Last week’s inauguration was designed to help Donald Trump accept an oversized hand-me-down mantle of leadership that he’ll have to grow into—just as each of its previous owners did. The ceremonies began with a series of prayers for the success…

Guys like me who pontificate about matters of faith should pay special attention to this Sunday’s mass readings. Although many of us are guided by the Spirit, we can sometimes take a bit too much pride in occasionally saying something pithy…

Judging from the top viral videos, we’re all suckers for reunions—especially those involving military people who have been separated from their families for many months. You can see hours of these moments online—including those involving pets reacting to their returned…

“How many thousand of my poorest subjects are at this hour asleep! O sleep, O gentle sleep, nature’s soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, that thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down and steep my senses in forgetfulness?…

In the early 1960s, writer Rod Serling used his Twilight Zone TV series to tell enlightening parables for his time. They often had a shocking twist at the end. If Serling were alive today, this Sunday’s mass readings might have…

Watching the movie “The Song of Bernadette” the other night made me think of Christmas tree lights—the old annoying series-wired kind.  A string of these lights goes dark when one bulb goes bad. But using the glass-half-full perspective, you could…

The running gag throughout A Christmas Story (the movie about a boy and his coveted b-b gun) is how Ralphie keeps leaving little clues for his parents about what he wants for Christmas.  He’s afraid his wish would never be…

Would you take the time to stoop and rescue a crumpled, filthy piece of paper from the sidewalk on your journey to an important appointment? You probably would if you recognized Ben Franklin’s face peering through the dirt. That little…

It’s easy to believe that Hollywood detests anything to do with religion, but it’s hard not to notice their tendency to imitate scripture by using parables to tell the truth about humanity.  A new movie, “Arrival,” is a good example.…

English Mountaineer George Mallory made history not only for his attempts to climb Mt. Everest, but for his three-word answer to the question of why he kept trying. “Because it’s there.” In Mallory’s view, this mountain’s very existence gave his…