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That’s Cheating!

“Mom, that’s cheating!” our 15-year-old son reprimanded me. “Well, whatever works, right?” I tried to defend myself. “Yeah, but it doesn’t really count if you don’t do it on your own,” he insisted. “I still think it’s cheating.” “Fine. You can see it anyway you want, but I don’t see it as cheating so I […]

Do We Allow People to Change?

The other night, I had the pleasure of watching You Again, a fun, lighthearted comedy that will appeal to anyone who ever found herself at the bottom of the social ladder in high school. Featuring such stars as Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Kristen Bell, and Betty White, it explores what happens when women are […]

Reflections on Latin and the Catholic Church’s Memory and Identity, Part One

Part One, Latin and the Catholic Church: Recently I obtained the Latin text of Cardinal Lambertini’s (Pope Benedict XIV) treatise De Servorum Dei Beatificatione Beatorum et Canonizatione (“De Servorum”).  After going over a couple of passages of interest, I reflected upon the treatise itself.  My thoughts revolved around the place of the treatise in Catholic […]

Spring Cleaning

“Dear Karen, I’m so happy spring is in the air—I’m even looking forward to spring cleaning! At Home Made Simple this month, we’re enjoying the burst of energy and inspiration—and we hope you are, too. Best Wishes, Julie B.” And so begins another highly personal, newsy email from my overflowing inbox.  It was in good […]

Budget Tightening in Pennsylvania—and Around the Nation

Pennsylvania’s new governor, Tom Corbett, has submitted his first annual budget to the state legislature. It includes proposals for spending cuts and no new taxes. In some ways, the budget is a model of what must be done nationwide. Gov. Corbett also claims that it cuts spending, but that depends on how the numbers are […]

Weeping and Other Hysterics: Have Muslim Apologists Nothing More to Offer?

From Congressman Keith Ellison’s emotional breakdown to Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s accusations of “racism,” last week’s hearings on Muslim radicalization have made it clear that those who oppose the hearings have little of substance to offer. Still, the tactics used by such apologists—namely, appeals to emotionalism and accusations of racism—are influential enough that they need to […]

San Pietro in Vincoli

40 Days for Life — Day 6: 35 Lives Saved Already

by Shawn Carney, Campaign Director, 40 Days for Life When people hear about babies saved from abortion, it motivates them to trust God — and participate in 40 Days for Life.  After all, how often do you have an opportunity to literally help save a life just by peacefully praying? It’s already happened in this […]

Poem: “That Tsunami”

That Tsunami The wall of seas came rolling in Deliberate, unstoppable A massive wave of gray This is how the dead come forth From all their graves On Judgment Day  The weight of them, the mass of them Rolling on and on And who can hide The vanity of living things Illusion and the pettiness […]

Litany for Japan

Our Lady of Akita, pray for us. St. Peter Baptist, martyr and patron of Japan, pray for us. St. Francis Xavier, patron of Japan, pray for us. St. Paul Miki, martyr, pray for us. St. Anthony Dainan, martyr, pray for us. St. Anthony Ishida, martyr, pray for us. St. Francis Nagasaki, martyr, pray for us. […]

Do not hasten to bid me Adieu

I always find the lyrics of the song “Red River Valley” to be haunting and beautiful.  Written in Iowa, and making reference to frontier days, the song is often performed as a cowboy song.  The song makes reference to the frontier days in Canada, and an expedition through the Red River Valley of the north, and […]

San Giovanni in Laterno

Sacrosancta Lateranensis ecclesia omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput. Of all the churches in the city and the world, the Most Holy Lateran church is the mother and the head. This phrase is inscribed above the entrance to Saint John Lateran. Surely this is a mistake, right? Isn’t Saint Peter’s Basilica the mother and […]

The Great Deception

As I crossed the great divide of puberty, I formed a vivid image of God..  He was a grumpy old man on a throne with a frown on his face.  Every time anyone tried to have a little fun, he’d shout “Thou shalt not!” But to really live and not just exist, you had to […]

Quakes and Waves and Psalms

As someone new to praying the liturgy of the hours, I never before fully understood the place of the psalms in the prayer of the Church.  “In [Christ],” the Catechism says, “the psalms continue to teach us how to pray”, so much so that the Church calls the psalms a “school of prayer” (2587 and […]

Sant’ Agostino

Just a few blocks away from the craziness that is Piazza Navona sits the church of Sant’Agostino. Originally, the titular church of San Trifone sat nearby. The property was given to the Augustinians and construction on the current church, dedicated to Saint Augustine, began in 1296. Just a few short years later, in 1446, the […]

Humans Really Are Odd Beings

Adam and Eve really did have it easy.  They were so comfortable in their human skin.  More to the point, they were comfortable in their human skin which had a spiritual soul.  This did not seem odd or cause them any kind of dilemma, stress, or confusion.  They were created to be perfectly at ease […]

Understanding the Language of Lent

If you will, you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is […]

Fasting for Body and Soul

I long to take just one little bite as I watch the melted cheese slowly ooze out of the golden, toasted bread.  My children wait with eager anticipation for my famous grilled cheese sandwiches.  The clock reads 12:30, and today is Friday.  On my periodic fast days, I make it a priority to not eat […]

Our Liberty is What Makes Us Strong

In America, it’s easy to take freedom speech for granted.  After all, for citizens of the United States, free speech is a birthright, an ideal deeply woven into the fabric of society and culture.  Sometimes, however, our ideals come into conflict with reality, and our convictions are put to the test.  When a cherished liberty […]

The Tea Party vs. NPR

“The current Republican Party, particularly the Tea Party, is fanatically involved in people’s personal lives and very fundamental Christian,” said NPR’s Ron Schiller to two undercover reporters. “I wouldn’t even call it Christian; it’s this weird evangelical kind of [movement].” Not knowing he was being videoed, Schiller continued: “The current Republican Party is not really […]

Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Located a short distance from the Colosseum, Santi Giovanni e Paolo is our stop for today. Named for the martyrs of the fourth century, this church is dedicated to two wealthy brothers who served in Constantine’s court under his daughter, Constantia. She converted them to Christianity and they would host Christian rites here in their […]

Don’t Send PPC Click-Throughs to Your Home Page

Many sellers are latching onto the advantages of advertising their products with Pay Per Click ads  (PPCs) on the major search engines. PPCs are the paid ads that appear on a search results page. They are placed both above and to the right of the natural search results. These ads can be very effective in […]

The JP2 Generation Tells Its Story: Part One, Fr. Rich Toohey

Presented in cooperation with Greg Schlueter and JP2Journey.com: The JP2 Generation Tells Its Story,  remembering World Youth Day 2002 and the impact of Pope John II. Part one, Fr. Rich Toohey It was September 2001.  I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Erie four days before the horror of 9/11.  I was asked […]

Congressmen Introduce Religious Freedom Resolution Condemning Pakistan Assassinations

Following the murder of Pakistan Minister of Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti on March 2nd, Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC), co-chairs of the Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus, introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to take a definitive stance in protecting religious freedom and condemning the intolerance that sanctioned these murders […]