So a rationalist and a mystic walk into a bar. Okay, it wasn’t a bar; they walked into a writing class. That’s not the opening of some weird, existentialist joke. It’s the way a life-changing bond was formed between two talented young writers whose personal and spiritual journeys – told in the new book “Love and Salt: A Spiritual Friendship Shared in Letters” – offer the kind of relevant, relatable, theologically-rich stories that help them follow in the footsteps of... Read more
Though Pope Francis chose his name because of the beloved and humble St. Francis of Assisi, he’s already got something in common with another Francis: namely, Francis Albert Sinatra, who famously sang the song, “My Way.” As John Thavis reports, the new Pope is already doing things “his way” in the best sense of the term. Actually, it’s more accurate to say he’s doing things Jesus’ way: humbly, selflessly and with a touch of humor. In other words, a great... Read more
Like most of the world, I was watching and waiting for the new Pope to emerge once the white smoke appeared. When Cardinal Bergoglio from Argentina was announced, I can’t say he was someone I was familiar with since I didn’t follow the papabile that closely. But what little they shared about the man on TV was impressive. First, he looked overwhelmed and a little in shock. But that’s a good thing. We don’t want a pontiff who thinks, “I’m... Read more
The other day I posted some excerpts from a story in New York’s Daily News about Academy Award-winner Jennifer Lawrence’s longtime friendship with Andy Strunk, a young man with Down Syndrome that she met in church many years ago. Now the local TV station in Louisville, Kentucky – WAVE3 – has given Andy his own moment in the spotlight in a feature story about his friendship with the Hollywood star. Andy even calls Jennifer on the air, and she describes... Read more
“A false prophet of Lucifer.” That’s how Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli – later to become Pope Pius XII – described Adolf Hitler in a 1935 open letter to the bishop of Cologne, Germany. In fact, Pacelli condemned the Nazis and anti-Semitism in 40 of 44 speeches he gave while serving as Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See. His constant denunciations of the increasingly repressive and brutal German government led Hitler to brand the Cardinal as “a Jew lover in... Read more
The following column was written by The Christophers’ Jerry Costello: The regular column by Father Joseph Breighner in The Catholic Review, the newspaper of the Baltimore Archdiocese, always has a nice twist, and the one I squirreled away a while ago is no exception. He used to answer questions from listeners in his “Ask Father Joe” radio program so he keeps a handful of stories at the ready. This one, though, beats them all. Back in the mid-1970s, he wrote,... Read more
In today’s New York Daily News, there’s a profile of the Best Actress Oscar winner for “Silver Linings Playbook,” Jennifer Lawrence, focusing on her life, family and friends growing up in Louisville, Kentucky. The piece notes that the Lawrence clan – who one neighbor describes as “a wonderful Christian family” – were her guests for the Academy Awards. Her parents, Karen and Gary, and her big brothers, Ben and Blaine, took turns sitting in the one seat available next to... Read more
If you want to find happiness and self-fulfillment, you need to focus on yourself. Think about ways to improve your personality, your character, the type of person you are – then act on them. At least that’s what the world usually tells you. The Academy Award-nominated movie “Silver Linings Playbook,” on the other hand, presents a more complex solution – a solution that also involves the exact opposite advice. Bradley Cooper stars as Pat Solitano, a husband who wound up... Read more
All too often today, we judge people’s lives not on their inherent value and dignity, but by what they can contribute to the world, by whether or not their lives are a “burden.” Our culture is slipping down a dangerous slope which says that these lives have no purpose and are not worth living. Some even go so far as to deem it “compassionate” to end these lives. The testimony of real people, though, proves that every life does have... Read more
The following column was written by The Christophers’ Jerry Costello: She’s been referred to as a “living legend,” a description that Sister Mary Antona Ebo is quick to deflect. “I guess if I thought I was,” she says without missing a beat, “I’d have to take a step back.” Not that Sister Mary Antona takes a step back for many people. She’s taken quite a few steps forward, in fact, beginning 48 years ago in Selma, Alabama. That happened in... Read more
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