Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Though universally admired, the Beatitudes are often reduced to moral ideals or spiritual self-help. But Jesus is not describing abstract virtues—He is revealing Himself.The Beatitudes are Christ’s own self-portrait. He is the meek, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemaker who suffers for the Kingdom. These are not behaviors we achieve on our own, but the fruits of union with Him. In receiving Jesus, we receive His life, His mercy, and His saving identity.

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 1 and the strange confession of St. John the Baptist, who sees Jesus repeatedly yet insists that he did not know Him. Sight alone, even religious experience, is not enough to know who Christ truly is.Faith begins when we believe not because we see or verify, but because God has revealed the truth. The Christian life falters when Jesus becomes an instrument for our plans rather than the end Himself. Holiness is not achieved through self-improvement or strategy, but through a simple, consuming union with Jesus, in whom we finally know who He is—and who we are.

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the Baptism of the Lord and St. Peter’s proclamation that God shows no partiality. Through the sacrament of Baptism, Jesus does not merely affirm who we already are, but truly changes us—configuring us to Himself and giving us a new identity as adopted sons and daughters of God.While God is open to all, we often cling to our own partiality, accepting only a version of God that fits our preferences and priorities. Baptism cuts through this limitation. God’s loving non-partiality transforms us, draws us out of ourselves, and unites us to Christ in a way that is not symbolic but real, sacramental, and saving.

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Matthew 2 and the different responses to the birth of Jesus. While the Magi rejoice at the coming of the newborn King, Herod and all Jerusalem are troubled. The same Savior who brings peace also exposes what resists being changed.Jesus does not save partially or selectively. His kingship reaches every part of the human person—nothing lies outside His transforming love. The Gospel still provokes the same question today: will we rejoice at the Savior who gives Himself completely, or fear the love that leaves nothing unchanged?

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In this episode of the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology podcast, Dr. Matthew Levering reflects on his journey to the Catholic faith and his vocation as a theologian. He discusses his formation within the Catholic intellectual tradition, his engagement with figures such as Augustine, Aquinas, and Newman, and why genuine renewal in theology requires resi…

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 and St. Paul’s teaching on marriage. These passages are often read as statements about authority or hierarchy, but St. Paul is revealing the measure of Christian love itself—Christ’s love for the Church.Husbands are called to love as Christ loves, by giving everything without reserve. Wives respond with the Church’s total self-gift to Christ. Marriage is not an abstract ideal or a social arrangement, but a sacramental participation in the saving love of Jesus, made possible by grace and lived in the concrete reality of daily life.

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Matthew 1 and the naming of Jesus. The angel commands Joseph to name the child Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. Jesus is not merely a title or a symbol—His name reveals who He is and what He does.In a world where words often deceive, God does not lie. Names correspond to reality. Jesus means Savior, and Emmanuel means God with us. In Christ, salvation is not theoretical but sacramental and present now. The One who was born of the Virgin still saves, still speaks truth, and still remains with His people.

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on James 5 and the meaning of Christian patience. St. James calls us to wait for the Lord, but Christian waiting is never passive. Christ already comes to us in the sacraments and in faith, shaping our minds, loves, and daily actions.We wait for Jesus by waiting with Jesus. The same Lord who will appear in glory is the Lord who is present now, and those who live in union with Him today will not be surprised when He comes. Every moment gains eternal meaning when lived in His presence.

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How does the Church clarify revealed truth across time?In this episode of In Focus, Dr. Matthew Minerd introduces the Catholic understanding of dogmatic development—how the Church unfolds what God has revealed without changing its substance. He explains the philosophical groundwork, the distinction between mystery, dogma, and doctrine, and why development means explication, not innovation. Highlighting key moments in the Church’s history, he shows how dogma becomes more explicit while remaining the same faith delivered once for all.

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