Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10 2nd Reading: Hebrews 1:1-6 Responsorial: Psalm 98:1-6 Gospel: John 1:1-18 Seeing God’s Humility and His Plan for Us in the Birth of Jesus The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14) The date: December 1223. The place: […]
In the classic Christmas film “It’s a wonderful life” George Bailey is an honest man living in small town whose life seems so desperate that he contemplates suicide. George’s guardian angel intercedes as he prepares to jump from a bridge showing him how dark the world would have been if he had never lived. The […]
Adoration: The intense and greatest admiration culminating in reverent worship of the divine. Acts of homage in words of praise, prayer or gifts that express the adoring attitude of the creature in the presence of his Creator. The expression of the soul’s mystical realization of God’s presence (Smith’s Bible Dictionary, 1901). There is just one […]
The following report is written by an Aleppo-based Jesuit priest, who preferred to remain anonymous. Dec. 8, 2016 In the last few days the news has come in thick and fast. The government forces have been retaking the zones that it has lost control of ever since 2012. The people here are hoping this military […]
On November 10, the Conseil d’Etat ruled it “inappropriate” to show happy children with Down syndrome on TV, as that sight could “trouble” women who chose not to give birth to their disabled children. With this pronouncement, the French judges upheld a previous decision by the CSA (“Conseil Supérieur de l’audiovisuel” – equivalent of the […]
Banning Christmas Trees The public display of Christmas trees might hurt someone? The only people who ever claim that a Christmas tree inflicts emotional damage are the Christian haters. They would have been the ones that showed up at the Roman coliseums to watch Christians get eaten by lions. If these people are disturbed by […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14 2nd Reading: Romans 1:1-7 Responsorial: Psalm 24:1-6 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24 Allowing the Coming of Emmanuel, God with Us, to Change Our Lives They shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23) “Emmanuel.” You can imagine what that […]
For too long the answer to making childbirth less dangerous has been to urge women to avoid it. The family planning establishment, backed by powerful Western governments, has saturated the global market for contraception, yet more than 300,000 women still die every year in childbirth. It is time to release the stranglehold that family planning […]
Dear Editor, I am in my 70th year. Some of my little-minded bitter friends rejoice that America will be no more because it has been fundamentally changed. I, and many of my friends, served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. My Dad, who crossed the English Channel 70 times on a non-tourist visa, […]
How could it have happened in Canada? At the beginning of the 20th Century, we were a Christian nation, but within 100 years we were a secular nation. We now are even seeing social policy that is anti-Christian by design or in its application. Nowhere is this more evident than in how the most vulnerable […]
On the third Sunday of Advent, penitential purple gives way to pink and we celebrate “Gaudete” or “Rejoice!” Sunday. “Rejoice heartily in the Lord, says Isaiah” (61:10). “My Spirit finds joy in God my Savior,” says the Virgin Mary (Luke 1: 47). “Rejoice in the Lord always,” says St. Paul (I Thes. 5:16). “Make straight […]
Shortly after I got married, a good priest gave me some sage advice: look at all your daily frustrations as a source of holiness. Later that day, my husband did something that irritated me, so I said to him through clenched teeth: “You are making me so holy right now.” Of course, this made us […]
“I am the Immaculate Conception.” These are the words our Blessed Mother spoke to young Bernadette Soubirous when she appeared at Lourdes in 1858. On December 8th, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, yet it often seems to leave many people confused. What exactly are we celebrating on this holy day? Contrary to […]
With all the fluff and noise about the elections, two reports came to my attention recently that may have missed your roving review of the news. We have learned that in the Netherlands the government will kill you at your request, even if what you’re suffering from is alcoholism or depression. One report reveals that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 2nd Reading: James 5:7-10 Responsorial: Psalm 146:6-10 Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 Activating Your Spiritual Instincts They will see the glory of the Lord. (Isaiah 35:2) Do you want to see “the glory of the Lord” this Advent? Of course you do! […]
The biggest names in international abortion advocacy are looking for ways to convince the incoming Trump administration not cut their funding by reinstating the 1984 Mexico City Policy. The policy requires that grantees of US foreign aid for family planning do not perform or actively promote abortions. It was rescinded under Democratic administrations and reinstated […]
A question that occasionally comes up when the topic of single Catholics is raised has to do with priorities. Some would say that the Church is too busy addressing the many moral evils in today’s society to be concerned with single people. This line of thinking, however, prevents the Church from seizing a great opportunity. Assisting […]
There is much debate since the presidential election about the status of sanctuary cities across our country. “Sanctuary city” is a name given to a city in the United States that follows certain procedures that shelter illegal immigrants. A sanctuary can be defined as “a place of refuge and protection,” and sanctuary cities claim to […]
DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER! GIVES TOO MUCH AWAY! Don’t Breathe is a much ballyhooed suspense-thriller from 38-year-old Uruguayan horror-meister, Fede Alvarez, that I was very eager to see. I don’t do straight-up horror/slasher films, but I could tell that Don’t Breathe had more of the air of a thriller, and I wasn’t wrong. It’s […]
A three-year campaign to have the General Assembly endorse “comprehensive sexuality education” programming fizzled out during negotiations this year. Sponsors of the annual General Assembly resolution on the “Rights of the Child” did not include “comprehensive sexuality education” in the draft resolution that is being considered for adoption, resulting in a kind of ceasefire on […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10 2nd Reading: Romans 15:4-9 Responsorial: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Being Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11) In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul […]
For sports fans and road trippers a visit to Canton Ohio is sure to feature a stop in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where much-loved teams are enshrined for their Super Bowl wins and their grid-iron greats. Just an hour’s drive southeast of Cleveland, Canton also boasts one of the largest US Presidential tombs […]
“Do old men have dreams?” asked Jeanette as she watched her 88 year old father through the window of the cottage they rented for a week in the Rocky Mountains. Bill Richards was standing alone on the deck looking across a pristine aqua-marine lake after a rainstorm. It was dusk and a beautiful rainbow arched […]
