In the midst of the tumult in Wisconsin during Governor Scott Walker’s tenure, there have been ongoing “John Doe” investigations that were highlighted in the National Review last week that provoke big bipartisan questions about our nation’s police. What exactly do we want our modern police to look like? These investigations were prompted by a […]
I have to confess, I hadn’t heard of Sofia Vergara or her ex-fiance, Nick Loeb, until the frozen embryo custody battle broke in the news. For those, like me, who aren’t familiar with these two, Vergara is an actress, mostly known for her role in the TV show Modern Family, and Loeb is a businessman […]
CATHERINE, the daughter of a humble tradesman, was raised up to be the guide and guardian of the Church in one of the darkest periods of its history, the fourteenth century. As a child, prayer was her delight. She would say the “Hail Mary” on each step as she mounted the stairs, and was granted […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 9:26-31 2nd Reading: 1 John 3:18-24 Responsorial: Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32 Gospel: John 15:1-8 Allowing Ourselves to be Pruned by God, To Bear Fruit for his Kingdom Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. (John 15:5) A good […]
As they prepare to render a potential landmark legal decision on the issue of same-sex “marriage,” the Supreme Court’s justices made clear that their verdict will rest on a few questions: Is marriage based on biology or feelings? Who should decide whether to redefine an institution that stretches back for “millennia”? If justices begin tampering […]
Alpha and Omega Lord be the alpha and omega Of my moments this day. Be the beginning and end O my every thought, inclination and desire, The motus primo primi Of my life. Joann Nelander
CATHERINE, the daughter of a humble tradesman, was raised up to be the guide and guardian of the Church in one of the darkest periods of its history, the fourteenth century. As a child, prayer was her delight. She would say the “Hail Mary” on each step as she mounted the stairs, and was granted […]
IN 1205 the glorious martyr Peter was born at Verona, Italy, of heretical parents. He went to a Catholic school, and his Manichean uncle asked what he learnt. “The Creed,” answered Peter; “I believe in God, Creator of heaven and earth.” No persuasion could shake his faith, and at fifteen he received the habit from […]
Does the Bible still have relevance? All that guidance and those stories of 2,000 years ago and longer – do they mean anything today? They should, of course – especially the things Jesus taught. Loving God with every fiber of your being, loving your neighbor as you love yourself, forgiving countless times. Laying down your […]
Anne Morse also contributed to this article. I often come across persons who attempt to justify forced abortion, sterilization, and contraception because “We (that is, human beings) are destroying the planet”. They view people as pollution, and argue that it is necessary to violate reproductive rights to protect the planet from the beings who are […]
I have heard it frequently said that we must evangelize through beauty, and I wholeheartedly agree. My definition of beauty is a broad one. Actually, beauty has been of great interest to me since I was a child. I have always been able to see beauty in everyone, some feature, some sign, some unnamed energy even. Have […]
Few men have contributed so much to spread Marian devotion as Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. He was a popular and vigorous missionary from the west of France, who died at the age of 43 in 1716, exhausted by his sermons and his penances. His famous books such as Mary’s Secret or The Treaty of True […]
THE eighty-one years of this Saint’s life (1694-1775) were modeled on the Passion of Jesus Christ. In his childhood, when praying in church, a heavy bench fell on his foot, but the boy took no notice of the bleeding wound, and spoke of it as “a rose sent from God.” A few years later, the […]
Nigeria’s incoming president is disappointing pro-abortion advocates who met with him recently to demand more money. A coalition of family planning groups that promote and commit abortions gave Muhammadu Buhari a list of demands They complained that Nigeria’s pledge to spend $11.35 million annually on family planning commodities has “not been fully realized as promised” at […]
ZITA lived for forty-eight years in the service of Fatinelli, a citizen of Lucca. During this time she rose each morning, while the household were asleep, to hear Mass, and then toiled incessantly till night came, doing the work of others as well as her own. Once Zita, absorbed in prayer, remained in church past […]
Occasionally I am asked why I became a priest. My response is always the same: “Because God asked me to.” Is it really that simple? Basically, yes. Priests aren’t delivered by the stork, and we don’t fall from the sky. Well, in a way we do, because our vocation comes from on high. Ultimately a […]
ST. CLETUS was the third Bishop of Rome, and succeeded St. Linus, which circumstance alone shows his eminent virtue among the first disciples of St. Peter in the West. He sat twelve years, from 76 to 89. The canon of the Roman Mass, Bede, and other martyrologists, style him a martyr. He was buried near […]
ST. MARK was converted to the Faith by the Prince of the Apostles, whom he afterwards accompanied to Rome, acting there as his secretary or interpreter. When St. Peter was writing his first epistle to the churches of Asia, he affectionately joins with his own salutation that of his faithful companion, whom he calls “my […]
It’s not politically incorrect to believe in God. Just so long as you acknowledge that all are God’s children, and that there are many, equally honorable paths to the Most High. After all, that’s only fair. How conceited it would be to claim that your way is the only way. There is nothing really new about […]
If Granny were living in a civilized country rather than one that is hell-bent on ending lives and calling it a “choice,” there would be no need for such a provocative title. But this is America, friends, and many in our midst see things differently. Or maybe they just don’t see at all. It becomes […]
In a rare case of backroom pressure spilling onto the floor of a UN meeting, a delegate from the Pacific island of Nauru angrily scolded the UN Population Fund for “harassing” their government and “maligning” their UN delegation. “Does UNFPA think they can do this because Nauru is the smallest member state?” Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin […]
Prostitution Politics I live in a brothel, But I am not a whore. Personally opposed to impurity, I’m chaste to the core. I help with the auctions, But no slaves are mine. Opposed to such servitude, I try to be kind. Working at Auschwitz, Folks arrive every day. Personally opposed to holocaust, What else can […]
FIDELIS was born at Sigmaringen (southern Germany) in 1577, of noble parents. In his youth he frequently approached the sacraments, visited the sick and the poor, and spent many hours before the altar. For a time he followed the legal profession, and was remarkable for his advocacy of the poor and his respectful language towards […]
Presidential candidate Rand Paul made headlines last week by turning the rhetorical tables on Progressives on the issue of abortion. When pressed by the media to articulate specifically his position on abortion, Paul responded, “Why don’t we ask the DNC: Is it okay to kill a seven-pound baby in the uterus? You go back and […]
