Nineteen-year-old Private First Class Brian Moquin Jr. joined the Army after struggling with a heroin addiction prompted by his father’s own drug problem. Moquin originally tried heroin because he “wanted to see why my father loved it more than he loved me.” Sergeant Patrick Lybert, age 28, was so devoted to his special needs brother, Noah, that he swore he would only marry a woman who was equally willing to welcome him into their home when their mother died someday.... Read more
Since this is Veteran’s Day weekend, I’ve got a couple of military-themed posts today and tomorrow. The first is a song I posted a live performance of a couple of weeks ago. It’s called “Airborne Ranger Infantry,” and it’s performed by country music’s Kristy Lee Cook. The song was inspired by her father’s combat experiences in Vietnam – and he even makes a cameo in the official video which was just released. It’s worth a look and listen. Read more
Storms. Politics. Stormy politics. It’s been a long couple of weeks. So I may be rushing things a little but… Read more
When rock journalist Dawn Eden left behind her sexually promiscuous lifestyle to embrace chastity, Christianity, and eventually the Catholic Church, the decision shocked a lot of people. She shared her journey of conversion in her first book “The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On.” Now Dawn has revealed more of her personal story – a painful part, in fact, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse – in her newest book “My Peace I Give... Read more
On this day after the election, social media is filled with either jubilation or despair depending on which side of the political spectrum you fall. We as citizens are very invested in how our politicians will change our country for better or worse. But the almost exclusive focus on politics as a means of change can become an idol in itself, resulting in obliviousness to the fact that culture has a greater influence than we realize. In a nutshell I’d... Read more
Since it’s Election Day, here are a few thoughts on government and the citizenry from founding father Ben Franklin: “A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins.” “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” “The Constitution only gives people the right... Read more
There’s been much public discussion in recent years about the role of God and religion in government and civil society. Some want to remove all signs and mentions of God from the public sphere. In his excellent 2010 book “The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith,” journalist Peter Hitchens recounts not only his spiritual journey as a Christian, but his time spent in Soviet societies that essentially outlawed religion. Those experiences forced him to explore the foundations... Read more
The cleanup of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy continues, with many people getting desperate for food, shelter, gas, electricity and safety. Some of the best ways to help are through the Red Cross and Catholic Charities. If you’d like a first-person look at what Sandy was like in downtown Manhattan, filmmaker Casey Neistat created a short documentary after riding his bicycle through the deserted and flooded parts of the city during the storm. Read more
“In a sense, Teresa of Avila was a party girl.” That may not be the common perception of the beloved saint, but it’s a personality trait that intrigued author and EWTN host Colleen Carroll Campbell, who was a Catholic college student hungry for a deeper relationship with God when she first started exploring Teresa’s life. Raised by devoutly Catholic parents, Colleen was a junior at Marquette University who found herself legalistically following the Church’s big rules – going to Mass... Read more
A colleague took this picture at a Jack-o-Lantern festival and shared it with me for obvious reasons: Read more
Christopher Closeup
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