Called to Communion A Cold Welcome in the Parrish?
Mar 3, 2026
Conversations about parish culture and why communities can feel cold. Aquinas on differing measures of grace and whether God loves some more. How Jesus relates to Israel and the later mission to the Gentiles. Questions about sacraments, baptism, confession for the incapacitated, and the meaning of purgatory imagery. Reflections on Revelation, cremation practices, and the history of book bans.
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Episode notes
Eucharist Demands Parishual Charity
- The Eucharist inherently implies and should produce concrete communal charity, not mere private devotion.
- Dr. David Anders cites Pope Benedict and St. Thomas: a Eucharist that doesn't foster unity and acts of charity is fragmented and deficient.
Salvation Is Lived Transformation Over Time
- The Christian goal is union with Christ where the soul is transformed to 'resemble' Christ through progressive spiritual stages.
- Anders references St. Maximus and the threefold interior life: purgative, illuminative, union as a lifelong path.
Clericalism Chokes Parish Participation
- Parish stagnation often stems from clericalism which elevates priests above communal participation and turns laity into gatekeepers.
- Anders calls clericalism a curable but pervasive cultural sin that filters down and discourages lay involvement.
