Parents have different roles from their children. Teachers have different roles from firefighters. Mothers have different roles from fathers. And individually we also have different personalities that play important roles. But — and this is the important part — amidst our diversity there is an underlying unity that holds us together.
What does “develop” church teaching mean? What part of the just war doctrine needs to be developed? What does that development consist of? Should church teaching conform to our politics or should our politics conform to church teaching?
It is incumbent upon us not simply to pray for something more promising and hopeful to happen but to be aware that we live in one world on one planet and the Middle-Eastern family pictured in the newspaper is as much part of us as the neighbor next door. It is called human compassion for those whom we have never met and will probably never meet in our entire lifetime.
Earlier this year, during a missionary journey to Ireland, I was privileged to preach to a couple thousand Irish youth. In these young people I saw enthusiasm and beauty, but also pain and alienation. What most astounded me was the deep reverence they had for the sacredness of the faith. I watched hundreds of youth…
Once every three months, I spend an evening driving with a chaplain to Nebraska’s death row. The chaplain, a woman who is a spiritual director to a death row inmate, organizes the group visit and submits our names.
CatholicAnchor.org It has been an exciting past year with Pope Francis becoming the leader of our church. Like many of you, I find great wisdom and inspiration in the pope’s words. The Holy Father helps us to reflect more deeply on how God’s love can open our hearts to solidarity with our neighbors and move…
Did you know that the word Lent comes from a word for springtime? Christian observances of a time of fasting before Easter go all the way back to Saint Irenaeus. But today, who observes Lent? Holidays have been pretty well appropriated by our general culture: Christmas, despite those who harp about a “war on Christmas,”…
True to form, parades have a message to convey; someone needs to be honored for valor, an event needs to be commemorated, special groups need to be appreciated, a day in summer needs enjoying.
And so it was on a certain spring day in Jerusalem that a group of ragtag Palestinian peasants — kids included — came trooping down a narrow alley of the city, willow and palm branches in hand, leading a donkey on which was seated Jesus of Nazareth who had gained considerable fame preaching and healing back home.
Safe Environment I am often asked, “When will we stop hearing about reports of abuse or how badly reports were handled by those representing the Roman Catholic Church?” We know there will continue to be reports from the past until all victims are able to come forward. We also know there will continue to be…
Worry captures and holds onto us so that we can’t seem to shake it. The advice, “Don’t worry” seems simplistic when facing a life threatening disease, loss of a job or a breakup of our family. But the call to not worry rests on whom we place our trust in and where we find our…