A third-inning, bases-loaded double off Fenway Park’s Green Monster was the spark the Boston Red Sox needed to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 and clinch the World Series championship. The star who supplied that pivotal hit was right fielder Shane Victorino, who celebrated as he stood on the base by pounding his […]
The United Nations’ latest report on human trafficking should drive fear into our hearts and souls. But what exactly is this crime? According to the United Nations, the problem centers on the sexual exploitation of women and girls. The report was scoured in an effort to discover whether or not the United Nations was also […]
…Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, ‘When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a […]
It was one of the most heartwarming moments of the 2013 baseball season. On April 18, after a pep-talk from his “best friend and greatest batboy,” Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier ripped a two-run homer to center field off John Maine, extending the Reds lead to 11-1 over the Miami Marlins in the sixth […]
“It seems to me that a principal cause of the loss of faith is the dropping off in the practice of the family rosary … the abandonment of the family rosary is a main reason why so many Catholics have lost the faith…. the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those […]
One of the most challenging parts of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples — The Lord’s Prayer — comes near the end: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. That’s not necessarily meant to be a challenge on the surface. At first glance, it actually should bring us great joy. […]
Thomas Aquinas writes: …all goodness is pleasing to Him by nature, always and everywhere, whether it be in angels, in men, or in other creatures…Similarly all evil displeases God everywhere and always and in whatever it exists. Dads, do we delight in the accomplishments of our kids? I’m sure we do most of times. If […]
It was such a weird assignment. But, then again, it was a college sociology class, so that may explain a lot. Assignment? Deliberately do something counter to social mores, observe reactions of those around you, and write about it in your journal. One student – a middle-aged man with a large beer belly – went […]
Have you heard about how everything will be okay in this world once the Pope consecrates Russia to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, as stated by Our Lady of Fatima? Have you heard the latest revelation from Medjugorje? Maybe you wonder what the person calling themselves Maria Divine Mercy is saying. One thing is for sure: We […]
When the left stifles speech it is chic and heroic.
While some European ethicists and politicians have called for an end to the creation of “three-parent” IVF embryos, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced it is considering allowing the practice – without having held a public consultation. Researchers say that the technique “modifies standard IVF technology” to create an embryo from the eggs of […]
Russia, Ethiopia, Poland and others took the microphones at a meeting – webcast live from UN headquarters – to make clear that abortion and homosexuality are not international human rights. Diplomats especially chastised the UN’s human rights office for an obsession with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. Russia singled out a booklet produced […]
When I visited a fertility clinic for diagnostic tests a few years back, the place was packed to the gills. The nervous energy pulsed through the air as women considered investing their savings for treatments. But this isn’t just another infertility story. This one includes a miracle from an obscure Medieval saint: St. Leopold of […]
I’ve been traveling. A lot. Heaps, you might say, for those Down Under. I’ve learned three important life lessons in my travels this past three months during all the travel on which I’ve embarked for Little Flower Strategies. There’s been, in fact, more than three lessons, to be sure. Out of respect for your time, I’m […]
I visited St. Pius High School last week, located on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to teach about 100 students a sex education lesson focused on chastity. The headmaster of the school invited me to come give this lesson as the parents wanted teaching that reflects their traditional and faith values. Children in […]
When my fiancé and I were still just dating, we approached our priest and spiritual director and asked him how we might discern if we were called to marriage together. He leaned back in his chair and said, “You have to know how to pray, and what to ask when you pray.” Father went on […]
Halloween is the only time of year when adults take seriously the idea of spending a night in public as someone or something different. Whatever their reasons (e.g. cultural tradition, social engagement, etc.), they seem to revel in stalking the streets in costumes and cosmetics that they wouldn’t normally where in order to score some […]
“The communion of the holy”, one of the most beautiful aspects of our faith, as it was defined by Pope Francis, was the theme of the catechesis of this Wednesday’s general audience, which took place in St. Peter’s Square and was attended by more than 80,000 people. The communion of the holy consists of two […]
During testimony this morning before the House Energy & Commerce Committee, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she doesn’t know whether the administration can commit to ensuring that Americans seeking to purchase health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) exchanges can be told which plans do or do not cover abortion. Rep. […]
Not too long ago, I came across two seemingly different perspectives on the relationship between God’s action in our lives and our faithfulness. This question had been on my mind lately. After four years of infertility and now some roadblocks in the process of adoption, I’m starting to wonder “What gives?” I’m sure it’s a reflection […]
People have strong opinions. And with a strong opinion comes a definite sense of being right. Sadly, in the dating process, too many singles believe that they have not found love if they are dating someone who has different opinions. In other words, love is about having the same opinions. But love is the union […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 11:22–12:2; Psalm 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11–2:2; Luke 19:1-10) Loving Others as Jesus Has Loved You He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner. (Luke 19:7) When Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, he made it clear that it […]
