Most Catholics are aware that Ascension Thursday will occur on May 9th this year. This day marks 40 days into the Easter liturgical season, and occurs 10 days before the Feast of Pentecost. Outside of the dates and what they mean as far as the church seasons go, what is the significance of Ascension Thursday? Yes, Jesus rose to Heaven to be seated next to the Father, but what does that mean to us? Let’s take a look. We Celebrate... Read more
It has been a little more than 6 months since Hamas attacked innocent Israelis in their homes on a peaceful Saturday morning on October 7th. Israel retaliated and is working to remove Hamas from Gaza, but the number of deaths from this effort is staggering. Many are innocent bystanders including children. The backlash has given rise to Pro-Palestinian protests across the world countered in many cases by Pro-Israel protests. These protests have been violent at times, especially on college... Read more
Earth Day is a celebration dedicated to environmental awareness that falls annually on April 22nd. Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin Senator, who was concerned about the effect pollution was having on the environment. As the climate debate rages on in the world today, we need to remember that wherever you stand on this debate, it is important to be good stewards of the environment that God has given us. What are some of the... Read more
On April 15 baseball fans everywhere celebrate Jackie Robinson Day. All team players wear Jackie’s number 42 in honor of the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947. While many people may know about Jackie’s story, what may not be as well known is how much Jackie’s faith played into his decision to be the first black player in Major League Baseball. The man who signed Jackie to a contract with the Dodgers, Branch Rickey,... Read more
The fact that the United States is deeply divided should not be news to anyone. In my view the division started with the election in 2000 and has grown progressively worse as time goes on. While the political and race division has always been there, we are divided on most things today. The big change has been the growing antipathy between opposing sides that has regressed to vile language and at times violence. Social media has been an accelerator... Read more
May 2nd is the National Day of Prayer. Established in 1952, the purpose of the day was in response to the public reaction of perceived threats from the Korean War. The 2nd Continental Congress had previously dedicated days of fasting and prayer as did President John Adams in 1798 and 1799. The purpose of the National Day of Prayer bill from 1952 from their website: The President shall set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year, other than a... Read more
We are approaching the 19 year anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo. Doctors considered her to be in a “persistent vegetative state” (PVS) and this led to a very difficult, and very public “Right to Die” legal battle from 1998 through 2005. This tragedy and subsequent legal battle was over her undocumented final wishes. How Did We Get Here? For those who are not familiar with the situation, Terri was a 26 year old woman who suffered cardiac... Read more
On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that “embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children.” While this should not be news to Catholics, the ruling caused several clinics in Alabama to pause IVF services while awaiting further legal and liability review. What does this mean for those couples that have struggled to conceive and pinned their hopes on IVF? Let’s take a look. How did we get here? Depending upon the number of embryos created,... Read more
We are almost halfway through Lent. How is your Lent going? Have you been adhering to the three pillars of Lent (fasting, almsgiving, and prayer)? Do you feel yourself growing closer with God during the past couple of weeks? If you’re struggling, how do we get back on track. Let’s take a look. Reminder of Focus Areas for Lent if you remember back in February, I posted a number of ideas that could make your Lent a little more... Read more
In this latest chapter of “people are disposable” in our society we have the case of the DC5. The legal battle is for an autopsy on the remains of 5 believed to be late-term aborted babies in 2022. The abortions were performed in a Washington DC abortion clinic, and the question that has delayed any respectable disposition of the remains is whether the abortionist violated the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003, and the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. Both acts... Read more
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