Advocates of legal abortion want more than to keep Roe vs. Wade intact. They want to establish an international right to abortion, enforced on an international level, and overriding the decisions of individual nations to protect their own preborn children. But, as usual, these people have it not only wrong, but completely upside-down. The international […]
If you are tired of sugar coated Catholic prose, and want a more raw account of a person who tries to lead a Catholic life, drop what you are doing and buy Breakfast with the Pope. Click the link and insta-order. Seriously. Susan Vigilante chronicles her struggle with infertility, her quest to become a writer, […]
Once again it’s time to talk about raising the statutory limit on the U.S. government’s debt—the so-called “debt ceiling.” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has estimated that Uncle Sam will reach the debt ceiling before Tax Day, possibly even before the end of March. Even earlier, on March 4 to be precise, the current appropriations resolution […]
God, I’ve found, utilizes a “just-in-time” operational model. And He chooses the most unexpected vendors and suppliers, mixing them together in unforeseeable combinations. As this mystery story reveals. It’s a mystery that begins with a love of books, is leavened with some good old-fashioned cheapness, and ends with a Black Day turned Red, thanks […]
Standing at the base of an old, graying, wooden ladder I didn’t know what I would find in that mountain-cave turned church. As I ascended those ten or 12 steps my heart pounded, my breath grew short and my eyes were filled with awe. What I found in that stone-cooled room in the middle of […]
It’s Monday, the day I normally wake up and recommit to leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. Today, my kids are off school, so I lingered in bed a bit longer than usual, lapping up the luxury of having teens who like to sleep in. Part of my mental wandering as I hit the snooze […]
If you have a website, you need search engine optimization (SEO). But what does that mean? It sounds so complicated and technical. If you’re like me, you get a solicitation every other day from firms that want to sign you up for their “secret formula” that only they have developed to put your company at […]
Writing recently about Rick Santorum’s quest to become the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, George Will remarked that Santorum’s chances depend on social conservatives who currently feel ignored and would be naturally sympathetic to someone like the former GOP senator from Pennsylvania. I venture no opinion on Santorum’s prospects. But about the present condition of […]
Visitors from other Christian groups to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy will often find some similarities to their own religious services along with some major differences. For example, visitors from other liturgical Churches will recognize the Epistle and Gospel readings, the Alleluia, and the Anaphora or Canon before the distribution of the Eucharist. One major difference, […]
“When are you going to write about us?” asked the gentleman. I looked up from signing the visa receipt, smiled and said, “Oh I’m mulling it over; believe me.” That was 4 months ago. Now every time I walk in the liquor store and see the friendly men sitting behind the counter I feel guilty […]
She was just a wisp of a thing. She probably was around 20, but she looked like she was 13 years old. She had a beautiful newborn baby girl snuggled on her shoulder as she stood patiently at the back of the crowd. She reminded me of what I’d imagined our Blessed Mother to look […]
Apple. McIntosh. Golden Delicious. Johnny Red. My earliest memories of apples come from visits to Stone’s Apple Orchard in Hampton, Illinois. They were open year round, it seems, and whether in February or June, entering the apple barn where the lights were down low and there was a crispness in the air and the smell […]
In the ancient world, most peoples believed in a universe that had many gods. But even without the help of biblical revelation, Greek philosophers figured something out. There could only be one Supreme Being, only one almighty and omnipotent Ruler of all, only one God. In the twelfth chapter of Luke, Jesus asks a question. […]
The other day I opened the front door and found my two kids engrossed in play, drawing chalk pictures on the front stoop. Oblivious to my presence, their conversation became louder and more strident, until at last Sarah stood up and faced her brother, fists on hips. “How many times do I have to TELL […]
I am kneeling in a place of absolute peace. Soft music plays in the background, telling everyone of God’s unfailing love. The pungent smell of incense hangs in the air. The lighting in the room is dim, except for a solitary spotlight. This spotlight illuminates the monstrance, which contains Jesus Christ in the form of […]
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 62:2-3,6-9; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-3) In the first reading the Lord tells us, with very tender words, that he will never forsake us or forget us.” These words also remind us of the Lord’s words quoted in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never forsake you or […]
But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,” this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in […]
Just as all this was about to happen in Rome (see part one, part two), the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department of External Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, was engaged in an unprecedented week-long trip to the USA in early February Unprecedented because it involved meeting not only with other Russian Orthodox living in America, […]
There was good news in the Minneapolis paper, the StarTribune on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. The headline read Americans are working to pare their debt and rebuild their savings. The sub-headline was “Credit card debt is down 15 percent from mid 2008, the savings rate has tripled.” Embedded in the article by Neil Irwin of […]
The violent demise of the Middle East’s longest-ruling leader – who came to office in September 1969, just a few months after Richard Nixon – stands well outside the mainstream of the region’s politics, but then Moammer Gaddafi always did. Gaddafi (for the record, the correct spelling of his name is Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhfi) began his […]
Prayer is important, so critical to the believer’s daily regimen that there are books out there to guide him/her through the process if need be. Meditation is one of the most misinterpreted and under utilized form of prayer. Probably due to the busyness of daily life, it would bring such peace in the same amount […]
A Haitian bishop has spoken about his plans to rebuild both his earthquake-shattered cathedral and the broken lives of the people in his diocese. Speaking during a visit to the international headquarters of Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Launay Saturné of Jacmel described his calling to bring the love of […]
Burst: A Story of God’s Grace When Life Falls Apart is the Catholic memoir to read when you want a well-written, inspirational story that won’t take weeks to complete. It’s a small book with a big message and one-of-a-kind stories I met Kevin Wells through our editor. We both went through the same publishing house, Servant […]
When I look out my kitchen window, I see seven girls dressed in plain black and white with just a touch of red on their bonnets. They chatter all day long and love to sunbathe. They pick at each other, they eat non-stop and don’t gain weight. These girls are industrious if querulous farmhands. They […]
