Christ’s resurrection left a fearful church in its wake. That included his original disciples, who until the Holy Spirit broke through their locked doors, were shivering behind them. This Sunday’s first reading recalls one of the bogeymen they feared most:…
We’ve read a lot lately about teacher strikes closing schools. It’s easy to sympathize. Many budget-strapped teachers have used their own money to fund classroom expenses. Such teachers are examples of what it’s like to devote one’s life to a…
Jesus’ pet peeve about humanity must have been our denial–denial of our sins, of his Father, and of his relationship to his Father. Even his number-one man, Peter the Rock, was a frequent target for correction. While Peter was still…
From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. This was the heart of Marxism and other socialist utopian philosophies at their beginnings, but as we know, mankind’s sinful nature managed to corrupt whatever purity it might…
“While there’s life, there is hope.” This Easter message comes courtesy of an atheist. Stephen Hawking, scientist and author of A Brief History of Time, passed to his eternal reward a few weeks ago. He never expected to wind up…
A Hollywood starlet appearing recently on a popular late-night talk show recalled her Catholic upbringing. She proudly described it as a phase she outgrew. She credited her father for unwittingly inspiring her maturation. He warned her against having premarital sex…
As practitioners in the medical arts, physicians must sometimes go beyond medicine to save lives. They draw from resources in their heart and soul. Some doctors are brave enough to reference faith—a silent force written on their hearts. That describes…
With Rev. Billy Graham’s recent passing, articles about him have reminded us what made icons of faith like him so beloved. It wasn’t just their virtues, but their flaws. One of the lowlights of Rev. Graham’s life was when he…
I recently saw an atheist do a pretty good imitation of Jesus. It brought to mind the angry Jesus we read about in this Sunday’s gospel passage from John (Jn 2:13-25)—the one where he turns over tables full of merchandise…
Anyone outside of an American military family can’t begin to know what it’s like to earn the Gold Star designation. That’s the honor given to a family who loses a loved one in the service of protecting their country. To…