This evening on Facebook, someone posted one of those reassuring Pinterest boards that read, “Sometimes in life we just need someone to be there for us. Someone who will listen. Someone who will understand us.” In past years, I would have grabbed onto this one and held tight. But I’ve come to believe that when we […]
The migration of Christians out of Iraq will accelerate. This was the view held by the head of the Chaldean-Catholic Church, Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako. In an interview with the international Catholic pastoral charity, Aid to the Church in Need given on Saturday, June 28th in Ankawa, near Erbil, he said, “When I was […]
The 2013 film (now on DVD and Netflix) The Jewish Cardinal is the life of the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, Aaron Jean-Marie Lustiger who died in 2007. May I say that this is the most tastefully, smartly irreverent life of a prelate ever on film? Jewish filmmaker, Ilan Duran Cohen, gets both Judaism and Catholicism […]
It’s been a week since the Supreme Court issued their ruling on the Hobby Lobby case, and there appears to be no end in sight to the Left’s outrage over the outcome. As expected, given the controversial nature of the issue at hand, most of the ire is reflexive and purely visceral. It’s unlikely that […]
The theme my personal website, www.eisenbath.com, is “Hope.” Simple in many ways, so elusive for people in others. When I need some fresh inspiration, I often will roam around looking for interesting thoughts from a variety of sources. Recently, I ran across this: An old horse, an old dog and an old farmer have much in […]
I could be having a great day and a nasty exchange on the Internet will always bring me down. Whether I am involved or not, uncivil discourse sucks the joy out of the Internet for me. I suspect it does for most people who are not secret psychopaths. I am especially discouraged when I see […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65:10-14; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23) Allowing the Scriptures to Transform Us and Bear Fruit in Our Lives My word … shall not return to me void. (Isaiah 55:11) A farmer is very careful during planting season. He selects the best seeds, chooses the most […]
It never ceases to amaze me that in the 21st Century there are still people who pose the ridiculous question: “When do you think life begins?” Quite frankly, it does not matter when you or I think life begins: Biology established long ago – before abortion on demand became legal in Canada – that human […]
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good to edify him. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. For whatever was […]
Last week, the United States Supreme Court decided Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, and ruled the federal government could not require closely-held corporations to provide no-cost contraception for their employees. Although that was the question before the Supreme Court, there were many things the Supreme Court didn’t have the jurisdiction to rule on yesterday. And the […]
The recently released working document for this October’s Extraordinary Synod on the Family presents a remarkably candid view of the troubles besetting Catholic marriages and families today. Young people are frequently afraid to commit. Marriage preparation is often seen as a useless obligation. Ignorance of Church teaching is widespread. Few understand that using contraception is sinful. Many […]
Remember when social media fasting was trending during Lent? My big undertaking for Lent was to fast from Facebook, and though it wasn’t complete, it was my first attempt and pretty strict. It was such a huge change for me that months later, I’m still processing the experience and reaping rewards from the fast. My […]
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2. As a Christian, I’m quite familiar with this passage, and always took it as an admonition against the kind of […]
On social media as in your dining room or your workplace, you are guaranteed to encounter people who test your patience. We are, as Catholics, commanded to love all people. There is no exclusion in Scripture or Tradition for jerks. There is no asterisk that features an addendum explaining that I am not required to […]
The United Nations put a damper on “gay pride” festivities last Thursday when it re-affirmed that the natural family is the fundamental unit of society. The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on “Protection of the Family” with a traditional definition of the family last Thursday, even as revelers readied themselves to celebrate gay pride […]
Why do we go to Mass? While this might seem like an easy question, try and figure out a way to describe why we go to Mass in a quick and easy fashion. Traditionally, it is said the point of Mass is fourfold: that of adoration, reparation, intercession and thanksgiving. To anyone well versed in […]
I once knew a woman who called herself “a recovering Catholic.” It seems that as a child, she was taught a religion that was all about guilt. Impossible demands were placed on her requiring strenuous efforts that were doomed to frustration. Turn the other cheek. Don’t even THINK about romantic flings. Love your enemies. Attempting […]
The routine and ritual of the Sunday mornings of my childhood are forever etched into my memory. My siblings and I looked forward to Saturday night sleepovers at my Italian-immigrant Grandmother’s house and on Sunday morning we awoken to the smell of frying meatballs and simmering sauce. Hand in hand, we walked with my Grandmother […]
I met this young man a few months ago on a flight to give a talk in the Midwest. Ironically, my talk was on marriage and family and the inherent call within each to “man up” or “woman up” respectively. I asked him if he really believed the sad vibe his shirt was proclaiming. “Nah,” […]
There are many and varied images that we see of Jesus Christ. One that seems to cause the greatest curiosity may be the Sacred Heart image. This is the image where Jesus is pulling back his cloak to reveal his heart which is flaming and surrounded by a crown of thorns. Jesus appeared to St. […]
If you are like me (you probably aren’t) and have your google alerts set for “egg donation,” “sperm donation,” and “surrogacy,” you will have seen that it was a bad press week for the field of reproductive medicine. Here are several stories that caught my eye. Risks to Mother and Child The Daily Mail reports […]
Today in St. Matthew’s Gospel, we see how Jesus gets to the bottom of our troubles, both big and small. When He enters the town of Gadara, He drives out the horrible demons from the two possessed men, and by doing so, allows the passersby who were held up by all the violence to get […]
For many years Jim Sedlak and his battalion have worked tirelessly to end the Planned Parenthood reign of terror. Among the many ways he has led is through his hundreds of talks, his commitment to educating parents, and his devotion to prayer, particularly through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So it came as […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion(Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; Romans 8:9,11-13; Matthew 11:25-30) Following Jesus with Greater Zeal and Excitement You have revealed them to the childlike. (Matthew 11:25) Life is an adventure for little children. If you give them a present, they might play with the wrapping paper or the box it […]
