I am a dad, with a daughter who is six and a son who is almost ten. I work full-time as a speech-language pathologist with elementary school children. I have loved sharing the Faith since I was a teen and, more recently, writing about it. You can find some of my past articles here on Catholic Lane, and the website for my first book "The God Who is Love: Explaining Christianity From Its Center" can be found at www.explainingchristianity.com.
I know. St. Paul had the same problem though, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Right now our knowledge of God is conceptual, we use analogies from this created world to speak of the Totally Other: […]
Praying the Rosary on the way to work, something new regarding the Transfiguration jumped out at me. You remember the event: While Jesus was at prayer on a mountaintop, Peter, James, and John witnessed Him become “more brilliant than the sun.” Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus, and the disciples could hear them discussing His […]
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24). Redemptive suffering. It is that mysterious but incredible reality that the suffering God allows into our lives, when accepted and lived with […]
It really is, just think about it. By defining the dogma of Mary’s Assumption and celebrating it as a Holy Day of Obligation, the Church draws together all the most magnificent elements of our Faith: The Trinity – into whose life Mary was bodily inserted Jesus’ Resurrection – shared with His Blessed Mother, and eventually with all […]
When we speak of Jesus’ prayer, it is legitimate to put “prayer” within quotation marks. (Benedict XVI did this in Volume I of his Jesus of Nazareth). It is done when we want to highlight the uniqueness of Jesus’ prayer. It was, after all, the human prayer of the Second Person of the Trinity. But […]
Our spiritual lives are centered upon Jesus’ sacrifice, made present in the Eucharist. Probably the majority of us however, have schedules that keep us from attending Mass on a daily basis. It may come as a surprise to learn that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – and the majority of Jews at the time – found […]
At some point in life each of us finds ourselves at a loss for what to say to God. It is usually at a time of intense trial. The pain of disease, agony of loss, or sting of betrayal leaves us overwhelmed. Our sadness and anger are so acute that we fell abandoned, as if […]
“The Son of God who became Son of the Virgin also learned to pray according to his human heart. He learns the formulas of prayer from his mother … He learns to pray in the words and rhythms of the prayer of his people.” (CCC 2599) Until five years ago, when I began an intense […]
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us something truly astounding: Christ’s prayer at his incarnation. The inspired author heard his prayer captured in the words of Psalm 40, “When Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and [sin] offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me … I have […]
Editor’s Note: Looking for a way to deepen your prayer this Lent and Easter? ShaneKapler’s Through, With, & In Him shows readers how the Church’s sacraments, liturgy, and private devotions unite them to the prayer continually issuing from the heart of Christ. Here is a first look, compliments of Angelico Press: As [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of […]
My friend Gary Zimak recently wrote, “One of the biggest mistakes that we can make is to treat the Bible as an ordinary book. Although it may look like a book, it is so much more. When we open up the pages of Sacred Scripture, we can actually hear Jesus speaking directly to us.” It inspired […]
Truth told, I rarely read fiction. My coffee table is covered by theology books, and when I do need a good “story” I get it the way God intended – the SyFy Channel. When I heard “pro-life novel” however, my interest was piqued. I am thrilled to report that Kari Burke’s The Life I Dreamed […]
You know, when a book has endorsements from Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Scott Hahn, Kevin Vost, Marcus Grodi, and Mike Aquilina (to name a few!!), a thumbs-up from Shane Kapler is obviously superfluous. But in the spirit of “when has that ever stopped me before?” I have to share my deep appreciation of this book. The […]
I heard a fantastic homily awhile back – well, the first part of it anyway. Father’s initial comments set me on a train of thought that I will pass along in the body of the article. Father asked us to contemplate the incredible gifts that God has given us. He pointed out that we humans […]
Jesus said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”… And He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My Body which is given for you.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which […]
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). That’s a truth to keep central as we enter this season of Lent. It’s possible to make a grandiose resolution and miss the reality at the […]
I recently had the good fortune to talk with Matt Swaim, producer of EWTN Radio’s Son Rise Morning Show, regarding his first book, The Eucharist and the Rosary: Mystery, Meditation, Power, Prayer (Ligouri Publications, 2010). Shane Kapler: Matt, I know that you entered the Church at Easter, 2005. Tell us about your journey: Matt Swaim: […]
“It takes no great military expert to predict the results of a war in which large numbers of the solders do not fight, do not even know there is a war on. The officers are essential, and obedience to them is essential. But an army in which only the officers fights is likely to have […]
That’s right, I partook of the forbidden fruit; I’ve always been a sucker for a vampire story. And I think that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series is that. Now, I’m not saying it’s great literature, nor am I disputing that it contains disturbing material, especially for a young audience – but I did enjoy the action […]
