Catholic Theology Network

11/04/2026

"I started to imagine the following conversation among the Roman guards who were assigned the task of guarding Jesus’ tomb. (Matthew 28:1-15 [1])

They do their duty. Its (Holy) Saturday. To pass the time, they crack jokes.

One of them says to the other. "The governor says the disciples might come and steal his body. Do you believe him or not?

The other replied. "Of course not. It’s because the boss is afraid that this Jesus guy might rise again on the third day. So, if that happens, he needs us to kill him again!"

“LOL”.

“These higher-ups are crazy. Easy for them to say, ‘just in case’. But it’s okay. Just one more day. After this, Primi said we can have 2 days off.”



We know the rest of the story.

On Easter Sunday, Jesus says, “April Fools!”

Or if you prefer the biblical version.

"And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. (Matthew 28:2-4)

Chapter one of the history of the Church began with a practical joke.

And if we want to learn the first lesson from Church history, it would be this.

We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song. If Jesus could laugh at death, we can also laugh at the absurdities and the tragedies of life.

Because with, the Resurrection, Jesus demonstrates that He is the original “prankster”.

And studying Church history, learning how for the last 2000 years, the Holy Spirit remained with the Church as it evangelized the world, through all its ups and downs, gives us reasons for joy."

Play on Spotify to listen to the podcast:The 25th topic of the A-Z of DiscipleSHIP, “Y”, is about the history of the Church. In 2018, Easter fell on April Fools’ day. And the comic in me marveled at the timing. And I started to imagine the following conversation among the Roman guards who were...

03/04/2026

"How does his dying save me?

By selecting Isaiah 53, the good Friday liturgy synthesises the various "models" of atonement proposed by Christians down the centuries.

The following article and podcasts produced by our CTN member helps shed further light on this.

Blessed good friday!

https://shalomtidings.org/how-does-his-dying-save-me/
https://catholicconfessions.podbean.com/.../how-does.../
https://catholicconfessions.podbean.com/.../how-does.../

01/04/2026

https://www.a-z.ctn.sg/post/carrying-our-crosses-x1

The Psalmist laments in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day?”

In our present times and in our personal situations, there are manifold examples of suffering, both physical and moral.

Let us ponder what the Bible, the Church and the Saints teach us about this crucial topic in this CTN special on the threhold of the Sacred triduum

Play on Spotify to listen to the podcast:The Psalmist laments in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day?”In our present times and in our personal situations,...

25/02/2026

The question of suffering is one of the most undeniably difficult ones.

If God is love, why do I suffer so much? Why do my loved ones?

In this episode, launched during the season of lent we try to see what encouragement, what example and what hope we can have from the same God who suffered with us.

Play on Spotify to listen to the podcast:The Psalmist laments in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day?”In our present times and in our personal situations,...

14/02/2026

A popular internet preacher was once asked a seemingly straightforward question: What must a person do to go to heaven?

His answer was equally straightforward: “Be in the true religion.”

To explain, he used an analogy drawn from everyday life.

“If I want to phone you,” he said, “I need your exact phone number. If even one digit is wrong, the call will fail.”

In his view, religions work the same way. Only one is correct, and any deviation — even partial — renders the entire system false.

A religion that gets six out of eight digits “right” is no closer to salvation than one that gets four out of eight, because wrong is wrong.

With stakes this high, the conclusion seems obvious: If you love people, you cannot possibly let them be wrong.

It is a stark and serious vision of truth. And it leaves little room for a “theology of failure.”

But is this how Catholicism understands itself?

Is salvation about perfect answers or a faithful search for truth? Catholic faith is presented not as a flawless phone number, but as a jigsaw puzzle God patiently assembles through partial truths, mistakes, and humble seeking.

02/02/2026

"John and Joanne were ministry partners in Church. They met for coffee.

“You need to be careful of Z. I say this with sadness, not judgment”. Said John to Joanne.

“Why?” Asked Joanne.

“Because”, replied John, “Z is two-faced. When Z first joins a ministry, Z will be meek, humble and eager to please.”

“When Z has acquired some status and respectability, the mask comes off. Z will become boastful, start to boss people around, and is not above backstabbing others to get ahead.”

Joanne was troubled. And asked, “Oh, you mean Z only lives the beatitudes because bopian- no choice? (can’t be helped given the circumstances)”

John replied, “That’s one way of putting it.”

Most people, when reading the Sermon on the Mount, as we did in today’s Gospel, would often go away with the notion that this is “high-minded” but probably not practical in real life.

Or as a parent once asked a priest after he had preached this homily, “The world is a cruel place. Should I be teaching my child the beatitudes, or should I teach him survival skills?”

What is more disturbing and ironic about Z was that he actually thinks that the beatitudes are an excellent tool for survival. – if you have no power."

Becoming Christ is to inhabit his attitudes. For Jesus, the beatitudes are never “survival skills.” If he wanted to “survive” in a cruel world, summoning legions of angels would be good enough.

25/01/2026

"The greatest harm that comes from the experience of tragedy is often not the physical or even emotional suffering.

But that we forget who we are.

The people of Zebulun and Naphtali, having lived in the “shadow of death” for so long, have been used to being the butt of jokes, and a byword for disrepute.

They have forgotten who they were.

Zebulun and Naphtali were the 2 sons of Israel (formally known as Jacob). And their descendants became the tribes of Israel.

Jesus’ ministry begins by awakening the people of Zebulun and Naphtali to their dignity.

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand” (Matthew 4:17)

The deepest motivation for repentance is not so much fear.

But a realisation that I have forgotten who I once was.

And now want to turn back."

Once dignity is restored, vocation becomes possible. Sometimes insight comes in moments of intense prayer set aside to discern God’s voice. But Jesus does not reserve His grace only for those moments. Ordinary work itself can become a place of deep vocational clarity.

22/01/2026

The virtues of Fortitude, Temperance, Faith, Charity, Hope, Justice, and Prudence by 15th-century Italian artists Sandro Botticelli and Piero del Pollaiuolo. Image: Wikimedia Commons. The CATHOLIC THEOLOGY NETWORK’S A-Z of DiscipleSHIP explores 26 essential topics in the Christian life, each start...

19/01/2026

The baptism of the Lord concludes the season of Christmastide and begins the season of Ordinary Time, for the Church’s liturgical calendar. As we move into a new season, the knowledge that we are simultaneously sinners, servants, and sons are the three foundation stones on which the Christian life...

19/01/2026

It is a phrase thoroughly familiar to Catholics. We hear it at Mass just before Holy Communion. And like clockwork, prepare to receive Holy Communion. For the 2nd Sunday of the year, the Church says “pause, and ponder. For you may not know the full weight of what you are saying.”

13/01/2026

*Not a sponsored post*

An Irish Catholic Derek Burke, who follows our page who has been based in Singapore for the 10 years designed a Catholic app to stay in touch with daily reading and prayer.

His linkedin profile can be seen here www.linkedin.com/in/derekjburke

You can explore this app here if you feel it can help you too.
https://catholic-heartbeat-hub.lovable.app/

Wishing everyone a fruitful time of growth as we enter the season of ordinary time.

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