<![CDATA[ECT+]]>https://www.ectplus.orghttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PUd2!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd970c00d-5a45-4261-b0a5-2312bc481342_124x124.pngECT+https://www.ectplus.orgSubstackSun, 14 Jun 2026 11:25:06 GMT<![CDATA[Emotions are Not Intrinsically Evil | Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/emotions-are-not-intrinsically-evilhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/emotions-are-not-intrinsically-evilThu, 11 Jun 2026 21:01:40 GMT

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Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Matthew 9 and the significance of Jesus’ compassion.

When Jesus sees the crowds, His heart is “moved with pity.” This reveals something essential: the emotional life is not inherently disordered or sinful.

Christ shows us that to be human is not only to think and to choose, but also to feel. And because Jesus is like us in all things but sin, His emotions reveal their true purpose.

The problem is not that we have emotions—but that they are wounded. And what is wounded can be healed.

Grace does not bypass the human person. It transforms the whole person—intellect, will, and even the affective life.

No part of our humanity is beyond the reach of Christ.

]]><![CDATA[Whoever Eats This Bread Will Live Forever | The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/whoever-eats-this-bread-will-livehttps://www.ectplus.org/p/whoever-eats-this-bread-will-liveThu, 04 Jun 2026 21:02:03 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 6 and the shocking claim at the heart of the Eucharist.
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever." The Jews quarreled among themselves — not because the question was bad, but because they turned inward rather than toward Jesus.

This is the great temptation for all of us. When faced with a saving truth we cannot fully understand, we turn to our own objections, our own standards, our own debate. But there is no clarity within ourselves. We are not God.

Jesus does not enter their dialectic. He does not take a poll or address their objections. He simply reiterates the truth: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you."

Jesus alone is the principle of clarity about his sacred mysteries. He invites us to make him our first stop — not our last resort.

]]><![CDATA[You Cannot Be Indifferent to Jesus | Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/you-cannot-be-indifferent-to-jesushttps://www.ectplus.org/p/you-cannot-be-indifferent-to-jesusThu, 28 May 2026 21:01:16 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 3:16 and the claim that there is no neutrality before Christ.

Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned — but whoever does not believe has already been condemned. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. The choice, however, cannot be avoided.

There are only two saviors: Jesus, who came to draw us into union with Himself — and ourselves, a project of self-salvation that is doomed to fail.

Every part of life belongs either to Christ or to that false project. Holding something back is not neutrality. It is antagonism.

Jesus invites us to open every part of ourselves to Him — because what is not united to Him is not saved.

]]><![CDATA[What to Do When There Is No Peace | Pentecost Sunday]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/what-to-do-when-there-is-no-peacehttps://www.ectplus.org/p/what-to-do-when-there-is-no-peaceThu, 21 May 2026 21:01:29 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 20 and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The disciples are afraid, hiding behind locked doors. Yet Jesus comes to them, bringing peace and instituting the sacrament of confession.

Even today, we can feel distant from Christ—held back by fear, sin, or shame. But the Gospel reveals a powerful truth: nothing can separate us from Jesus.

St. Paul teaches that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” When we invoke the holy name of Jesus, we are not alone. The Spirit is already at work, drawing us into union with Christ.

The name of Jesus is not just a word—it is a prayer, a presence, and a path to peace.

]]><![CDATA[Jesus: No One "Has" Eternal Life | Seventh Sunday of Easter]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/jesus-no-one-has-eternal-life-seventhhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/jesus-no-one-has-eternal-life-seventhThu, 14 May 2026 21:01:25 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Christ’s words in John 17: “This is eternal life: that they should know you, the one true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”

We often think of eternal life as a place or something we possess in the future. But Jesus reveals something deeper. Eternal life is not a location or an object. It is an act—knowing God.

This knowledge is not abstract. It is real union with the living God, made possible through Jesus Christ. And it does not begin later. It begins now.

The Christian life is not simply waiting for heaven. It is already a participation in eternal life, here and now, through knowing and loving God.

]]><![CDATA[Why the Commandments? | Sixth Sunday of Easter]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/why-the-commandments-sixth-sundayhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/why-the-commandments-sixth-sundayThu, 07 May 2026 21:01:30 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Christ’s words in John 14: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

At first glance, this can sound like a condition or a demand. But Jesus is not manipulating us or imposing external rules. He is revealing something deeper: love and obedience are inseparable.

The commandments are not arbitrary restrictions. They express who Jesus is. Those who are united to Him begin to live as He lives.

To love Christ is to be conformed to Him—and those who are conformed to Him naturally keep His commandments.

]]><![CDATA[Was Jesus a Public Intellectual? | Fifth Sunday of Easter]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/was-jesus-a-public-intellectual-fifthhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/was-jesus-a-public-intellectual-fifthThu, 30 Apr 2026 21:01:30 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on John 14 and Christ’s response to St. Thomas: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In a world filled with competing voices, opinions, and interpretations of what it means to follow Jesus, the Gospel offers a striking simplicity.

Jesus does not offer one path among many. He offers Himself. The confusion of the modern world cannot be resolved by more analysis or more perspectives, but only by returning to Christ.

To follow Jesus is not to navigate endless options, but to remain with Him—the one who is the way, the truth, and the life.

]]><![CDATA[Books, Articles, and a New Initiative Coming August 15th]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/books-articles-and-a-new-initiativehttps://www.ectplus.org/p/books-articles-and-a-new-initiativeMon, 27 Apr 2026 22:00:10 GMTExecutive Director Gideon Barr, General Editor Father Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., and Managing Editor Dr. Matthew Minard sit down for a progress update on the Encyclopedia of Catholic Theology. The conversation covers new and forthcoming Catholic handbooks on creation, grace, science and religion, and confirmation, along with a preview of nearly twenty articles currently moving through the editorial pipeline on topics ranging from the hypostatic union to political authority.

The team also takes stock of the ECT’s growing international reach, with scholars and translators now contributing from across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East — and Spanish translations running nearly in step with English publication.

]]><![CDATA[What Does It Mean to Be Catholic? ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/what-does-it-mean-to-be-catholichttps://www.ectplus.org/p/what-does-it-mean-to-be-catholicThu, 23 Apr 2026 21:01:30 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Acts 2 and St. Peter’s proclamation of the Gospel. When the people are cut to the heart, they ask what they must do—and Peter responds clearly: “Repent and be baptized.”

To be Catholic is not merely to adopt a label or join a denomination. It is to enter into a new life—one defined by the sacraments. Through baptism and the sacramental life of the Church, we are truly united to Jesus and share in His divine life.

The Gospel calls each of us not only to believe, but to live sacramentally in real union with Christ.

]]><![CDATA[Don't Miss Jesus]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/dont-miss-jesushttps://www.ectplus.org/p/dont-miss-jesusThu, 16 Apr 2026 21:01:16 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 and the disciples’ failure to recognize the risen Christ. Though they discuss the events of Jesus’ Passion and search for meaning, they do not recognize Him walking beside them.

The Gospel reveals a deeper problem: not simply misunderstanding Scripture, but beginning from the wrong starting point. When we try to interpret life, suffering, or even Christ Himself apart from Him, we risk missing Him entirely.

True wisdom begins with Jesus. When we start with Him, He illumines all things and reveals their meaning in Himself.

]]><![CDATA[Your Brokenness Is Not a Barrier to God]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/your-brokenness-is-not-a-barrierhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/your-brokenness-is-not-a-barrierThu, 09 Apr 2026 21:00:44 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the risen Christ’s appearance to the disciples in John 20. Though they are afraid and hidden behind locked doors, Jesus comes to them, bearing the wounds of His Passion and speaking peace.

The Gospel reveals that nothing can prevent Christ from reaching those He loves—not fear, not suffering, not even sin. In His mercy, Jesus passes through every barrier and gives Himself to us, especially through the sacrament of confession.

The wounds of Christ are not signs of defeat, but of a love that transforms all things. Even our brokenness can become a place of healing when brought to Him.

]]><![CDATA[The Light We Cannot See ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/the-light-we-cannot-seehttps://www.ectplus.org/p/the-light-we-cannot-seeThu, 02 Apr 2026 21:01:41 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on Easter Sunday and Mary Magdalene’s search for the risen Christ in John 20. Though Christ has made all things new, the Gospel begins in darkness—early in the morning, before the light is fully revealed.

This tension reveals the nature of the Christian life. Though Jesus is truly present, we do not yet see Him fully. The darkness we experience is not the darkness of night, but the darkness of morning—a darkness that is passing away as the light of Christ dawns.

Even now, Christ remains with His people. The light of heaven is already upon us.

]]><![CDATA[Are You Relying on Yourself?]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/are-you-relying-on-yourselfhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/are-you-relying-on-yourselfThu, 26 Mar 2026 21:02:08 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the Passion in Matthew 26–27 and the disciples’ response to Christ. Though Peter and the others desire to remain faithful, they rely on their own strength, their own plans, and their own resolve.

Jesus reveals that salvation does not come through human effort or natural power. Even in His suffering and apparent abandonment, He accomplishes our salvation alone. The Gospel invites us to move beyond self-reliance and to fix our attention on the one thing necessary: Jesus Himself.

]]><![CDATA[I Am the Resurrection ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/i-am-the-resurrectionhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/i-am-the-resurrectionFri, 20 Mar 2026 14:45:58 GMT

]]><![CDATA[Why Does God Allow Suffering? ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/why-does-god-allow-sufferinghttps://www.ectplus.org/p/why-does-god-allow-sufferingThu, 12 Mar 2026 21:01:49 GMT

]]><![CDATA[Why God Can Love Us Unto Death ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/why-god-can-love-us-unto-deathhttps://www.ectplus.org/p/why-god-can-love-us-unto-deathThu, 05 Mar 2026 22:01:18 GMT

]]><![CDATA[How do We Find Jesus? ]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/how-do-we-find-jesushttps://www.ectplus.org/p/how-do-we-find-jesusThu, 26 Feb 2026 22:01:36 GMTFr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. reflects on the Transfiguration in Matthew 17 and the disciples’ encounter with the unveiled glory of Christ. Though Peter longs to remain in the splendor of the moment, it is not the visible glory that overwhelms the disciples, but the Father’s voice: This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.

The Transfiguration is not a spectacle meant to impress. It reveals who Jesus is in relation to the Father—and who we are in relation to Him. Though His glory is not visible in the sacraments, Christ is no less present. The same Jesus who shone like the sun on the mountain comes to us in the Eucharist, draws near, touches us, and says personally: Rise. Do not be afraid.

]]><![CDATA[Moral Theology | In Dialogue]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-c64https://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-c64Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:30:28 GMT

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]]><![CDATA[Moral Theology | In Dialogue]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-68ahttps://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-68aTue, 10 Feb 2026 17:31:12 GMT

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]]><![CDATA[Moral Theology | In Dialogue]]>https://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-8f5https://www.ectplus.org/p/moral-theology-in-dialogue-8f5Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:30:44 GMT

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