor relief grew out of Christian concern for the marginalized.
- Marriage and family life: Elevated the dignity of women and children, emphasized mutual love in marriage, and promoted lifelong fidelity.
8. Cultural Identity and Unity
- Provided a unifying cultural framework for Europe in the Middle Ages, bridging kingdoms and languages.
- Shaped Western holidays, festivals, and the calendar (B.C./A.D., later BCE/CE).
- Christian symbols, rituals, and moral stories became embedded in Western cultural consciousness.
1. Symbols
- The Cross / Crucifix – The central symbol of Christianity, representing sacrifice, redemption, and hope.
- The Fish (Ichthys) – Early Christian secret sign, now a broad cultural shorthand for faith.
- The Dove – Symbol of the Holy Spirit and peace, widely used in politics and art.
- The Lamb – Innocence, sacrifice, and Christ as the “Lamb of God.”
- Bread and Wine – Eucharistic symbols, but also culturally tied to hospitality and covenant.
- Alpha and Omega (Α Ω) – God as beginning and end; seen in art, inscriptions, and literature.
- Light / Candle / Flame – Life, Christ as “Light of the World,” symbolic in ceremonies and art.
- Shepherd and Sheep – Care, guidance, and belonging; pastoral imagery in Western poetry.
2. Rituals
- Baptism – Cleansing, rebirth, and new beginnings; even secular culture uses “baptism by fire” metaphorically.
- Eucharist (Communion / Lord’s Supper) – Community, remembrance, thanksgiving; shaped cultural rituals of shared meals.
- Marriage Ceremony – Vows, rings, covenant—deeply influenced Western concepts of love and fidelity.
- Funeral Rites – Christian burial, prayers for the dead, and hope of resurrection influenced Western views of death and memorials.
- Lent and Easter – Ritual fasting, repentance, and spring renewal; Easter eggs and seasonal renewal imagery are cultural fixtures.
- Christmas – Nativity rituals blended with folk traditions; became a cornerstone of Western cultural celebrations.
- Confession / Forgiveness – Shaped ideas of accountability, honesty, and personal growth.
3. Moral Stories
- The Good Samaritan – Helping strangers and outsiders; universally invoked in law, healthcare, and humanitarianism.
- The Prodigal Son – Forgiveness, reconciliation, second chances; a recurring theme in literature and film.
- The Ten Commandments – Moral foundation for Western law and ethics.
- Creation and Fall (Adam & Eve) – Themes of temptation, innocence, and responsibility in countless works.
- Noah’s Ark – Survival, judgment, renewal; a powerful cultural metaphor for new beginnings.
- Moses and the Exodus – Freedom from oppression; deeply influential in liberation movements.
- David and Goliath – The underdog overcoming impossible odds; central to Western storytelling.
- The Passion and Resurrection of Christ – Sacrifice, suffering, and triumph over death; echoes in countless art forms and cultural archetypes.
- The Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount – Ideals of mercy, humility, and peacemaking that shaped Western moral ideals.
9. Abolition and Social Reform
- Though Christians were complicit in slavery for centuries, Christian arguments eventually became central to abolition movements (e.g., William Wilberforce in England).
- Inspired movements for civil rights, workers’ rights, and humanitarian reforms.
10. Hope and Transcendence
- Christianity gave the West a vision of history as purposeful, not cyclical.
- It promoted belief in progress, redemption, and hope rooted in divine providence, influencing how Westerners understand time and destiny.
Contributions of the Catholic Church
The only Christian church in existence for the first 1,000 years of Christian history was the Roman Catholic Church (which we now simply call the Catholic Church). All other Christian churches that exist today can trace their lineage back to the Catholic Church. Most non-Catholic churches which exist today are less than a century or two old by comparison.
About 15 percent of all hospitals in the United States are Catholic hospitals. In some parts of the world, the Catholic Church provides the only healthcare, education and social services available to people.
Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, was Catholic and the first book ever printed was the Catholic Bible.
The Catholic Church is entirely responsible for the composition of the Bible, which books are included, as well as the breakup of the chapters and verses. Protestants have removed some books of the Bible because some of the verses were inconsistent with their theology (Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch). Older, pre-Protestant Reformation Catholic translations of the Bible include them.
Why U.S. Catholics kneel during the Eucharist—and the rest of the world stands
(RNS) — In the United States, Catholics kneel during the Eucharistic prayer while Catholics in the rest of the world stand. Many European churches, especially the older ones, do not even have kneelers.
After the Second Vatican Council, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM #43) mandated standing during the Eucharistic prayer, but the U.S. bishops asked for an exception. In the United States, we kneel “except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason.”
The bishops believed that American Catholics would be scandalized if they were asked to stand during the Eucharistic prayer. The Vatican granted the U.S. an exception to the universal rule.
While most people see standing as an innovation coming from Vatican II, in fact, kneelers became common in Catholic churches only in the last 200 years. Standing was the traditional practice. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians always stood during the Eucharist.
In 325, the Council of Nicaea forbade kneeling on the Lord’s Day and in the days of Pentecost. The 1,700th anniversary of the council provides the American church with an opportunity to reexamine our practice of kneeling during the Eucharist, which is out of step with the rest of the church.
In canon 20, the council noted that “there are certain persons who kneel on the Lord’s Day and in the days of Pentecost,” but “it seems good to the Holy Synod that prayer be made to God standing.”
The Lord’s Day is, of course, Sunday, the day of the resurrection. The “days of Pentecost” refers to what today we call the Easter season, the days between Easter and Pentecost.
The Eucharist, the most important prayer of the church on the Lord’s Day, would be covered by this canon. The council did not refer to weekday Masses because they were not common at that time.
Standing while praying was the common practice in ancient times. Jews prayed standing in the temple and in synagogues. Pagans also prayed standing. One stands when worshipping God, when thanking God or when petitioning God.
Standing was seen as a mark of respect and honor. Today, even in non-religious situations, we stand as a sign of respect for judges and other officials.
Kneeling was seen as a sign of penance rather than respect. In the third century, Tertullian wrote, “We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord’s Day to be unlawful.”
The Eucharist is not an act of penance; therefore, one should stand. It might be appropriate to kneel during Lent, but not on Sunday or during the Easter season when Christians joyfully celebrate the resurrection.
For early Christians, standing was a sign of freedom and Easter joy, because we stand with the risen Lord.
Irenæus, the second-century martyr and bishop of Lyons, explicitly equates not kneeling on Sundays and Pentecost as a symbol of the resurrection. In the fourth century, St. Basil said that when we stand on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, “we remind ourselves of the grace given to us by standing at prayer, not only because we rose with Christ, and are bound to ‘seek those things which are above,’ but because the day seems to us to be in some sense an image of the age which we expect.”
Kneeling as a sign of respect or devotion only came later. Catholics began kneeling at Mass in the 12th century at the time that the elevation of the consecrated host was introduced.
By this time, the common people did not understand the Latin prayers, and Communion had become less common. The Eucharist became more like Benediction, a time to adore Jesus in the sacrament. During Benediction, worshippers kneel.
Today, GIRM calls for Catholics to stand during the Eucharist except during the institutional narrative (aka consecration), when they are to kneel. If they do not kneel, they should bow when the priest genuflects after each consecration. Kneeling or bowing during the consecration is a compromise. It shows respect to Jesus in the Eucharist but still maintains the ancient practice of standing when praying to God. The Eucharist, after all, is a prayer with Jesus to the Father, not a prayer to Jesus.
The GIRM, first published in 1969 and revised in 2002, calls on the congregation to take the same postures during Mass as a “sign of unity.” We should all stand, kneel and sit in unison. GIRM states that postures should not be based on “private inclination or arbitrary choice.”
The Eucharist is a community experience, not a private devotion where you can do what you want. This might also apply to those who insist on kneeling when receiving Communion. While one may feel called to kneel out of piety, one’s personal preferences must be restrained in a common liturgical celebration, otherwise the “sign of unity” is fractured.
The 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is an appropriate time for the U.S. church to reconsider its deviation from the general practice of standing during the Eucharistic prayer.
Each diocesan bishop could do this on his own if he wants, since even in the United States, standing is allowed for a “good reason.” Good reasons would include the desire to be in unity with the universal church or the desire of his people to stand. [Thomas J. Reese]
Why be Catholic and Not Just Christian
There are many similarities and differences between the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz narrows the differences down to one thing that really sets Catholicism apart from other Christian Churches: authoritative teaching.
The Both/And Nature of Catholicism
Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? That question can touch off an endless debate because it is largely irresolvable. Catholic teaching is that God is revealed through sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture, hence the statement that Catholicism is a “both/and” faith practice.
Our protestant brethren hold that scripture alone is the only authoritative resource for the faith and practice of the Christian. This doctrine is referred to as Sola scriptura (Scripture alone). The often-quoted verse to support this doctrine come from the Second Letter of Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).
To view this from a Catholic perspective, some definitions are in order at the outset. Sacred Scripture, or the Bible, is that collection of works written under divine inspiration. Sacred Tradition is the unwritten or oral record of God’s Word to His prophets and apostles, received under divine inspiration and faithfully transmitted to the Church under the same guidance. Tradition differs from Scripture in that Tradition is a living reality passed on and preserved in the Church’s doctrine, life, and worship, while Scripture is a tangible reality found in written form.
Since the Protestant Reformation, a sticking point in the dialogue between Protestants and Catholics has been the perceived rivalry between Scripture and Tradition. The Catholic Church teaches that “sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church.” The focus of the debate shifted from one of “Scripture versus Tradition” to a discussion of the Lord’s desire to reveal Himself to His people, a process carried forward by both Scripture and Tradition.
From the temporal point of view, Tradition precedes Scripture, and the Church precedes both, in that the writing of the New Testament did not begin until some fifteen to twenty years after the Pentecostal formation of the Church and was not completed until perhaps as late as a.d. 120. The Gospel message, then, was imparted through oral tradition first, and only later was it committed to written form. The means (whether oral or written), however, is in many ways secondary to the goal (revelation) and to the receiver of the revelation (God’s people, the Church).
An example from American government might be instructive. The law of the land is found in the Constitution of the United States; it is normative for American life. However, it is not a self-interpreting document. On the contrary, it calls for detailed, professional interpretation from an entire branch of government dedicated to that purpose. Furthermore, when conflicting views do emerge, standard procedures of jurisprudence call for a return to the sources, in an effort to discover the mind of the people who produced the document.
The canon of the Bible (the officially accepted list of inspired books) is the clearest proof of the validity of this approach. We know with the utmost certitude that no authoritative list of scriptural books existed until the fourth century. And who then produced this canon? None other than the Church meeting in ecumenical council. Therefore, the value and even, one could say, the validity of the written Word is established only after its inspiration and inerrancy are assured and attested to by the Church. The process of divine revelation thus began with the Church, through Tradition, and subsequently passed into Scripture, and not the other way around.
Can it happen, though, that Scripture and Tradition will at times contradict each other? Impossible—because they are just two sides of the same coin, whose purpose is the same and whose origins are the same. Since God wishes to reveal Himself to us, He has guaranteed the process in both its oral and written expressions (and not one more than the other). Furthermore, God cannot contradict Himself. Saint Paul apparently had this very concept in mind when he urged his readers at Thessalonika to “hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours” (2 Th 2:15). This very passage, however, raises a secondary but related problem.
Some Christians tend to confuse “Tradition” with “traditions.” Having already defined Tradition, we need to consider the meaning and place of traditions (customs or practices). Sacred Tradition is divine in origin and, so, unchangeable; traditions are human in origin and therefore changeable. Some examples that come to mind are various devotions to the saints, processions, acts of penance, and the use of incense or holy water. No Church authority has ever held that these practices are divinely mandated; at the same time, no one can demonstrate that they are divinely forbidden. Traditions exist to put people in touch with Almighty God. To the extent that they do, they are good; to the extent that they do not, they are bad and should be modified or abolished.
Certain defined dogmas, on the other hand, cannot be found explicitly in Scripture (for example, Mary’s Assumption or Immaculate Conception), yet the Church binds her members to an acceptance of these teachings. How so? First of all, because nothing in Scripture contradicts these dogmas. Second, because they have been a part of the Tradition (or oral revelation) from the very beginning. Third, because they can be implicitly located in Scripture, waiting, in a sense, to be uncovered by the Church’s prayerful reflection over the centuries.
Scripture comes alive only in the life of the community that gave it birth and has ever since preached and proclaimed it. To remove Scripture from its moorings in the Church is to deny it genuine vitality. Scripture provides Tradition with a written record against which to judge its fidelity and thus serves as a safeguard. In the “balance of powers” (to resort once more to the governmental analogy), Tradition is a defense against an unhealthy individualism that distorts the Bible through a private interpretation at odds with the constant Tradition of the Church.
Do All Good People Go to Heaven?
Good people go to heaven when they die, right? Well, according to the Gospels, not exactly. Fr. Mike Schmitz points to at least four things Christ says we need for salvation:
1. Baptism (John 3)
2. The Eucharist (John 6)
3. Faith (Romans 10:9)
4. Doing the Father’s will (Matthew 25:31-46)
None of them are “be a good person”; and it’s probably better that way because, especially today, everyone has a different idea of what is good. Christ has given us everything we need to achieve salvation. He wants us all to be at his wedding feast, including you; but unless you do what is necessary to get to the wedding, you won’t be there. Considering what Fr. Mike is saying, these words of Christ make much more sense: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Do We Deserve God’s Love?
Catholicism is one of tradition and orthodoxy. This is never more evident than in its liturgical celebration (how we worship). Before we receive Holy Communion, which is the source and summit of our Christian life, we essentially tell God in communal prayer, before we receive the precious Body and Blood of Christ, that we are not worthy to receive him. Father Mike explains why this is not a reflection upon us, but rather on God’s unconditional love.
Is This A Sin?
If you begin to sin but don’t follow all the way through… is it still a sin? It depends. We’re offered two different scenarios. In one, the person is prevented from sinning due to external factors that make it impractical or impossible to commit the sin they had planned on. In the second scenario, we see someone preparing to sin, but then freely and rationally choosing not to.
The first scenario is a sin, but the second is a virtuous act. Why? Because the second person freely decided not to commit sin, they morally aligned themselves toward the good when they had previously been aimed towards sin. They redirected their will toward God when they could have continued to go against him. In a simpler sense, they were headed down a bad path but then turned around before making it to their destination.
That being said, while the second person did realign themselves toward virtue, the extent to which they consented to this sin ahead of time may be worth a confession. Even though the person chose virtue in the end, their soul was still burdened with those thoughts, and in confession, those burdens are lifted through forgiveness. The beautiful part about our faith is that we have a Savior who is always ready and willing to forgive us. Surrendering our hearts to him creates a living relationship with God, where we trust his knowledge of our hearts and run to him whenever we are in need of saving.
The Transgender Question
Commenting on the recent Bruce Jenner “gender reassignment” issue, Father Mike Schmitz discusses the difference between one’s perception of gender and gender reality. Gender stereotypes have altered our perception of what it means to be a man or a woman, but it is unhealthy to expect reality to conform to our perceptions. If there is someone in your life struggling with gender identity, or any other brokenness, Father Mike encourages you to be there for them.
The Most Important Part of Any Conversation
How do you spend the last five minutes of your conversations? It’s those last five minutes of conversation with someone that makes them feel like a number or like a known and loved individual. We’ve all had conversations that makes us feel like the other person doesn’t really care to be talking to us. But we’ve also had conversations that stick with us because the person we talked to made us feel so loved that we can’t help but be uplifted by them.
Is God in the Center of Your Life?
Does your life revolve around your relationship with God, or is your relationship with him just a side-note? Fr. Mike explores this question.
God Doesn’t Owe You Anything
When we’re going through hard times, it’s easy to think we deserve better from God. In this video, Fr. Mike uses a compelling story from the book of Daniel to exemplify the challenging but proper response to adversity. As tough as it may be, finding a way to thank God no matter the situation is a sure way to holiness.
Do Catholics Follow All Those Weird Old Testament Laws?
Fr. Mike Schmitz explains why Christians are called to follow some laws of the Old Testament and not others. Passing on the advice of Pope Benedict XVI, he distinguishes between universal laws, like the Ten Commandments and “case by case” laws, like those to be followed only in the kingdom of Israel and the temple.
Reading Scripture
Is there a preferred way to read the scriptures? Take a listen to some advice from Fr. Mike Schmitz and Bishop Robert Barron.