Plan B (also known as the morning-after pill) was approved by the FDA at the end of the Clinton administration in 1999. Since 2009, it has been available behind the pharmacy counter without prescription for women 17 years of age and older. This week, the FDA considered a request from Plan B manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals […]
Wakes the Dead War will come again No one has abolished war And you are fit for service At home or in the field In the city street Or in the office The sweet wine of the past Gives heavy sleep and vivid dreams But the bitter cup forthcoming Wakes the very dead Pavel November […]
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his […]
Canada and the United States treat abortion on demand as a right. This is a recent development and an aberration from the course of human history. The Hippocratic Oath for doctors dating back thousands of years forbade abortion and euthanasia. Since the 1st century, the Catholic Church has unwaveringly maintained the moral evil of procured […]
Five years ago from my bed at Swedish Hospital, I wrote the journal entry below. It sounds a bit like goodbye-instructions, my last will and testament, a ‘please-raise-the-kids-right-when-I’m-gone’ plea. However there was no imminent danger of my death. On the contrary, we were awaiting the gift of new life. Though she wasn’t due for about […]
“Actions speak louder than words.” “A picture is worth a thousand words.” “Talk is cheap.” There are many sayings in the English language that generally express the same thing: words alone do not do the necessary job of communicating our thoughts and feelings, especially in the case of a personal message. “I love you,” for […]
Thanks to support from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a new diocesan center has opened in Novosibirsk, Siberia. The center is also a memorial to martyr Bishop Alexander Chira (pictured left). The Apostolic Nuncio to Russia, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovitch, Bishop Joseph Werth of Novosibirsk as well as the Catholic Bishops of […]
Mea Culpa! Mea Culpa! Mea Maxima Culpa! If I say I’m sorry, will I disappear Like the setting sun behind the mountains When it’s gone, it’s done The fiery sphere consumes no more Mountains swallowed it The highest peaks of faith and hope Glow with love reflecting Reflecting the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11; Luke 1:46-50,53-54 (Responsorial Psalm); 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-2) Advent: A Time to Testify to the Light of Christ, Not a Time to Quench the Spirit “He came … to testify to the light” (John 1:7) . How many times have you watched a TV courtroom […]
Righteous: acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin – according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is the exemplification of a justice The fundamental principle of justice—in law, in governing, in treating all peoples with equity—is the cornerstone of a humane society. It is important to understand […]
After doing my treadmill workout, I sat on the couch with my oldest son so we could go over some World Literature questions. We read through the poems, discussed them and, as happens many times in my homeschooling experience, we ended up on an entirely different topic. The poems were of a religious nature, but […]
The inevitable has happened. After weeks of steadily plummeting polls numbers and increasing political pressure, Herman Cain’s campaign has finally collapsed under the weight of multiple allegations of sexual infidelity. The general assumption is that Newt Gingrich will be the primary benefactor of Cain’s demise. Unlike the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO, Gingrich’s political star has […]
How to be a 24/7 Catholic! The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work, by Randy Hain, Liguori Publications, November 23, 2011 Reviewed by Mark Armstrong It is always interesting to see our Faith in action from those who arrive at Catholicism from a different Christian doorway. Randy Hain integrates his life choices beautifully […]
Even in the midst of our Advent preparations, many families are contemplating the annual Christmas gifting season. This year, there are ample opportunities to take advantage of online shopping resources in ways that will uplift your loved ones and at the same time support Catholic causes and merchants. It’s important when shopping online to always […]
One morning last winter I was driving my teenager to school and she asked me the question I had been dreading and avoiding . “Mom, did you wait?” I debated whether I should lie and preserve her image of me as a good example or tell the truth. I told her the truth. Not only […]
There are days and then there are days. Have you ever felt like there was so much to say and do, and not enough time, concentration, or energy to accomplish half of your expectations? Lately, during my daily chores, blog ideas, article notes, and lessons pop into my head and I rarely write them down. […]
Christmas is universal. “Behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…A Savior has been born for you” (Luke 1:10-11). Christ the Savior becomes man precisely for all who share human nature. He excludes nobody. The good news of Christmas is for all people of all times […]
Cowbirds Cowbirds chatter, black winged clouds, Thousands, fruit that sits in branches, Flocks that wheel above in crowds If this planet were a tree And there were far and near observers Would we seem the same as these? Cowbirds chitter, wheel and curse, Descend and roost where they find room, Cowbirds of the universe In […]
Nearly nine out of ten Americans oppose abortion for reasons of sex selection, but such acts of gender violence are neither illegal nor uncommon in our country. Permissive abortion laws and high-resolution ultrasounds make it easier than ever for parents to target and eliminate unwanted daughters (or sons) before birth. Until the recent spate of […]
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). “O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and Your mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can […]
Yes, the to-Santa vs. not-to-Santa debate within the realm of our Catholic Christian community is fresh, real and has turned heated. How did this develop? I believe that just as suddenly-well-meaning friends and acquaintances exhibit concern over homeschooled children ‘missing’ a grand social experience, as in some variation on the well worn and ever predictable: […]
A reader recently asked the following fantastic question about the Catholic Church teaching on embryonic stem cell research: While my views in connection with research are opposed to those of the Pope and the Catholic church, I am very open to dialogue. Simply for the sake of clarity (and not in any way seeking to […]
We Wise-men Three The rarity of that burning star, Object of my study for days, Beckoned my soul to a journey far, Beyond my imagining gaze. Embarking with convoy twenty strong, And the sole star ever in sight, I trespassed lonely deserts long, Still unsure of my flight. Not alone was I in my cosmic […]
The Way Stand straight up and then look down, It is a long way to the ground, Big we are the upright, proud, Deep the impact, long and loud Better not to be so tall That devastating is the fall, The arch of heaven curving near That we must stoop to enter, clear The narrow […]
