A century ago, two teenage girls in England had some fun challenging the self-regard of grownups. They found a children’s book filled with pictures of winged fairies, cut these figures out of the book, then took photographs of themselves interacting…
Polarization is a force of nature in the world of science. Light, radiation, and magnetism can be used to illustrate movement in opposing directions. Outside science, human ego is infinitely more powerful than magnets for exemplifying an intractable power struggle.…
The creators of our agnostic culture’s most beloved super heroes model their characters’ behavior on some of religion’s greatest scriptural heroes—whether they know it or not. These behaviors include always doing the right thing, living righteously, and acting fearlessly. Mary,…
A Eucharistic Minister gets to look many people square in the face while distributing Holy Communion at Sunday Mass. Some bow and say “Amen” after being presented with the host and hearing “Body of Christ.” Most present their palms to…
Here’s a quiz. In which book of the bible will you find the following prayer? Father I thank thee that in thy great mercy, thou hast taken pity on my great loneliness and now out of the silence of the…
A cousin recently invited me to join an exclusive group dedicated to preserving an old family heirloom—our surname. This cousin is one of those relatives you usually only get to see at weddings and funerals, so the prospect of getting…
Less than a third of us go to church anymore. That’s what a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll reported. Only 29% of Americans responding to the pollsters say they attend religious services once a week or more often. It…
For earthbound scientists, humans are creatures governed by brains, not souls. Conscience and morality are ignited by pleasure-inducing brain juices released during times God-believers might classify as holy—such as the love between a mother and child, or cooperation among neighbors.…
This Sunday’s Mass readings inspired our Beatley headline. The scriptural theme seems to address people preparing to say goodbye to real life. These people, as they hear God’s calling, soon learn they’re saying hello to that life. The first reading…
John Mullee, the pastor of St. Michael’s parish in Independence, recently told its “Brothers in Christ” men’s fellowship of his formation as a priest. He came to the priesthood relatively late in life, he explained, after years working in industrial…