The Work of Mercy: Counsel the Doubtful, Part 2
Doubts can be located in the emotions, intellect, or will. Emotional doubts can be potent, but very often, when you interrogate them, there’s no There
March 19, 2026
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The Work of Mercy: Counsel the Doubtful, Part 1
Doubt can be the emotional equivalent of a brief spring rain or a hurricane. People doubt whether to place two bucks on the Mariners (don’t)
March 18, 2026
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The Work of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant, Part 2
The notion that Jew or Gentile can claim to be top dog in the pedagogy of salvation is like the idea of patients in a
March 17, 2026
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The Work of Mercy: Instruct the Ignorant, Part 1
Back in 1971, when experiments in educational theory were just becoming all the rage, my fellow seventh-graders and I were pulled out of what used
March 16, 2026
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Amusing Ourselves
Some time ago I was on a camping trip with a bunch of kids and we were stargazing. My nine year old friend was sitting next to me as I pointed to Cygnus and remarked, “That constellation is called the Northern Cross.” She replied, “What’s a constellation?” I explained the
The Paradox of the Neo-Catholic Traditionalist
Last week, I chronicled something of the bafflement that ensued as I was confronted with the weirdly malleable term “neo-Catholic”. Judging from the combox discussion that followed, many readers share the tremendous confusion surrounding the term. Did it denote converts or those who loathe converts? Was it code for “neocon” or for
The Sacraments of Healing
One of the many Old Testament foreshadows of the New Testament is found in Exodus 15:26: If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give heed to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I
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About Mark Shea
Greetings! I’m Mark P. Shea, a Catholic author and blogger who’s also done a spot of podcasting and even acting here and there, as well as radio and TV work. My latest book, The Church’s Best-Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching was published in September 2020 by New City Press. Other works include By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition (Ignatius), Mary, Mother of the Son, This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence (Christendom), and Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did (Basilica), Salt and Light: The Commandments, the Beatitudes, and a Joyful Life (Servant), The Heart of Catholic Prayer: Rediscovering the Our Father and the Hail Mary (Our Sunday Visitor) and The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ (Servant).
I can also be found on Facebook (here and here) and Twitter. If you like my work and want to see more of it, please become one of my supporters on Patreon…..
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