According to Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue there have been 44 abortion clinic closings this year. That would drive the total number of clinic closings since 1992 close to 75% of that year’s total. That is a monumental achievement for the pro-life movement, the fruit of decades of hard work by thousands. For as monumental […]
There can be a fine line between loneliness and solitude. In solitude, there is a quiet joy — time spent by yourself in nature or at eucharistic adoration, an opportunity for contemplation and prayer and just basking in a peaceful presence. I love solitude. Like so many, however, I dread loneliness. And unfortunately, I have […]
In a rather tumultuous session yesterday morning, the plenary of the European Parliament decided by 351 to 319 votes with 18 abstentions to refer the controversial “Estrela-Report” (named after its author, the extreme left-wing MEP Edite Estrela from Portugal), back to the parliamentary committee it originated from. This is a resounding victory for the pro-life cause, given […]
One of the most hotly-contested passages in Catholic-Protestant dialogues is the “Upon This Rock” passage in Matthew 16:18. After the Apostle Simon confesses faith in Jesus as the Messiah (the Christ), Jesus says to him “And I tell you, you are Peter, [Petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church, and the powers of death [Hades] shall not prevail […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Sirach 35:12-14,16-18; Psalm 34:2-3,17-19,23; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14) Living a Life Grounded in Godly Humility The one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14) Self-confidence is a virtue in business, in our families, and in our parishes. Think about St. Paul. He was very confident […]
In the flurry of post-government-shutdown analysis, the talking heads are speculating about the demise of the Tea Party. According to the New York Times, “In the aftermath of the U.S. government shutdown and a close call with default, there is a political consensus among Democrats, many Republicans, establishment conservatives, business leaders and the inside-the-Beltway commentariat: […]
What does a saint look like? We have our preconceptions: Saints are serene, eyes cast downward, hands folded in prayer. Saints flash joyful smiles while reaching out to help the poor and needy. Saints stand bravely against the enemies of the Gospel, praying as the bullets or the machete or the poison claims their bodies, […]
The following interview/discussion took place between Abdallah and me from October 6-8, 2013. Abdallah is my Facebook friend from Cairo, Egypt. He is a software engineer and a supporter of the restoration of President Morsi. We met via the chat feature of an online chess program. (Published with Abdallah’s approval). Abdallah: Many times I keep […]
According to Statistics Canada, the years between 2010 and 2031 will see an accelerated rate in the aging population since this is the period when all baby boomers will have turned sixty-five. By the year 2036, between twenty-three per cent and twenty-five percent of the population will comprise of seniors aged sixty-five and over. The […]
At midday on Sunday the Pope appeared at the window of his study to recite the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square and, before the Marian prayer, he commented on today’s Gospel reading in which Jesus tells a parable on the need to pray, always and incessantly. “The protagonist is a widow […]
The lives of women have been so severely impacted by the dark side of contemporary culture that it’s hard to know where to begin to dig out of the lies. As with a ball of knotted twine, one needs to see the threads distinctly in order to separate and untangle them. Likewise, we need to […]
According to research published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, our teens may have more wisdom than we give them credit for when it comes to sex education. Most teens (94 percent) think that adults should inform them that they ought to wait to have sex at least until they get out of […]
When I first heard about the subject matter of Don Jon, a new film written by, directed by, and starring child-star-turned-very-successful-adult-star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I was thrilled. Gordon-Levitt was taking on porn addiction! Astoundingly, the very existence of porn addiction is often considered “controversial,” and is questioned as a true malady. Then I saw that Don […]
As the Year of Faith draws to a close, World Mission Sunday comes forward to help recharge our efforts to go forth and evangelize! So as we mark this yearly renewal, I’m seizing the occasion to revitalize the voice of one amazing catechist and missionary, Fr. John Anthony Hardon, S.J. You could say I’m doing a paper on a paper […]
Common sense is not the exclusive domain of any particular group of people, but in our day and age it seems to be about as prehistoric as the Tyrannosaurus Rex—especially when it comes to sex. What is common sense? Webster says it is “the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and to […]
“I’m delighted that Pope Francis has been garnering a great deal of news coverage,” Bishop David Kagan of the Diocese of Bismarck, ND said during a recent media day conference, “but his candor can be disarming to some. It is generating media coverage that often takes words out of context, then misleads people.” Kagan cautioned […]
“Hey Patti, I’m getting serious about praying for my family. I’m going to do a 40-day fast and daily rosary, do you want to join me?” My friend Shellie Rusch asked me this recently. She has six kids and we have a spiritual sisterhood in many ways. As a wife and mother of ten, I […]
Progressives have made idleness pay more than employment.
Were you wondering when Population Research Institute was going to create another awesome short video? Wait no longer! We at PRI released a fun and informational video today that explains how Plan B really works. The video uses state-of-the art cartoons to break down the complexities of pregnancy, illustrating how the drug affects ovulation, conception, […]
Thomas Aquinas writes: In God there is a primary perfection, which is that He never changes His nature. … Let us strive therefore to acquire a stability of spirit… God does not change. His ‘anger’ or ‘wrath’ we sometimes read about in Holy Scripture is not really God changing His mood or His feeling for […]
Light of Love is a new 60-minute documentary by Imagine Sisters. What, you ask, is “Imagine Sisters”? And whatever “Imagine Sisters” is, isn’t it bad syntax? “Imagine Sisters” is a movement (begun by Chicago seminarians—out of the goodness of their hearts and under the patronage of St. Therese) to encourage women’s religious vocations. “Imagine Sisters” […]
A number you never see on the nightly news.
