Here it is again. That nasty theory that certain populations (i.e. people of color) need to be culled at any cost, using “drastic” measures, is being touted on the webpages of the respected journal Foreign Policy. The excuse this time is to reduce terrorists. And the target is people in Mali – the very people […]
Last fall, Pope Benedict XVI announced a special set of indulgences for the Year of Faith, which ends on November 24, 2013. During that time, Catholics may obtain indulgences on the usual conditions if they perform one or more of several acts of faith and charity devoted to the Second Vatican Council, which the Year […]
On January 16, in preparation for the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the Pew Research Foundation issued the results of a 1,502 person survey dealing with abortion and the attitudes of those surveyed. The findings are of interest for many reasons, including the level of ignorance that has overcome the discussion of decriminalized abortion over the course […]
Despite the genuine good will of many of those who work to create equal opportunities for men and women, it cannot be ignored that there are more insidious ends in play by feminist ideologues. Historically, there has been a close working relationship between Marxist and feminists, and thus the dialectic used to understand economic history […]
True story. Hand to God. An acquaintance was having neighbor trouble. As often happens, things escalated rather quickly. What had begun as an issue where two sides were taking tough stands and no one was willing to budge swiftly careened into a legal battle. The acquaintance—a woman of great faith who diligently tried to live […]
“Theological courage calls the inner-man to ignore his buckling knees and take theologically driven stances that, while potentially controversial, are righteous in nature.” So write Owen Strachen and Andrew Walker in a recent article discussing Hobby Lobby’s stance against Obamacare’s onerous trampling of religious liberty. The idea of martyrdom, be it physical, social, or […]
The decision is being called Latin America’s Roe v. Wade A few days before Christmas, the inter-American Court of Human Rights (IAHR Court) issued the worst judgment in its history. The case concerned Costa Rica’s law banning in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, but the judgment went far beyond this. The IAHR Court’s decision severely limited the […]
Paul Ryan says it’s going to happen, the sequestration, that is. One can hardly imagine any alternative scenario, in which Democrats and Republicans work it all out, and come out singing Kumbaya with a deal to avert the workings of the automatic cuts, share and share alike, to domestic and defense discretionary spending. Certainly, it would be better a) […]
In Australia, IVF clinics are reporting that the number of older, single, heterosexual women using donor sperm to conceive a child has increased by 10% in the past three years. This trend is particularly pronounced in Victoria where it is no longer illegal for single women to undergo IVF if they are not medically infertile. They […]
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” – Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” – NLT “With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life” – NAB “Keep your heart with all vigilance, […]
Last week at a speaking engagement in Illinois, I asked my audience of parents to tell me about their kids. Not just “tell” me about them, but brag. I gave them permission to boast. Pull out the smartphone, if they wanted, to show off the photos. I had to cajole them into doing it. Hard […]
Many of you probably read the recent heartbreaking news of Marc and Eddy, deaf twins who requested, and were granted, euthanization in Belgium after discovering they were going blind.Later this year, Belgium’s ruling party is set to consider allowing the euthanasia of children and Alzheimer’s sufferers. This news was on my mind recently when I read about Robert Gleason, […]
All methods of modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) rely on observation of changes in a woman’s body as it makes its way through the monthly menstrual cycle. These observations determine when sexual intercourse can/should take place – depending on whether one is trying to achieve or postpone pregnancy. Two of the primary signs are cervical […]
Having just viewed Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” and knowing that Lincoln’s birthday is approaching, it seemed fitting to ponder one of Lincoln’s most famous speeches, and perhaps a lesson for Americans today. On June 17, 1858, Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” address while being nominated to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. Lincoln […]
In recent years same-sex marriage proponents and groups claiming a host of new international LGBT rights have been able to make even international law somewhat interesting. It is no secret that International law is not terribly exciting – reading the minutes of a meeting of the UN International Law Commission or an international human rights body is […]
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C There is a myth that we must lay to rest, once and for all — the myth that Protestants are all about the Bible, while Catholics are all about the Sacraments. While I can’t speak for my Protestant brethren, I can say this with certainty: the Catholic Church […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19; Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:31–3,13:13; Luke 4:21-30) Receiving God’s Love and Giving it to Others “Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8) Addressing the fractious Corinthian church, Paul urged the believers to “strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31). He even told […]
An item came to my attention today in my daily inspection of the internet, asking a very pertinent question. And though I’m sure it was meant rhetorically, I thought I’d have a go at answering it. A short piece, clearly published in answer to the hundreds of thousands gathered this week on the Washington Mall demanding […]
I attended two New Year’s events this season that featured bonfires. At each gathering, we were encouraged to say goodbye to anything negative that happened in 2012 by burning lists or symbolic items. These annual cleanses resonated with me because I believe that God taught me some huge business and life lessons last year. I […]
Standing outside of an abortion clinic is not a pleasant experience. No matter how many friends or family members are there praying and helping to counsel women close by, the thought of innocent lives being ended in the building right behind you is inescapable. Sometimes it can seem like no one is even listening, and […]
![Sides of the Same Coin: St. Angela Merici and [Sister] Adele Brise](http://www.catholiclane.com/wp-content/uploads/St.-Angela-Merici-150x150.png)
This year January 27th falls on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. Ordinarily the Catholic Church would celebrate the memorial of St. Angela Merici, an Italian saint on this date. When I first heard the story of St. Angela Merici in the college seminary, I was struck by the similarities St. Angela shared with [Sister] […]
At Home When I was dead, my spirit turned To seek the much-frequented house: I passed the door, and saw my friends Feasting beneath green orange boughs; From hand to hand they pushed the wine, They sucked the pulp of plum and peach; They sang, they jested, and they laughed, For each was loved of […]
Straight from My Heart is a collection of fifteen short stories and seventy-three poems, approximately chronological, with each story being independent and individually rewarding. Yet all of the pieces collectively draw the reader to something larger. The stories are engaging, at times fascinating, and always thoughtful. Patricia Devlin’s stories follow an autobiographical journey through the […]
