Author: Nathaniel Michalak

Nate spent four years discerning religious life with the Order of Carmelites. During that time, he earned a degree in Philosophy from Saint Xavier University. Nate currently works at a bank and enjoys writing, working out, and shooting guns.
by Nathaniel Michalak

Of Concupiscence and Temptation

When I was younger, I remember confessing my temptations to a priest. He swiftly admonished my ignorance on the situation. “Being tempted to sin is not a sin,” he told me, “but rather succumbing to the temptation by acting upon it. Think about it: Jesus would have been guilty of committing a sin when He was tempted in the desert (Luke 4: 1-13). And we know that He was like us in all things but sin (Hebrews 4:15). This infers that Jesus was also absent of Adam’s original sin, the result of which was defective concupiscence, or the disposition towards … Continue reading “Of Concupiscence and Temptation” →

by Nathaniel Michalak

Sorrowful Even unto Death

When listening to Biblical passages from any given Sunday Gospel, the basic theme of doing good deeds and avoiding evil ones can more or less be understood on a rudimentary level. But every now and then, I personally come across a line from Scripture that forces me to scratch my head. Case in point, I was recently reading the Agony in the Garden, and I could not help but notice the irregularity of Matthew 26:38: Then [Jesus] said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” (New American Bible Revised Edition) The … Continue reading “Sorrowful Even unto Death” →