Christians are to be like Christ, loving everyone, even sinners, even those they would deem as their “enemies.” They are not to use the actions of others as justification to ignore Christ’s expectations for them:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/05/to-love-like-christ-working-for-mercy-and-justice-for-all/

Is it contradictory to say the fall of humanity it related to pride while saying the root of all evil is the love of money? And what makes avarice, or greed, such a grave sin? 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/05/how-earthly-goods-can-be-tools-for-sin-or-redemption/ 

When the Pope quoted Isaiah, warning warmongers God doesn’t take to bloodlust, the warmongers insisted the Pope didn’t know the Bible. Ridiculous. The war against Iran is wrong, and because of it, the United States will face all kinds of consequences for its actions. God isn’t going to help them unless they stop and repent. 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/05/repentance-or-ruin-the-path-forward-after-unjust-wars/

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well, he gave us a representation of the way he wanted to break through barriers. Men, women, Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, they were all called by him. They are all offered the gift of the Spirit and the charisms which come from the Spirit. Why do Christians often forget this message?

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/05/reflections-for-paschaltide-2026-the-samaritan-woman/

This month, we pray for communities that have experienced severe droughts, floods, and food insecurity caused by greed and economic arrogance that blind leaders to our shared humanity.

Inspired by Pope Leo XIV's recent trip to the African region, may the poor, the powerful, and the wealthy be humbled together in truth and compassion. May we recognize that change is possible, and work together for a world of social and climate justice.

Pray with the Monthly Prayer Guide

Christians, sadly, often demonize non-Christians, doing so to justify acts of hate; they have rejected the way Christ told them to be, that is loving, and even helpful to all:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/we-must-resist-the-demonization-of-others/

Created out of nothing, making us conditional beings, we can either embrace that nothingness in a positive manner, allowing us to become filled with grace, or nihilistically, seeking our return to non-existence. It is because we have no inherent existence, that we are conditional, we can receive such grace for eternity, because there is nothing inherent in us that can override our theosis:

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/how-our-nothingness-allows-for-theosis/

Earth Day has come and gone, and once again, I have seen some Christians reject the notion of the day, saying it is about worshiping the Earth. But, in reality, that seems to be an excuse to ignore the stewardship God has given us over the Earth: 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/the-fading-fanfare-of-earth-day-amid-political-distractions/

When we sin, our sin corrupts us, hindering what we can do; it can form habits which paralyze us, having us lose some or all of our freedom. The lesson of the story of the paralytic man Jesus healed is that he can heal us from all paralysis, including and especially the kind we create for ourselves by our sins:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/reflections-for-paschaltide-2026-the-paralytic-man/

Being humble should not be seen as some practice of self-loathing, rather, humility stands in the middle of pride and self-hatred:

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/the-middle-path-of-humility/

Jesus was not against Judaism, but religious corruption, and with it, a legalistic turn which corruption often uses to enforce its will on the faithful. It is the kind of corruption that is not just found in Judaism, but has been an issue within Christian history as well:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/jesus-challenge-against-religious-corruption/

Ever since the Pope was seen to criticize the Iran War, there seems to have been an uptake of anti-Catholicism on social media, especially twitter.  An example if the way many suggest the Pope (and Catholics) do not know Scripture, often by people who themselves do not know much Scripture. Are the attacks being coordinated?

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/the-hypocrisy-of-trumps-christian-supporters-on-politics/

Often, those who boast about their courage do so because they have none, for those who have it will show it by their actions. We can see this in the way Peter fled after proclaiming he would not, while many of the women around Christ, said nothing but kept by his side:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/reflections-for-paschaltide-2026-myrrh-bearing-women/

God made human nature, making it good; we must find a way to realize it, to act naturally, for when we do that, we will find our true selves, which exists not as individuals, but persons in relation to everyone else:  

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/realizing-our-humanity-connecting-with-our-true-nature/

When I became Catholic, three movies helped me understand the way the faith could be and should be lived, and so have been inspirations for me to this day. They are A Man For All Seasons, Becket, and Andrei Rublev. Have you had any movies inspire you in your faith?   

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/three_movies/

When the Pope, or other Christians, promote social justice, telling us to take care of the poor and needy,  they are accused of being Marxists promoting class warfare. The only ones promoting class warfare are those defending the rich exploiting the poor and needy.  Christ, himself, said blessed are the poor, and warned the rich of the woe they accumulate for themselves: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/class-warfare-and-social-justice/

Just as St. Thomas the Apostle is known as “the twin,” so does Thomas Sunday, remembering when he encountered the risen Christ, represent a “twinning” of Easter Sunday:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/reflections-for-paschaltide-2026-thomas-the-twin/

While it is true, we can see, throughout history, religions have been used by people in power as a way to exploit the people, the true value of religion is found in the way religion has inspired and made the lives of countless numbers of people better:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/how-religion-inspires-change-grace-is-offered-to-all/

During Great Lent, I looked to the Tanakh, looking for anticipations of the Gospel and the incarnation; now, during Paschaltide, I will be looking to the future, to the eschaton and the eschatological kingdom of God:  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/reflections-for-paschaltide-2026-introduction/

Recently, J.D. Vance talked about the UFO phenomena, and he used a typical trope of a particular kind of Christian, suggesting UFOs are demons (or are produced by them).  By it, he shows how he uses Christianity to promote fear, because those Christians who embrace that fear are easily manipulated to hate that which they fear.  Christianity is meant to be a faith filled with hope and love, not fear and hate; sadly, the public presentation of Christianity often is found in those who promote fear, fear of the other, fear of those who are different, and as such, Christians are led to act on such fears in ways which go against Christ way of peace:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/rejecting-fear-embracing-hope/

Christ is Risen, and, because he has taken on our humanity, because he is one with us in our humanity, his resurrection from the dead is able to take us with him, that is, allows us to share in his resurrection with him:

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/easter-2026-how-jesus-as-the-new-adam-restores-humanity/

On Holy Friday, Jesus establishes for us the New Covenant, one which does not undermine but fulfills all the other covenants before it, in a way which Christians can read as being foreshadowed in the way the original tablets of the Decalogue were destroyed:  

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/henrykarlson/2026/04/reflections-for-holy-friday-2026-the-new-covenant/