Every Christian has their own unique gifts and calling, and they should discern is so as to find their focus in life: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/finding-our-focus/

Embracing the spirit of thanksgiving, finding something to be thankful for, looking for the good in the midst of all the suffering we experience, will give us strength and hope: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/thanksgiving-and-hope/

Virtues are interconnected with each other: they need to be engaged with a proper balance. This is why excessively engaging one at the expense of others will end up undermining the very virtue which is being engaged: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/finding-balance-moderating-the-extremes/

We are called to be peacemakers, but that also means, we must work for justice, and fight against our temptations: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/peace-and-the-spiritual-battle/ 

Too many Christians follow after Judas, thinking  they glorify Jesus as they betray his teachings, such as those working to bring the world to the edge of destruction:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/judas-apostle-friend-and-lover-of-christ/

Trump plans to call many people criminals in order to justify brutal, inhumane treatments of them; how can Christians stand by and let that happen? https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/by-labeling-people-criminals-tyrants-try-to-justify-abuse/ 

Most Catholics, despite what some try to say, know what the eucharist is; what they don’t properly realize is the purpose of the eucharist: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/the-purpose-of-communion/

St. Gregory the Wonderworker, speaking on Origen and gratitude towards Origen, points out the way we should also have gratitude for those who helped us come to and understand our faith, which is not to say we need to elevate them as if they were perfect:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/st-gregory-the-wonderworker-reminds-us-to-be-grateful/

Jesus said we should let the dead bury the dead, which means, we should be focused living in the present, taking care of our own present needs and the needs of those around us: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/care-for-the-living/

When we remember and celebrate the life of St John Chrysostom, we must not whitewash him; there are many things he did which contradict the charity and grace he told us to follow, with some of the worst seen in his treatment of the Jews: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/st-john-chrysostoms-contradictions/

I am not going to be pushed out. I am not going to leave. I am going to stay and fight for what is good and true. But I understand why those who suffer abuse from the institutional church will want to stay away, and support them as well. I understand why some will want to leave the United States. I understand why some will leave social media: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/i-am-not-going-to-leave/

Christ gives us freedom, true freedom, so that we can embrace our innate goodness, and act out of love; but just because we have been given it does not mean we will act on it:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/true-freedom/

Those Christians who treat the faith merely as some sort of intellectual enterprise are easily led, not only to error, but to accept and do all kinds of great evil, as they deem their actions unimportant. They have  lost sight of the foundation of the faith: love.  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/11/our-engagement-with-our-faith-must-be-holistic/

The Trinity is a great mystery; we have been revealed the truth of it by Christ, and can apprehend and experience it in part now, while our knowledge and experience of it will be perfected in eternity: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/eternal-life-and-the-trinity/

Christians must not seek power for themselves, to give in to the temptation that Jesus resisted when the devil came to him in the desert, which is why, they must reject Christian nationalism, and Trump, who is promoting it. They must not let any imperfection they see in Harris lead them to ignore the threat which Trump brings with him – they must not let the perfect become the enemy of the good, but rather, they must work with those who promote the common good and are willing to change and become better in order to embrace it: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxiv-kamala-harris-and-the-common-good/ 

Sadly, the Christian faith is often treated as some sort of legalistic enterprise, leaving no room for grace: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/works-and-grace/

While we must understand the limitations contained in any dogmatic proposition, we should not use those limitations to deny the need for us to make them:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/the-value-and-limitations-of-dogmatic-propositions/

The righteousness of James can be seen in the way he promoted the welfare of the poor over the rich: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/the-righteousness-of-james/

Christians should realize Trump is using them; he disregards their morality, he dismisses human dignity; he shows no respect for the common good. Why do so many either support him, or at least, normalize him? None of us should: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxiii-we-must-not-normalize-trump/

Legalism cuts us off from growth, not allowing change or development, as it tries to reify and force one (external) form of the good, while grace always seeks to have us transcend ourselves and the good of our past: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/legalism-liturgy-and-paul-being-open-to-grace/

While Christian doctrine promotes the dignity of women, and we find instances where Christianity have helped promote their status in society, we also find many Christians resisting this and overturning those advances as soon as they can:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/christianity-and-the-dignity-of-women/ 

Many teachings of Christian faith were understood when they were first proclaimed, but misinterpreted later; when this happens, it is best to find a new way to say what was intended.  This is especially true with the statement: “There is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church”:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/no-salvation-outside-of-the-catholic-church/

Christians are called to engage the world, to help promote the common good, to use their principles while not trying to force others to live in some theocratic state: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/prs-xxii-politics/

Ecumenical councils do not just provide dogmatic declarations, they also deal with practical concerns, creating canons to deal with them; though the canons might change due to changing times and places, we should take the principles behind them seriously. Nicea II, for example, can be seen dealing with clericalism: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/clericalism-and-the-canons-of-ii-nicea/

Human freedom is guaranteed because of God’s love, for God willingly abandons control and allows us to make for us what we will, and yet, in the end, God’s plan for us will not be thwarted: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2024/10/freedom-kenosis-and-love/