Our Lenten Imitation of Christ

Editorial for March, 2014

...Lent is a time of imitating Christ ... a plan to follow Christ, led by the Spirit, to wherever he desires to take us.    For the Church’s Season of Lent this year, Pope Francis has invited us all to reflect on the significance of 2 Cor … [Read more...]

“Where your synthesis is, there lies your heart.” An Early Look at Pope Francis’ Vision for the Church

Jesus Christ is the center – the driving source – of the entire Exhortation. Those who have been called, and have accepted Christ are sent into their particular life’s world to spread his name, and to do it joyfully. The sentence: “Wher … [Read more...]

God Gave Burdens, Also Shoulders: A Yiddish Proverb

In all of our lives, there are times when encouragement makes or breaks our stamina. Even when all is well, we know a deeper happiness if our efforts find appreciation.   Recently, I came across a publication of the Mayo Clinic and was … [Read more...]

The Papacy: The Person Versus The Office

What draws the secular media to the Vatican ... (for now) is the man who is able to translate these truths into action, and to proclaim our doctrine with personal conviction.     It is one of those few moments forever emblazoned on my mind … [Read more...]

Where is Prayer for Christian Unity in Our Parishes?

Every post-conciliar Pope has emphasized, with Vatican II, that ecumenism is a necessary aspect of the Church's mission, and one involving the effort of all the faithful, clergy, and laity alike.    It was once quite common for many C … [Read more...]

Time Magazine Nominated Pope Francis as “Person of the Year”

A Statement from the Society of Jesus on Time Magazine’s Selection of Pope Francis as Person of the Year Head of U.S. Jesuit Order Congratulates Pope on Honor December 11, 2013 — Pope Francis has been named 2013’s “Person of the Year, … [Read more...]

Understanding Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium”

Evangelii Gaudium is ostensibly the Pope’s response to the Synod last October ... but it is much more than a simple reporting on what happened there.  It is the outlining of the key themes Pope Francis hopes will constitute his po … [Read more...]

USCCB President Archbishop Kurtz Responds to ACLU’s Lawsuit

Statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Church urges respectful, compassionate care for pregnant women and their children. ACLU claims are “baseless” and lawsuit “misguided.”   Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called a suit by … [Read more...]

Freedom in Our Souls

We cannot exercise freedom from inordinate attachments unless we have accepted the purifications which are necessary to be freed from our self-centered instincts. St. Augustine This is salvation: to live in the consolation of the Holy … [Read more...]

Jesuitizing the Church: Under Francis, Would That Be So Bad?

Francis has made this strategy the most visible difference in the lifestyle he has adopted as Bishop of Rome ... rejecting ... the “riches and honors” that, over the centuries, have attached themselves to the papal office like barnacles to a … [Read more...]

What Happens to a Church When the Members Won’t Grow Up?

The problem for the Church is ... the spiritual immaturity of men and of women in the Church, and the lack of guidance they are receiving on how to grow up to spiritual maturity as Catholic Christians.     What happens to … [Read more...]

The Latest Book Reviews

Early Fall Reading For September 2013 Reviews for the following books: SPOUSAL PRAYER: A Way to Marital Happiness. by Deacon Jim Keating, Ph.D., (Institute for Priestly Formation,Omaha, NE ) 54 pp. PB $6.95; and THE PARISH AS A SCHOOL O … [Read more...]

On Addressing the Dignity of Man and Masculinity

Editorial for September 2013

How would men today be more able to live out their own unique discipleship and role in both the world, and in the Church, if we were able to articulate how men embody the Christian vocation to holiness in exclusive and particular … [Read more...]

Celebrating “Humanae Vitae” 45 Years Later

The one night stand may not have been born in the 60s, but it was granted acceptance and serial permanence. ... the Holy Father saw how a general lowering of overall morality would be the result of such self-centeredness. Humanae Vitae … [Read more...]