10 Ideas to Bring Catholic Life into Your Teaching

August 28, 2023 By Billy Kangas

For those of us teaching classes this year, particularly in Catholic contexts, we have the unique privilege of integrating our faith into every aspect of our teaching. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, offers invaluable guidance on how to infuse Catholic life into our classrooms. Here are ten ideas inspired by this document that can help us create an authentically Catholic educational environment. 1. Begin with Prayer Start each class with a short prayer... Read more

What does The Assumption mean, and why is this day so important?

August 15, 2023 By Billy Kangas

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The Feast of the Assumption commemorates the glorious journey of Mary, Mother of God, into heavenly glory. This feast has a rich history that spans centuries and holds great significance for Catholics worldwide. Throughout the early centuries of Christianity, there was a deep devotion to Mary as the Theotokos (Mother of God) and her role in salvation history. The belief in her bodily assumption into heaven at the end of her earthly life gradually developed within sacred tradition. Early Christian... Read more

Review: A Journey through the Word on Fire Bible

August 14, 2023 By Billy Kangas

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The Word on Fire Bible, a remarkable literary achievement, now in its third volume, has impressed me as a great contribution to the illumination of sacred scripture in our world. As a biblical scholar myself, I have encountered countless resources that tend to lean heavily towards either historical context or personal spirituality. However, this extraordinary work finds the perfect balance between these perspectives while also showcasing the profound wisdom of two millennia of scribes, thinkers, saints, and artists who have... Read more

Controversial Celebrity Religious Conversions: Who Switched Faiths and Why?

May 26, 2023 By Billy Kangas

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This Easter marked my 10th anniversary as a Catholic. As someone who spent over a decade in Protestant ministry, leaving what I knew behind to take my young family into the unknown was not easy. However, after years of study (with perhaps divine intervention), I felt drawn towards Catholicism to deepen my connection with Jesus Christ. Joining the Catholic Church meant embracing its rich sacramental life, grounding myself in history, and committing to live out a spiritual journey with accountability... Read more

What resources should I use to pray the “Liturgy of the Hours?”

February 8, 2023 By Billy Kangas

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Is there a general Liturgy of the Hours that most Catholics use, or are there a variety of them? There are lots and lots of prayer books that are used by Catholics. You will run into lots of different resources that offer forms of morning and evening prayer and many of them are influenced by the Liturgy of the Hours. However, the liturgy of the hours refers to a particular set of official prayers. This official set is what is required... Read more

The Great Schism: Why the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church Really Split

November 4, 2022 By Billy Kangas

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“Holy Father, keep [those you have given me] in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” Jesus prayed the above prayer in John 17 on the night he was betrayed and since that first day until now it is a prayer that the Church has struggled to see perfectly fulfilled. On that night, Judas’ betrayal violated that unity. The New Testament documents other breakdowns in Church unity – Paul and... Read more

What Bible do Catholics use?

July 8, 2022 By Billy Kangas

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Scripture is the foundational record of God’s self-revelation to the world. It grounds catholic theology, saturates Catholic Prayer, and provides the language and images that inform Catholic symbols. In Scripture, we find the promises of God that root our faith and provide a rule and a guide in the development of Dogma as the church seeks to conform itself in each age to the image of Christ. The Catholic Church encourages all the faithful who are able, to read scripture,... Read more

CCC # 2559 – Prayer as Gift

June 14, 2022 By Billy Kangas

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2559 “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”2 But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart?3 He who humbles himself will be exalted;4 humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,”5 are we ready to receive... Read more

CCC # 2558 – Prayer as Relationship

May 23, 2022 By Billy Kangas

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2558 “Great is the mystery of the faith!” The Church professes this mystery in the Apostles’ Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with... Read more

Reflections on Prayer in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

May 2, 2022 By Billy Kangas

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Prayer has always been a central part of what motivates the writing here. The name of the blog, The Orant, is a term used to describe a figure who is praying in early Christian art. In choosing this name, my hope was that both I and the readers here might all become people who are more deeply formed by practices of prayer in our own lives each day. Prayer has been a foundational part of my own life, in leading... Read more