Category

  I am increasingly persuaded that we find the best example of friendship in the Old Testament in the Book of Job (not in the stories of David and Jonathan). Job has three friends who, when they hear about his calamities, arrange to go together to him. They intend to be with him... Read More →

    Because Catholics celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, the whole month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. Originally called the feast of “Our Lady of Victory,” it was established by Pope St. Pius V to celebrate the defeat of invading... Read More →

    One of the nicest surprises I received as a young priest came from a parishioner I had visited in the hospital. A few days after she returned home, she and her husband stopped by the rectory with a gift for me—a brand-new piece of luggage. I was very touched by her... Read More →

    I wish to remind Christians that acknowledging the humanity of the unborn child is at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. In the Roman Lectionary for Sunday, September 22, 2024, we encounter what could serve as the signature pro-life passage of the New... Read More →

  The following prayer was written by Rev. Timothy Whitaker (1948-2024), who served as bishop of The Florida Area of The United Methodist Church. In 2001, Bishop Whitaker published this prayer in The District Beam (newsletter, January/February) while he was the Norfolk (VA)... Read More →

  No one really believes in utterly free, unfettered choice. There are good choices and bad choices, and an enduring challenge in life is to know the difference. There are choices that we forbid ourselves and others to make. For instance, I have a legal right to drive my car... Read More →

      It was in a short piece posted by a cranky young blogger a little over a decade ago that I first read about dogs replacing children in the lives of young adults. This correlates to cohabitation replacing marriage in this cohort, but it reflects a cultural change... Read More →

      Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)   This sentence from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians contains an insight into what sin is, specifically for Christians. Sin is a “grieving” of the... Read More →

    “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” This advice, which has a happy resonance during the dog days of summer, is meant to encourage anyone who is going through a rough spot. Sour things can, and should, be turned into something sweet. What this adage leaves... Read More →

    All too often, prolifers have reason to feel as if our efforts have been futile. With Dobbs v. Jackson, we took one step out of the pro-choice hole our country has dug for itself, but since then it seems we’ve slipped three steps back. We’re barely two years past... Read More →