On March 8, feminists observed the centenary of International Women’s Day—a day when we remember the struggles of women in the fight against gender discrimination, and celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. I would like to dedicate this post to the smallest of women: those who have not […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 139:1-3,13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80) Being Filled with the Joy of the Lord The Lord called me from birth. (Isaiah 49:1) What do you think is the most amazing thing about John the Baptist? His zeal for the Lord? His passionate preaching? Maybe his […]
When the Obama administration made the decision not to exempt Catholic hospitals and universities from the mandate to provide insured employees with contraceptives, morning after pills, and sterilization without a co-pay, one of those consulted was Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. PP obviously has a special interest in having contraception covered, since dispensing contraception […]
Dear Anthony, I’m absolutely fed up! I’m done! I’m tired of the singles trap and everyone telling me it’s just not my turn yet! Why isn’t it my turn? Why must it take so long? I’m tired of being alone! I’m tired of having no one to share my life with! I’m trying not to […]
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:1-3) For as in one body we have many parts, and […]
Cat in an Empty Apartment Die—you can’t do that to a cat. Since what can a cat do in an empty apartment? Climb the walls? Rub up against the furniture? Nothing seems different here but nothing is the same. Nothing’s been moved but there’s more space. And at nighttime no lamps are lit. Footsteps on […]
Father’s Day invites us to ask a very important question – what does it mean to call God “Father?” Most of the great religions of the world believe in one God and teach the gist of the Ten Commandments. But that the supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” […]
Father’s Day, in the United States especially, has become a day to recognize the important place of dad. While the celebration itself may be focused on a Father’s Day card, a gift, or a special meal, at its heart is the recognition that a father plays a singularly important role in the life of a […]
10,000 Arrows A river of 10,000 arrows Pierce the heads and breasts Of the children Who stumble In torrential rains… Modern men Become kings And forget their sons Men who Seal their gold In vaults of steel… Money can be a trap Gold can cover the eyes And death will take it all O Man See […]
A groundbreaking study reveals that adult children of homosexual and lesbian parents experience far greater negative social, economic and emotional outcomes than children raised within intact biological families. The quality of University of Texas professor Mark Regnerus’ study highlights the deficiencies of previous studies that homosexual advocates have relied on to grant same-sex couples a right to […]
Do you want to rock the world? Like St. Francis who moved spiritual mountains and Mother Teresa who moved heaven and earth to serve the poor, we can change the world. We would not be here if God did not plan for just that. He put us here to make a difference in every walk […]
A recent headline proclaiming the great advances science has made in detecting genetic defects in preborn children sent a chill down my pro-life spine. Proclaiming the incredible news that a day is upon us when scientists will be able to run genetic tests that will identify more than 3,500 genetic irregularities, the reporter echoed a concern raised […]
A Heart on Fire: Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by James Kubicki, S.J. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2012 Sometimes people feel as if devotions such as that to the Sacred Heart went the way of the horse and buggy after Vatican II. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, […]
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education presaged “a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people.” Looks like the tide has rolled in. This week, proving just how accurate a predication that was, kindergartners in Brooklyn, N.Y., were forbidden from singing the patriotic […]
Cheery Beggar Beyond Mágdalen and by the Bridge, on a place called there the Plain, In Summer, in a burst of summertime Following falls and falls of rain, When the air was sweet-and-sour of the flown fineflower of Those goldnails and their gaylinks that hang along a lime; The motion of that man’s heart is […]
When I talk to my fellow Americans about biotechnology, they have this idea that all the bad stuff will happen in places like China and that the horrors of Huxley’s Brave New World will never happen here. Cloning, human genetic engineering and the like will happen somewhere else, but not in the good ol’ USA. […]
Summertime offers the perfect opportunity to get outside as a family and make exercise a fun experience. By taking part in physical activity together, you will be helping your children learn that fitness is about doing what you enjoy and doesn’t have to be a chore or involve a lot of time, expense and fancy […]
While 37-year old and five month pregnant Cao Ruyi has been allowed to return home due to the global public outcry against family planning officials of Changsha city, a U.S. based human rights group Women’s Rights Without Frontiers is reporting that another young woman, 7-months pregnant with her second child, received a forced abortion in the Ankang City of Zhenpin County. […]
LifeSite News recently reported that “the Democratic Party is already losing seats to Republicans, as a growing number of elected officials are changing parties over issues like the right to life, the definition of marriage, and the Obama administration’s mandate that religious institutions cover abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.” Among the most recent […]
In some ways I was fortunate. We received the diagnosis that my son has Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of Autism, after we had already been homeschooling for two years. Therefore, I never had to wonder if I could homeschool a child on the autism spectrum – I was already doing it! A diagnosis merely […]
In March of this year an article calling for the normalization of infanticide for any reason was published and created something of a stir. In the fluid dynamics of this election year, the malignancy of the article was quickly overtaken by other events, and it is worthy of a revisit in some detail, especially in […]
Metropolitan Hilarion, responsible for the external relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, pointed out the joint tasks of members of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches in a world characterized by materialism and consumerism at a meeting on Pentecost with the Executive President of the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). “We must […]
Reflections for Sunday, June 17, 2012 Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Mark 4;26-34; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:2-3,13-16 2; Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34) Trusting in the Lord’s Work in Our Lives “The seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) When you were a child, you may have been given […]
When I whip my phone out of my pocket, people who know me well are usually surprised. It’s not an iPhone. It’s not an Android. It’s not smart, actually. It’s pretty much a regular phone, the kind your junior high niece is stuck with until she can pay her own data plan. And you know […]
