Helen Keller was deaf and blind from early childhood, yet she became one of the great humanitarians of the 20th Century. When news of her death in 1968 came over the radio, I remember my father said, “There goes a great person.” I was fifteen years old at the time and too self-absorbed to care […]
The current crisis in marriage and family life arises from “a cult of momentary well-being,” stated Cardinal Peter Erdö, the relator general of the 2014 Synod of the Family. In his opening speech, one which traditionally sets the tone for the whole synod, the Cardinal emphasized that “many look upon their lives not as a […]
We all know that the lyrics of rock music are often morally offensive; however, evidence is appearing which indicates that rock music itself may be harmful regardless of the lyrics. Although studies of the harmful effects of rock music are hard to find, there is a growing concern that there is something about the beat […]
At age 16, life was about rock ‘n roll. If my own band was not performing on Saturday night, I was out in the audience, watching another band. It would have never occurred to me to spend my Saturday nights at a Catholic conference or retreat. True, no matter how late I was out, I’d […]
Pope Francis called all Christians to unity during His General Audience Catechesis. He challenged us not to remain resigned to this division, but to take the step towards reconciliation and full communion. “Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou has given me, that they be one, even as we are one,” (John 17:11) […]
In my previous articles on marriage (part1 and part2), I offered some thoughts courtesy of Archbishop Sheen on the male and female relationship, and our unique perspectives regarding marriage. St. John Paul II also has some remarkable things to say that may add greater depth. In his great work on The Dignity and Vocation of […]
It’s a familiar ritual. The media response to the latest UN population projections splits between casual interest and panic with a heaping side dish of policy recommendations. To the alarmists, the prospect that population growth may stabilize after the year 2100 instead of before represents a call to action. At a press conference, UN official […]
In the Foreward to Three Moments of the Day by Fr. Christopher Collins, Fr. James Kubicki reminds us that “every precious moment of time has eternal significance, either contributing to the salvation of our neighbor or not.” Given that each moment of our life has this eternal value, how do we make the most of […]
In 2013 the Texas legislature passed, and Governor Rick Perry signed, enormously significant pro-life legislation that helps to protect the unborn child and the health of the mother of the unborn child. The law prohibits the killing of the unborn after 20 weeks gestation, requires any physician performing abortions at abortion facilities in the State […]
Most Catholic parents have had to take an embarrassing walk to the back of church with small children who can’t quiet down. So, what might parents of small children, and those who are bothered by small children, do in these situations? From the perspective of others at Mass My family is at the stage where […]
I did not want to see The Good Lie. It was assigned to me by my boss at LifeTeen, Christina Mead (benign dictator). I thought: I already know all about the “Lost Boys of Sudan” (young men who were forced to be child soldiers when their parents were murdered during the civil war). Many sad, […]
He was a pro-life champion. He was a great supporter of EWTN and Mother Angelica. He was a huge booster for Franciscan University. He was a tireless therapist/spiritual director/advocate for priests in trouble. He was a lighthouse for fidelity and truth in the faith during the tumultuous 60’s and 70’s. He was co-founder of Good […]
Dear Anthony, I’m getting married soon and I wanted to find out exactly how NFP works, since that’s what the Church recommends. I have saved myself for my husband and remained pure. I want to enjoy sex without the worries of getting pregnant right away. I want my husband to enjoy sex too, so NFP […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14) Accepting Jesus’ Invitation to Say Yes to Him Cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. (Matthew 22:13) How crowded is heaven? How about hell? Theologians have debated this question for […]
We are not to lose hope even in the face of the nightly evening news. We have Jesus and all the treasures of the Catholic Church. And on October 7, we have the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of Victory. This feast is not just an example that […]
“It is time to cancel” the annual bi-partisan charity event known as “the Al Smith Dinner and all the other ‘Catholic’ traditions that have been hijacked by the world,” recently asserted Msgr. Charles Pope in a column that was quickly removed from the official website of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.. “In the old days […]
The idea of home, of a sense of place, is a vital thread in conservative thought. It’s crucial to the conservative emphasis on community, family, and local institutions. Yet amid the incessant discussions on this theme, it’s easy to forget how such a basic good as a literal home is unobtainable for so many homeless […]
Ideas are roads to conclusion, and conclusions lead to policies.
The church on earth lost a great spiritual leader this past Friday night, October 3. On the very same day that St. Francis of Assisi died back in 1226, a priest who lived and taught the Franciscan spirituality and in fact founded a new community based on that spirituality, was called home to the Lord. […]
A recent Pew study made headlines last week, revealing that “as values, economics, and gender patterns change . . . the share of American adults that have never been married is at an historic high.” According to the report “adults are marrying later in life, and the shares of adults cohabiting and raising children outside […]
The words “Contraception is a pillar in reducing adolescent pregnancy rates” sound eerily like a promotional ad by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. But that is not where these words are found. Rather, they are part of the introduction to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The policy statement goes on […]
I’m not asking for a perfect president.
One aspect of the Catholic religion that many non-Catholics don’t understand is our devotion to the saints. Many of our ‘separated brethren’ can’t comprehend our veneration of the Roman Church’s holiest members. Some think that we worship them and regard us as idolaters. This isn’t true: we believe in one God which we profess every […]
A few years ago, I toured northern England. There, stretching 73 miles from coast to coast, the Roman Emperor Hadrian built a massive wall. Constructed of stone, it was built to last, since it marked the northernmost boundary of the greatest empire the world had ever known. Soldiers from every corner of the world were […]
