This past year has been one of personal loss for me. This past April our founder, Father Paul Marx, O.S.B., Ph.D., passed away in the odor of sanctity. Now we have lost another great pro-lifer—and personal friend of mine—Dr. Bernard Nathanson. I first met Dr. Nathanson, fittingly enough, at a 1985 conference in Washington, D.C., […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm 51:3-6, 12-13, 17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11) Sharing in Jesus’ Victory over Sin You certainly will not die. (Genesis 3:4) What a study in contrasts! In the first reading, we see Adam and Eve, surrounded by all the beauty of Eden, giving […]
The outlook for Christians in Pakistan is bleak according to the country’s Catholic leader, who described how Shahbaz Bhatti’s death has robbed minority groups of a “great leader” and left them feeling “oppressed, repressed and depressed.” Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore said the murder of the Federal Minister for Minorities showed how extremist religious parties […]
It was 65 years ago, March 5, 1946, when Winston Churchill delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri. It was a speech that rocked the world and changed history. By then, Churchill was no longer British prime minister. He and his conservatives had been replaced by Clement Attlee and the Labour Party, which busily nationalized […]
[Given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde on the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time at the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist in Rome] “The Lord said to Moses, ‘…Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’” Jesus said to His first disciples and now to us, “…be perfect, just as […]
I grew up in Bombingham at a time in history when the unholy trinity was “Catholics, niggers, and Jews.” Somehow, I rejected that fairly early as I rode my ice blue bike with the white banana seat in the shadow of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. I had earned that bike by going to summer school […]
Beloved Pope John Paul II, already acclaimed “the Great” by so many, shaped the faith of millions of Catholics for whom he was the face and mind of the Church all during their formative years. With his beatification nearing, we are journeying together to a very special Lent. In addition to the graces of any Lenten […]
I had a good laugh with my sister today. This last year has been a tough one for my family. My father Angelo, who was never supposed to die, died in June — of cancer. My youngest sister still pretends he is alive. I know that most people would suggest that she see a therapist […]
As Muslims prepare to erect a mega-mosque near the site of the 9/11 atrocities, it is well to reflect that the sort of tolerance, or indifference, that allows them to do so, is far from reciprocated to churches in the Muslim world. I speak not of Islamist attacks against churches—such as the New Year attack […]
Free speech has always been one of our most cherished rights. It has come under attack repeatedly by those who find it to be an inconvenient and unwanted obstacle to the attainment of their political goals. Sometimes, those in positions of power ignore the First Amendment and issue laws and regulations to silence their opponents. […]
Perhaps you’ve visited the popular weblog of the inimitable Fr. Z (AKA Fr. John Zuhlsdorf at WDTPRS.com) where one of his trademark battle cries is, “Save the liturgy, save the world!” If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. “If you throw a stone, even a pebble, into a pool it produces ripples which expand to […]
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” We are all aware of these famous words of John F. Kennedy at in his inaugural speech in 1961. Maybe it is time to revisit that statement. Today, we see civil unrest as has […]
Protestants say we’re saved by faith. Some Catholics say we’re saved by good works. But what does the Bible say? This Sunday’s readings are clear – it’s neither. And it’s both. At the very same time. First, let’s define our terms. When St. Paul says “works” don’t save us, he is really referring to two […]
During his campaign, Candidate Barack Obama repeatedly cited his opposition to same sex marriage. On the Human Rights Campaign’s 2008 Presidential Survey, he stated, “I do not support gay marriage. Marriage has religious and social connotations, and I consider marriage to be between a man and a woman.” Despite his formerly firm convictions, the President […]
One quiet evening, I decided to call my brother to ask how his new teaching position as a religion teacher was going. His first position took him to an all-boy’s Catholic high school in Southern California. After an initial pause he emphatically stated; “They don’t know anything!” I asked him to clarify his statement. He […]
Hear Gary Zimak on EWTN radio’s Son Rise Morning Show Tuesday, 3/8 at 6:45 a.m. and on Ave Maria/EWTN Catholic Connection Friday, 3/11 at 8:35 a.m. No matter how close we are to God, the season of Lent provides a great opportunity to grow closer to Him. One of the biggest mistakes that we can make is to not take advantage of […]
This week I’ve been reading Servant of God Fulton Sheen’s Love, Marriage and Children, and was struck by how much this man – a celibate who died more than thirty years ago – understood about contemporary married life. (His profound understanding of the human condition is partly responsible for the fact that his nationally syndicated […]
We and our 4 daughters, ages 13 down to 1, needed a home, and we needed it soon. Our 6-month lease was soon to expire, and our family was living a make-do lifestyle in an apartment. Everything about our living space spoke the language of “temporary” — some nearly-weightless plastic chairs; a white, wobbly table with […]
When dating, women can get concerned about preserving their sense of privacy. Boundaries are important – what if a guy turns out to be a pest? Here’s a quick tip: Create an email address specifically for the early stages of dating. Most of us have easy access to free email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, […]
I’ve looked high and low for years for the Catholic equivalent of the Bible story books I had as a child. It’s not that I don’t like the ones I had as a child; it’s that I want to share the delight of Tobit, the wonder of Sirach, and the adventure of Maccabees with my […]
If every decision we make causes ripples that affect our ultimate future, what chance do we really have to end up where we are supposed to be? Some of the seemingly tiniest choices I’ve made throughout the course of my life, have, in hindsight, resulted in life altering changes. I can trace these moments back […]
In his letter accompanying the 2007 Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI invited the bishops to report in three years on their experiences in implementing the new liturgical legislation, which is designed to make Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Missal more widely available. Last fall the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei began to review […]
My mother says she’s color blind from a lifetime of matching socks. As I celebrate my 24th year of doing Scott Rinehart’s laundry, I now know why. According to my husband’s sock drawer, there are 17 shades of navy blue. Four of those shades belong on over the calf socks while the other thirteen are […]
By now we all know that a new Roman Missal is on its way to use in our parishes. If you are like me, you want to know how and why things come about. So, consistant with this, I looked up the committees instrumental in the revising and establishment of our Roman Missals, past and present, here are my […]
