Daniel Ciucci

“To be Jewish was, and is, to be different. This is the root meaning of purity or, in biblical language, holiness - to be set apart for God's purposes. To be holy is to be distinctive; the term `holy,' when applied to people, is shorthand for `peculiar by virtue of being obedient to God's commandments.' Holiness is the way of life that marks out the covenant people, the expression of the fact that this people is called, or elected, by God.”
― Michael J. Gorman, Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters

“When God saw that Abraham had not withheld his only son, he swore to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed (see Gn 22:15-22). Since the blessing of a father is reserved for his family, this oath is nothing less than God’s pledge to restore the human race as his own worldwide family. That is why the establishment of the Catholic Church must be attributed to God’s faithfulness and power. It represents nothing less than the historic fulfillment of God’s sworn covenant to Abraham.”
― Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture

“As the Messiah, Jesus Christ is priest, prophet and king. He is the new Adam. He is the seed of Abraham. He is the new Moses. He is the Son of David. He is the Son of God. He is the Lamb of God. Jesus had to be all these things and more in order to fulfill all of the promises made by his Father. And he did.”
― Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture

“To the degree that each part of our life will support and complement every other and all are ordered to our ultimate goal, our lives will be beautiful. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the essential attributes of beauty is due proportion, which means that all parts are in harmony with each other. Another attribute of beauty is integrity, which means that the overall purpose of the thing is in harmony with what it is meant to be, which for the Christian is the love of God. The final attribute is clarity — it must be radiant and perceptible by others. When people see a life well lived, they are drawn by its beauty and then beyond to the source to which it points, and to which that life is ordered: God.”
― David Clayton, The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home