This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortion. The bill , titled the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Disclosure Act of 2017” (H.R. 7), would amend federal law to make the Hyde Amendment permanent. Currently, the Hyde […]
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for United States UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, repeatedly asserted her pro-life views during her Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The South Carolina Governor promised to be a force for reform of the UN system if approved for the position. “I am strongly pro-life,” Haley said in response […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 8:23–9:3 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Responsorial: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23 The Power of Unity and Love in Healing Divisions in Churches and Families I urge . . . that you be united. (1 Corinthians 1:10) At the […]
The news media is just another arm of a politicized entertainment industry.
I woke up this morning. I could have instead been meeting my Maker, sautéing like a piece of human bacon in the eternal frying pan or dancing with angels. You must have woken too or you wouldn’t be reading this. Have you ever put much thought in that? Waking up in the morning is not even […]
You may have heard of sanctuary cities and thought the term only applied to a city that protects illegal immigrants. But if you thought that was the case, you would be wrong—at least when it comes to St. Louis, Missouri. According to a recent St. Louis public radio report: “Two St. Louis aldermen, in partnership […]
By Jaco Klamer Late last year, Ismail fled Mosul with his mother Jandark Behnam Mansour Nassi (55), the two having survived ISIS’ reign of terror for two years. From the safety of Erbil, Kurdistan, the Iraqi Christians, former residents of the town of Bartella, on the Nineveh plain, told their story to international Catholic charity […]
Each year at this time we look back over the past twelve months with an eye toward identifying those whose lives and work actively promoted and affirmed a truly human future, and those who did not. Winners: Stephanie Packer is more than a winner; she really is a hero. Sitting down with her while making […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Responsorial: Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10 Gospel: John 1:29-34 Seeing Jesus More Clearly, A Work of the Holy Spirit Behold, the Lamb of God. (John 1:29) Every Sunday, just before we receive the Eucharist, the priest […]
Rome is known as the Eternal City for good reason. One of the city’s ancient marvels is the Egyptian obelisk in Saint Peter’s Square, a block of marble as tall as a tree that weighs 330 tons. Erected as a monument to Pharaoh in 1850 BC, it stood watch over the whole of Egyptian history, […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6 2nd Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 Responsorial: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 The Importance of Listening to and Being Guided by the Holy Spirit The star that they had seen at its rising preceded them. (Matthew 2:9) The Magi certainly […]
Holding the UN more accountable isn’t just about using the power of the President and Congress to withhold funds—as past Republican administrations have rightly but perhaps restrictively tended to do. The incoming U.S. administration and Congress have an immediate opportunity for real UN reform, but it means reining-in an ever more intrusive UN bureaucracy, especially […]
Why isn’t this figure newsworthy?
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Numbers 6:22-27 2nd Reading: Galatians 4:4-7 Responsorial: Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 Gospel: Luke 2:16-21 Joining Mary in Pondering and Praising the Lord Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) On this New Year’s Day, you might say, […]
Looking to make the most of the new year? Thinking that your life needs an attitude adjustment but aren’t sure where to begin? The Best is Yet to Come: Living Fully in Each Moment by Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin (Sorin Books, 2016) offers a wonderful guide to squeezing the maximum amount of joy out of […]
Coming out of high school in 2012, Joe Burger was not offered a scholarship to Ohio State University. Undeterred, he worked hard at contributing to the team in any way he could. His work has paid off, as he was awarded a scholarship last year. And now the linebacker is a senior captain of the […]
Freedom is never free. The passing of Fidel Castro is a keen reminder that many liberties so often taken for granted in the West, even as they are rapidly diminishing in the face of radical secularism, are still not a given for many. For over 55 years, the Castro regime perpetrated numerous human rights abuses. […]
The Christmas Season is meant for inexpressible Joy. After all, Advent marks the coming of Jesus Christ to earth to save humanity from the penalty of sin and evil. It should be a joyous time as we contemplate this colossal event that was so immense that even the heavens were shaken and altered at what […]
By Father Ziad Hilal, S.J. ALEPPO, Syria–For the past few days, Aleppo city has been breathing sighs of relief. Since the rebels reached an agreement with the regime forces and its allies to evacuate all civilians and militants from their last stronghold in east Aleppo city, there finally can be some peace. From the very […]
While preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ this year, we must also think about the wonderful blessings that Joseph and Mary experienced when God chose them to be the parents of His Son. Mary, who was conceived without original sin, and Joseph, who was vowed to Mary’s virginity and to his role […]
Saint Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch overseeing 1st century Syrian Christians and was a disciple of the Apostle John. He wrote a letter to the Christians at Ephesus as he was being transported to Rome to face wild beasts in the arena. He said, “For our God, Jesus Christ, was conceived by Mary in accord […]
Pro-family leaders from around the world recently gathered in Cape Town, South Africa, to roll out and sign a declaration that aims to protect the family and traditional marriage. In its five short paragraphs, the Cape Town Declaration recognizes the family as the “first and primordial community” and “the bedrock of civil society.” It reaffirms […]
