A Post-Hurricane Sandy Update

Last updated on: October 30, 2012 at 12:43 pm By Tony Rossi

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy – those who lost their homes and valuables, those suffering through power outages and flooding, most importantly those who lost their lives. Lower Manhattan, where The Christophers’ office is located, is currently without power and public transportation. I’ll try to do some blogging anyway provided my power and Internet connection at home hold out. In light of the devastation, here’s a prayer from a few months ago for... Read more

The Messy Quest for Meaning: How Doubt, Anxiety, Monks and Mayberry Renewed One Man’s Relationship with God

Last updated on: October 25, 2012 at 9:16 am By Tony Rossi

A debilitating anxiety disorder brought on by a rejection of God during his teenage years led Stephen Martin through some rough times as a young adult. In retrospect, however, he sees his problems as a blessing because they forced him to confront his personal issues, his sense of meaninglessness, and his relationship with God. In his new book “The Messy Quest for Meaning: Five Catholic Practices for Finding Your Vocation,” Stephen shares his personal story along with the insights and... Read more

Marines in “The Middle” – and Honoring War Veterans in Song

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 10:03 am By Tony Rossi

Businesses looking to hire employees who exhibit “selflessness,” “resilience,” “team orientation,” and “reliability” should seriously consider military veterans. That’s what a study by the University of Phoenix Research Institute discovered after polling over 800 corporate managers and executives. I don’t know whether the producers of the ABC sitcom “The Middle” were aware of that study when they cast two real-life Marines in a small role in an upcoming episode, but they deserve kudos for doing it anyway. The show’s star,... Read more

Leading the Individual Into His Own Maturity: Dietrich Bonhoeffer on True Leadership

Last updated on: October 22, 2012 at 11:37 am By Tony Rossi

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – the Lutheran pastor who was martyred during World War II for working against the Nazis – wrote extensively on topics like Christian theology and effective spiritual practices. In light of his unique perspective witnessing Hitler’s rise, he also addressed the nature of leadership and the seductive lure of power. Though most of us primarily think of world leaders or corporate titans as having power, the truth is that many ordinary individuals possess it to a smaller degree... Read more

Why Jesus Wept

Last updated on: October 19, 2012 at 12:39 pm By Tony Rossi

I’m reading author Colleen Carroll Campbell’s upcoming book “My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir” in preparation for an interview with her next week. It’s a deeply moving, deeply personal book in which Colleen shares many of her struggles, including the challenge of suffering through Alzheimer’s disease with her father. The following passage about the moments after her father’s death is especially poignant and insightful, so I wanted to share it here: I thought of that story in the Gospel... Read more

How a Family of Dogs Helped Rescue a Lost Child with Down Syndrome

Last updated on: October 18, 2012 at 6:52 pm By Tony Rossi

From NBC Nightly News: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Read more

Realizing I’m Broken Gives God Room to Work: A Conversation with American Idol’s Colton Dixon

Last updated on: April 6, 2016 at 8:45 am By Tony Rossi

There’s a short list of people who can say that Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson were instruments of God’s grace in their lives, but Colton Dixon is one of them. No wonder the singer who appeared on Season 11 of American Idol refused to keep quiet about his Christian faith when show producers warned him that being overtly religious could hurt him with fans and Idol voters. Dixon first tried out for American Idol’s 10th season, but got... Read more

“Argo:” If It Wasn’t a True Story, It Would Be One of the Most Far-fetched Plots You’ve Ever Heard

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 10:04 am By Tony Rossi

Not only do the Americans save the day in the fact-based new movie “Argo,” but they do it without firing a shot or dropping a bomb. At the start of the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 when revolutionaries stormed the American embassy and took 52 people hostage, six U.S. diplomats managed to escape the embassy before the revolutionaries took over. They found a safe haven in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber) who risked his own life... Read more

The Greater Fool: A Parable

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 10:04 am By Tony Rossi

The following story is an entry from Volume 47 of The Christophers’ “Three Minutes a Day” book (on sale here): An English nobleman gave his jester a wand, saying, “Keep this until you find a greater fool than yourself.” The jester laughingly accepted the wand and waved it about on festive occasions. One day, the nobleman lay dying. Calling the jester to his bedside, he said, “I am going on a long journey.” “Where to?” asked the jester. “I don’t... Read more

The King of Queens is a Catholic Family Man

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 10:04 am By Tony Rossi

From CNS via The Catholic Spirit: He doesn’t exactly advertise it, but the “king of Queens” is a Catholic family man. Kevin James, who played Doug Heffernan for nine seasons on the CBS sitcom and has since branched out into movies, has no problem talking about his values and how it affects his career. “I am involved in my faith, it becomes more and more — you know, it becomes a difficult, difficult position. You have a platform and you... Read more