The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that […]
The state of American politics is such that the question of whether or not their own grandchildren should be torn limb from limb and thrown in the garbage has become a routine subject of speculation for presidential candidates. The state of American presidential candidates is such that they can dispassionately entertain the dismemberment of their own smallest progeny. They are the men of whom C. S. Lewis wrote, the men without chests.
There are many wonderful books about Catholic saints available. Most of you probably own some of them. Perhaps you even have some collecting dust in your home. They looked so interesting, but you never found the time to read them. So, why should you purchase another one? Because in the new A Book of Saints […]
“What the Catholic Church in the United States really needs to stiffen its backbone is a good persecution.” How often, I wonder, have I heard somebody say something like that? How often have I said something like it myself? Be careful what you ask for—you may get it. The persecution of religion in America has […]
We continue our reflection on the mysteries of the rosary as a means of entering more deeply into sacred mysteries made present in Holy Mass with an examination of The Sorrowful Mysteries 1. The Agony in the Garden And going out, he went, according to his custom, to the Mount of Olives. And his disciples […]
How would you like to be splashed with water as you walk down the street? In Poland, that’s how they say, “Happy Easter!” If you had read last Easter’s issue of St. Mary’s Messenger magazine for children, you would have known that. I recently stumbled upon St. Mary’s Messenger through a phone call from Kris […]
The Atlantic recently posted an article by Rachel R. White entitled, “The Role Non-Monogamy Will Play in the Future of Marriage” (Oct. 3, 2011), in which she interviews Pamela Haag, the author of the book Marriage Confidential. Haag claims that “marriage has changed over time in both perception and practice,” stating that “even the Bible was […]
Stars of Mercy What strange dreams, what nightmares! Aztec temples and cathedrals, Pyramids and blazing terrors, Fortresses, Great Walls And yet three horses graze at night Beneath the silent quarter moon, Rivers flow of endless light, Shine as smooth as stone For one such night I would give all The temples to the sun To […]
Adoration is not for a handful or a selected few. It is for everyone. It is what our loving Lord asks for, and more importantly, what He deserves. Blessed John Paul II went so far as to urge EVERY parish in the world to have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Let me put one hour of Adoration […]
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your […]
In an important and closely-monitored judgment, the Court of Luxembourg has decided, in the case C-34/10 “Oliver Brüstle v Greenpeace e.V.”, that an invention is excluded from being patented where the process requires either the prior destruction of human embryos or their use as a base material. This is applicable even if, in the patent […]
Call it an occupational hazard, but I can’t look at the Occupy Wall Street protesters without thinking, “Who parented these people?” As a culture columnist, I’ve commented on the social and political ramifications of the “movement” – now known as “OWS” – whose fairyland agenda can be summarized by one of their placards: “Everything for […]
Former attorney general Phill Kline is under attack by the world’s leading proponent of abortion, Planned Parenthood. It isn’t stated that way in the media headlines, of course, but the facts are clearly evident among those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to discern the presence of evil. The 1956 […]
Holy… GHOST in the GRAVEYARD It’s Friday night Of the fourth week of school A bit of a nip Beginning to cool. After supper In the night It’s “Ghost in the graveyard” Children take flight! They run round corners Of neighbors’ homes Hide behind cars With duct-taped chromes. Quiet brown Crackling leaves breeze They all […]
The ink was barely dry on the asterisk in Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s rant about taking out those “sons-of-b*tches”—referring to Tea Party members—when the vice president made his own contribution at a Labor Day rally. “This is a fight for the existence of organized labor,” the veep shouted. “You are the only ones who can stop […]
What is it with women’s curiosity to know what’s in a celebrity’s purse? You know that feature found in the back of magazines — like some reward we get for reaching the last page: “We caught up with Brooke Shields and convinced her to ‘Spill it all’ for us!” Then we get to be shocked […]
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Cathedral Family and friends, [O]ur Holy Father’s teaching during his visit to Germany…. [concerned] the weakening of the Faith there and the fact that only 31% of his own country considered themselves Catholic. His words tell the reason why. “God is increasingly being driven out of our society… Are […]
Last week my daughter, Moriah Mosher, who is 18 years old, traveled to Rhodes, Greece, where she addressed the Rhodes Youth Forum on the subject of “Traditional Family Values.” The Forum is an annual meeting of young people from all over the world who are devoted to the search for the common good. My daughter […]
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has a lengthy track record of jaw-dropping political statements. Among them, the lifelong Roman Catholic has been a huge disappointment to her Church on matters of unborn human life, which I’ve personally written about on many occasions. But it isn’t just Pelosi’s actions on the sanctity and dignity of human life. […]
Horse to Ride She won a little horse in a raffle, A shapely bay to shelter in a stable, A quarter horse both spirited and agile Down what snowy trail will they canter, Where in the evenings of winter, The dusks of December growing denser? The warmth of the stable and the stall, The light […]
A friend once said to me that all religions are by nature conservative and so are people who take religion seriously because religion exists to bring something from the more or less distant past forward into the future. G. K. Chesterton said that “the Catholic Church is the only thing which saves a man from […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40) Living Out Our Christian Faith as Catholics You became a model for all the believers” (1 Thessalonians 1:7). Paul really liked the Thessalonians! It seems that their faith and their joy in the Lord gave him a lot […]
The Sacramental Soldier had died. My eight-year-old nephew. He was the second of my sister Peggy’s precious four children. Peggy is the fourth child in our family and I am her older sister and the oldest of our parents’ ten children. I have eight little sisters and one little brother. I used to tease my […]
Some things are meant to be shared. Friendship with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta is one of those things. I personally know three people who were friends with Mother Teresa and like a second-class relic, those second-class friendships leave me feeling somehow closer to her. Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is one of those friends who was […]
