Step into a kosher restaurant and skim the menu looking for pork chops: you won’t find any. Practicing Jews don’t eat pork, they don’t sell pork, and no one expects them to pay for pork. Pork goes against their faith, and they don’t do pork. In much the same way, faithful Catholics don’t do contraception, […]
A year after the attack which left 58 Christians dead in Baghdad, the faithful in Iraq’s capital city continue to be scared of fresh violence. “Living in Iraq means living in fear. There’s no feeling safe and during the last two or three weeks the situation has got worse, because of tensions among political parties,” […]
Thousands of people rallied in protest to newly announced $5 debit card fees. It only took about one month for Bank of America to rethink and eliminate the fee. Surely if 10 or 20 thousand can move the biggest bank in Americato change its fee policy so quickly and apologetically, then 50 million ardent pro-lifers […]
As we approach Thanksgiving, it is good to begin to get ourselves in an attitude of gratitude. Let’s start at the beginning. “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened: God made all kinds of wild animals, […]
The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your […]
“Through Christ we are given revelation about the nature of God-Love. The perfection consists in that this love humbly, without reservations, gives itself over.” –Archimandrite Sophrony God exists as Gift. He is relentlessly Self-emptying, pouring His love and life into this world for our sakes, undeserving wretches though we are. We have such difficulty “knowing” […]
Bride and Bridegroom Beautiful changes have been made to the translation of the prayer that comes shortly before Holy Communion is distributed. Since Vatican II, the priest has said, “Happy are those who are called to His supper” as he held up the Eucharist. The new translation is more poetic and better fits the solemnity […]
The other day when meditating on a joyful mystery of the rosary: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple, I wondered: Did they ever consider making this a sorrowful mystery, “The Losing of Jesus for Three Days?” Mary’s experience of searching anxiously for her son reminded me of one of my own experiences—one where the […]
I Saw a Baby I saw a baby at the stream, Perhaps or maybe not a dream, Who played with water, thrust his hand Into the pool, the golden sand And then scooped up a golden fish, This is my life, he said, to bless Or throw again into the pool, To swim from what […]
Blessed John Paul II gave the Church many beautiful gifts; among them were the Year of the Rosary (2002-2003) and the Year of the Eucharist (2004-2005). In doing so, he encouraged priests, religious and laity to use these gifts and harness the spiritual power and strength that flows from them. Both he and his successor […]
In March 1964, New York City was rocked by the grisly murder of Kitty Genovese. Returning home from her job at a local sports bar, Genovese was attacked in the parking lot of her apartment complex and stabbed in the back while fleeing from her assailant. The murderer later returned to find Genovese collapsed in […]
Blame it on another quirky “holiday” – in case you missed it, “Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day” was November 15th. All I know is one minute I was praying to the light at the rear of the dark tunnel for dinner inspiration and the next minute I was waist deep in seven half-empty mustard jars. […]
With a court battle over Canada’s laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide proceeding just north of the border, a lawyer in Washington State has proposed that his state expand their Death with Dignity Act. Currently Washington’s law allows doctors to prescribe lethal medication upon request to a competent, terminally ill patient, but Olympia attorney Brian […]
I like to think of myself as a low-key, even-tempered, patient woman. I also like to think of myself as a fast runner. Unfortunately, neither of those statements is actually true. First, we’ll address the issue of my athletic prowess. I have run several races, including the following distances: 5K, 8K, 10K, half-marathon, and 25K […]
Today, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, let’s consider the making – the crafting – of the Ark of the Covenant. Here it is, in part: Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and has filled him […]
A Poet’s Whisper Whisper through a blazing trail With careful steps on burning coals With thoughtful deeds in freezing homes Give pure white thoughts to blackened souls. A whisper is a light entwined In darkness set just for a time, A steeple high above the night, A shadow dimmed in morning’s light Whisper visions to […]
Hush The nuns of Puebla were disbanded One hundred fifty years ago In Mexico The dark Reform of Juarez came, O General, you put the nuns away In private life to pray or not to pray No convents, nor in clericals Would Bishops or their priests be dressed, Nor would as Father be addressed So […]
Twisted values have always been a Planned Parenthood hallmark whether discussing the human rights of the preborn or a believer’s right to love God. No matter what the right thing to do might be, you can count on Planned Parenthood to do the opposite. For example, during the November 2 hearing on Capitol Hill which […]
Imagine you are a Catholic priest in your 30s. Suddenly, at your mother’s deathbed, your world is turned completely upside-down. This was Polish Father Romuald Waszkinel experience when he learned that his real name is Yaacov (Jacob) Weksler and that his birth mother was a Jew. His Jewish Mother, Batia, had given him to Polish […]
In an effort to grab a bigger piece of Holiday Shopper Pie, major retailers have altered their “after Thanksgiving” hours such that they’ve begun to cut deeper into the Thanksgiving Holiday itself. In recent years, chains such as Target, Kohls, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy had opened their doors to customers in the wee hours […]
Sailor’s Calm Calm serene days Sizzling stifling doldrums… Crystal clear depths Beneath a silver blue mirror A sailor’s calm… “Calm seas do not make a skilled sailor” Off in the distance Mushroom clouds inflate! Horizon blackens Trade wind wall shatters the calm The mirror splinters Small glittering shards, dancing lights Shards fade to gray Then black […]
Organ-robbing is something that, in polite company, is referred to as organ donation or organ removal from a “dead” body or some similar term. The idea is to persuade the public that donating a vital organ is a brilliant idea, and since the person making the donation is dead, who’s to care? Well, folks, you […]
For years, the Geron Corporation has been touting its embryonic stem cell program as the future of regenerative medicine. Just last year, it became the first company to begin human trials on a treatment derived from embryonic stem cells. This Monday, however, citing financial constraints as the primary reason, Geron announced that it has terminated these […]
It’s good news or bad news, depending on the headline. Last week, Census Bureau statistics on the percentage of working new mothers who receive paid maternity leave prompted two kinds of stories. There’s the “glass is half full” variety, such as this one from parents.com: “Census Report: Over half of working mothers get paid leave.” […]
