The following is the text of the Christopher News Note “The Holy Journey of Two Popes.” If you’d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: The Christophers joyously celebrate the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII by the Vatican on April 27, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday. During their papacies they consistently reached out to the poor and disenfranchised and provided the courageous leadership necessary to keep the Church on course through... Read more
Since 1998, Chris Vogt has been serving a 48 year prison sentence in Colorado’s Sterling Correctional Facility for second degree murder. He’s been using that time to make some kind of cosmic amends, to turn his life around by helping others who need it. How? Vogt is part of a program called “Colorado Cell Dogs” that trains abandoned canines to work with the blind and deaf. Vogt’s focus, however, is a little different. As reported by ABC News, “With nothing... Read more
Last week, Father Jonathan Morris kicked off his four-part series about the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. Today, he comments on justice, which takes on a much deeper meaning when considered from the worldview that every person on this earth is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves to be treated with the dignity that entails. How can we become more just people? Father Jonathan has some suggestions. Read more
Though the TV series “Lost” went off the air in May 2010, it continues to attract new viewers through DVD and online streaming. The fact that two blog posts I originally wrote about the show a few years ago continue to rank in this blog’s top 10 pageviews every month was surprising to me at first, but not anymore. “Lost” was a unique show that required a lot of heavy thinking and reflecting, not just in relation to the complicated... Read more
The late Father Andrew Greeley once penned this Irish Blessing: “May your hope be… As determined as the river racing by, As soft as the cry of the mourning dove, As sweet and subtle as a lover’s sigh,… As resolute as the sun rising each day, As certain as the return each year of spring. May it break through the darkling clouds And confirm you against every evil thing. May Jesus and Mary and Patrick and Brigid Strengthen your faith... Read more
In writing about episode one of “Cosmos” this past Sunday afternoon – specifically, the animated sequence about Giordano Bruno, who was condemned by the Roman Inquisition and burned at the stake as a heretic – I broke one of my cardinal rules of blogging: never comment on a movie, book or TV show unless you’ve seen it yourself. Critics often view things through their own ideological lens and, therefore, their take on a project may not be accurate. Since my... Read more
This week, Father Jonathan Morris begins a four week series about the cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. These are the virtues, he explains, “that Plato and Aristotle and others ever since have been talking about as the bedrock of good character…and a good society.” The first to be addressed here is prudence, which can also be described as wisdom. Father Jonathan shares insights on how acting with prudence can lead us to greater holiness and help us become... Read more
Eighteen-year-old Kevin Grow from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, became an Internet phenomenon when video of him scoring four three-pointers in a high school basketball game went viral. The sports-loving teen, who was born with Down Syndrome, has now taken his moment in the sun even further. He was recruited to play with the Harlem Globetrotters at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. See what happened in the ABC News video below. And keep in mind the words of Kevin’s mom: “Kids with... Read more
UPDATE: I make it clear that I’m writing this blog post based on the Slate.com article, not based on my own viewing. If the comments in the Slate article had been made by a Catholic writer, I would have taken them with a grain of salt because Catholics can admittedly sometimes take offense when none is intended. But given that this was a neutral source, I gave credence to what was written. I will watch the episode myself online later... Read more
With titles like “Believe” and “Resurrection,” you might think that two new TV series include a religious, or at least supernatural, dimension. But do they really? “Believe” premieres on NBC Monday March 11 at 10pm, and stems from an impressive pedigree, with executive producers that include J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Fringe”) and Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”). In fact, “Believe’s” pilot was directed by Cuaron. The show tells the story of a ten-year-old girl named Bo (Johnny Sequoyah), who was... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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