Francesca Minerva and Alberto Giubilini, who wrote in an “academic” paper that killing newborn babies should be as permissible as abortion, say that they have received death threats. Death threats are not the right way to respond to intellectual aberrations, however obscene they may be. On the other hand, Minerva and Giubilini should not reverse […]
It is no secret that in life, our values tend to guide our decisions. The things we hold dear, the things that are priorities to us, our principles… these are the factors that influence how we live our lives, from who we associate with to how we spend our time and how we spend our […]
A smooth shaved head, dark tear drop forever etched by her left eye, and Roxanne scrawled in ink across her neck, this young woman stood before me, arms over crutches to support her newly amputated leg and smiled. “I can’t believe I’m getting to meet you,” she said. “I finished your book today. You’ve been through so much,” she […]
Senator Roy Blunt, who sponsored the amendment in the Senate that, had it received a few more votes, would have protected conscience rights of employers, said, “This is a debate that might be settled at that building across the street,” referring to the Supreme Court. Indeed, as of this writing, eight different lawsuits have been […]
In His Place VIII Women in your wayward weeping Shed the tears that I am keeping. Let them fall like droplets seeping For my sake and my safekeeping. Women with your balming tears Heal the rift of sin-filled years. Calm the restless, extinguish fears, Mend your lesser fortunate peers. Women let you droplets flow For […]
The brief reflection below is based on a 3-Minute Lenten retreat brought to you by Loyola Press. At the bottom of this reflection is a link for you to access the retreat. About 10 years ago Sarah, my Downs syndrome daughter, was asked to the senior prom by Chris, a disabled boy she had known […]
Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey has introduced a bill to Oklahoma’s state legislature that has caused quite a stir. SB 1418 says it would ban any product for human “consumption” that contains aborted human fetal tissue or where the research or development of any of the ingredients required the use of aborted fetal tissue. Now, […]
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. ~ Psalm 130:3-4 I’m working on not being so judgmental. I wonder why I judge people, what the need is to reckon another person’s rectitude with God. It’s a […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23; Psalm 137:1-6; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) Thanking and Praising God for his Great Love and Mercy “God, who is rich in mercy.” (Ephesians 2:4) Heavenly Father, how great is your love! I am amazed at the depth of your mercy toward me. Your love […]
A Few Words on the Soul (Translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh) We have a soul at times. No one’s got it non-stop, for keeps. Day after day, year after year may pass without it. Sometimes it will settle for awhile only in childhood’s fears and raptures. Sometimes only in astonishment that we are […]
In one of his homilies, Fr. Mitch Pacwa of EWTN told the story of a group of seminarians who visited a silversmith to see how silver is refined so that they could understand better the references in Scripture about the necessity that we be refined like silver refined by a silversmith. The seminarians watched as […]
Saul Alinsky is alive and well in the political maneuverings of the secular left. The problem is, we all have the play book now. As most know, Rush Limbaugh has been under fire of late for comments he made about 30 year-old “reproductive justice” radical Sandra Fluke. Ms. Fluke recently gained national attention while testifying […]
Ever since the Obama administration chose to ramrod a policy that is anathema to Catholic doctrine, we have seen all sorts of machinations emanating from the media, twisting and mollifying the argument in order to remove clarity from exactly what it is Obama is attempting to do. We have heard that since so many Catholics […]
Forgive Me The old tangled bramble Stretched thorny arms one spring, Reflected on his gnarled life… Do I regret anything? I’ve sheltered fragile birds Within my thorny arms, Kept them from danger Kept them all from harm. A man came to the bramble With evil in his cold eyes. Roughly he chopped away. If he […]
If you’ve been on the internet in the past month, you’ve heard the accusation: Only men are opposed to contraception. No woman in her right mind would reject this blessing of modern technology, therefore, the only people against it must be men with nefarious motives. AlterNet editor Sara Robinson did an excellent job of articulating […]
Mormons like Glenn Beck and Senator Orrin Hatch have long given a high profile to this American-grown faith. And with Mitt Romney in the running for the Republican nomination, the question of exactly how to categorize Mormonism has become news. An Evangelical pastor who supports Rick Perry told reporters he thought Mormonism is “a cult”, prompting a […]
Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. (Luke 5:27-28) As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, […]
The United Nations top agencies are actively promoting two root causes of Asia’s massive gender imbalance, charged an expert on population policies this week during a UN women’s conference. Speaking on a panel during the UN’s annual Commission on the Status of Women, Dr. Susan Yoshihara identified three reasons for the “missing girls” phenomenon in […]
Every day we make several decisions. They range from making the decision to get out of bed in the morning instead of hitting the “snooze” button, to making some major decision. Whether we are talking about our finances or any other decision, how do we discern the will of God? In the Compass Catholic classes […]
Recently, I began corresponding with a young man who once walked down a dark, destructive path. Eric is sentenced to twenty years in a Jamestown, North Dokota prison for his third drug offense. He tracked me down through Ascension Press, the publisher of my co-authored Amazing Grace books. After reading Amazing Grace for Survivors and […]
In determining to fight President Obama’s famous—or should I say infamous?—contraception mandate, the American bishops, I suspect, were devoutly hoping two things would not happen. The first undesired outcome was that the issue would become politicized. The second was that it would be seen as an argument over contraception itself. Predictably perhaps, both have occurred, […]
Imagine someone coming up to you and without hesitation telling you: “I desire to save your soul.” This is exactly what St. John Bosco would do in his attempt to rescue the kids of Turin, Italy from the depths of despair. He would make his point very clear to the youths he would encounter in the […]
There are 61 employees who have had conversions and left their jobs in the abortion industry during 40 Days for Life campaigns. These journeys are never smooth. Many of these workers are uncomfortable about the peaceful prayer vigils outside their doors. They voice that discomfort regularly. In fact, staff members threaten to call the police […]
Even if you aren’t a Christian, even if you are an atheist, living together is NOT a good idea. Yeah, everybody is doing it now. It’s the norm. Who needs to get married when you have people ready and willing to move in with you? But, here’s why it’s not a good situation. First of […]
