A Timely Letter to Mr. Diognetus

The ancient Letter to Diognetus was written to a curious pagan living in the Roman Empire:

“The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it (1 Peter 2:11), though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them.”

Furthermore, the author argues that Christianity is a choice, not a nation or political reality:

“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They share their meals, but not their wives. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3). They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life (2 Corinthians 6:9). They are poor, yet make many rich (2 Corinthians 6:10); they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless (2 Corinthians 4:12); they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”

Christians were noteworthy in those times for upholding chastity and not destroying their offspring. Amidst the headlines, it is right still for Christians to remember that they are first citizens of heaven, not of this earth or this country.

As protests against the leaked Supreme Court document concerning Roe v. Wade continue, bigotry toward the Church has been evident in several attacks on churches and pro-life centers, prompting Robert Royal to ask, “Who are the abortion extremists?”

An opinion piece in the New York Times cuts through all the utilitarian arguments for abortion by emphasizing it is always better to do the right thing. (subscription wall)

Many have hailed the recent Twitter purchase by Elon Musk as an unalloyed gift to free speech and thought. However, Musk’s own view of the human person is misaligned with the destiny of humanity made in imago Dei. John Waters proposes a “probationary period” before celebrations commence.

While therapy may not provide all the answers to the most fundamental of human questions, it is an important instrument for wellness. James Mumford argues that while nonjudgmental psychology is failing patients who need to hear hard truths, there is a way for therapy to regain its sapiential character.

In “Disorder, Reorder, and Right Order,” Fr. Billy Swan explains how Christians can view the cultural disorder all around us through the lens of Christ.

Reports of genocide against the Tigryan people, mostly Orthodox Christians, grow in Ethiopia.

Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was arrested in Hong Kong—despite being 90 years old—for protesting. After hours of questioning, Cardinal Zen has been released on bail.

The new leader of Hong Kong, interestingly, is Catholic and communist-endorsed.