Rosaries and medals blessed by Pope John Paul II were given to young Catholics from persecuted countries at World Youth Day. Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which held an exhibition about Christian persecution as part of World Youth Day’s cultural program in Madrid, gave the blessed objects to visitors to the […]
The Weight The land Because of our cruelty Because of the martyrs of insolence Because of the children tortured, abused Because of the old ones abandoned, exposed Because of the massacres, dreadful slaughters Because of indifference to love and faith Will be wiped away clean Will be cleansed and scoured We are all as one […]
Does an armed plebiscite constitute an ethical tool of democracy? The victory of the rebels in Libya (August 2011) calls to mind the old controversy about revolution, and whether citizens can rightly rebel against their long established government. Insofar as the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi escalated into six months of civil war, Libya (as distinguished […]
After receiving a threat from al Qaeda for making fun of Muslim terrorists on the “Late Show,” David Letterman has gone mum. Catholic League president Bill Donohue recommends he issue the following statement immediately: Though I never mentioned Muslims or Islam in my June 8 monologue, I received a serious death threat from al […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2-6,8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) Allowing Our Minds to be Renewed by the Holy Spirit “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matthew 16:23) Can you imagine being in Peter’s position? Jesus just called you the rock on […]
Chapter 2 Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant The meaning of Sacred Scripture has been placed there by the Holy Spirit. This has been done in such way that we will never be able to plumb the depths of wisdom that can be found in the Bible. With the eyes of faith we are […]
President Obama’s tour through the Midwest in a coal-black Darth Vader-mobile begs comparison with past presidential excursions. I’m thinking of those made by presidents Harry Truman and Woodrow Wilson. First, the president repeated his Trumanesque mantra about his version of a “do-nothing Congress,” dominated by a minority who put the good of the party above […]
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus […]
Here’s a fact that was not lost on my teenage daughter: The infamous debt-ceiling deal doesn’t actually reduce much of our debt until she finishes high school, graduates from college, and has potentially purchased a minivan and a pair of mom jeans. Did I mention she’s just about to start ninth grade? “Wait,” my daughter […]
I’m an animal lover. At this time, two dogs, a cat, and a hamster are part of our family. For ten years, I’ve uplifted the spirits of nursing home residents and staff by bringing dogs in to visit. My kids and I regularly witness the power of our furry friends. At one nursing home, there […]
This summer brought with it the recurrence of America’s fascination with all things Parisian. Actually, it is more than fascination and more like a deep romance which persists over time, only slightly diminished by the ebb and flow of diplomatic relations between the two great but, really, not so different U.S. and French republics. In […]
There’s an art to the way one lives one’s life. Perspective, serenity, openness to beauty, the ability to see goodness in things – these qualities are only possible when one is in balance. And right now film director Gavin O’Connor is in balance, though perhaps a precarious one, pulled as he is in so many […]
Bravado from Exodus 2 What a beautiful baby brother you have to hide among the reeds along the river where you’ve seen Pharaoh’s daughter bathe, splashing water against her kind kohl-lined eyes. You’ve noticed her before, haven’t you, Miriam, as you’ve gone outdoors to play? Did you watch her as you gathered papyrus reeds to […]
Five Sons Today five sons Served on the altar Determined boys Who would not falter. Boys at home Who fight and shove But on the altar Assist with love. At home shouting From top of lung On the altar Latin’s sung. At home running Can’t sit still. On the altar Disciplined will. At home throwing […]
The Cage The trees were steel And the ax of wood In the desert of God Where Jesus stood Cut down this forest Satan said And use the steel To bake our bread And when you have This ration baked Prove yourself Your own namesake Throw yourself From wall to rock If angels are Your […]
We Christians – all of us, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox – need an effective rebuttal to the harmful anti-church insistence that Thomas Jefferson, writing in his capacity of President, held that the Constitution forbade any religious expression in any public place. We have often argued correctly that when Jefferson said “church” he meant either a […]
How “Complicit” is the UN in Asia’s Sex Selective Abortion Crisis? A new book has raised hackles among abortion advocates about just how much the UN Population Fund is to blame for more than 160 million missing girls in Asia: aborted in the quest for sons. Mara Hvistendahl’s Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the […]
If we were to really take an honest look at our lives, we would probably be struck by how far we still have to go in the spiritual life. For one seeking to grow spiritually there is no such thing as good enough. No matter how good others think we are we will always see that we still […]
Everything A swarming of ants Bellies drawn low As the small wings beat Seeds of the maple Unbalanced in weight Spin and fall The dome of eternity Everything All Pavel April 29, 2011
When Saint Paul met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus he was about thirty years old. Paul was the son, as he testified in his own letters, of a Pharisee, who also was the son of a Pharisee. Circumcised eight days after his birth according to the Law of Moses, Paul came from a […]
For those of us decrepit enough to remember the original* made-for-TV Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston (human) and Roddy McDowell** (ape), Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a high-tech, far cry from the DISCOUNT HALLOWEEN COSTUME STORE RUBBER-MASKED primate sci-fi drama. Rise is about Big Pharma and Big Research and Big […]
Full text of the Pope’s address to young professors Dear friends, I have looked forward to this meeting with you, young professors in the universities of Spain. You provide a splendid service in the spread of truth, in circumstances that are not always easy. I greet you warmly and I thank you for your kind […]
The price of gold has gone on a tear this summer, from slightly under $1500 per ounce to well over $1800 per ounce, and it looks like it wants to go higher. What gives? Well, if you bought gold last spring, you’re looking pretty smart. And if you bought gold a decade ago at $300 […]
It was with a heavy heart that I read a recent article in the New York Times about an expectant mother’s decision to have one of her twins killed in utero. The sadness that this entire episode evokes is compounded by the reality of how America came to a place where such a story could be […]
