Do you bless your meal in public? I remember working at a Catholic Summer Camp once. After a day of fun, we were driving back to the camp for the night. We stopped to eat at a McDonald’s, and we made sure to say the blessing of the meal beforehand. Everyone in the restaurant was looking at us. The boys loved it. They wanted to bear testimony to their faith in a public place. This small gesture, the sign of... Read more
The first time I read D.H. Lawrence’s “Rocking Horse Winner” about greed, it left a chill in my heart. It tells the story of a simple family, living in an apartment, with a particular preoccupation: money. The little boy notices the anguish his parents suffer, and he decides to take it upon himself to provide money for the family. He begins to ride his rocking-horse, but with an entirely new purpose. It is no longer a simple toy of a... Read more
University students across the English-speaking world owe a debt of gratitude to Cardinal Newman. Newman is the English cleric who grew up Anglican and became Catholic due to a long discernment. He eventually became a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Many college chaplaincies take St. John Henry Newman as their patron by naming the chaplaincy a Newman Center. Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal in 1879, and today Pope Leo XIV made him a Doctor of the Church. What... Read more
In The Bicentennial Man, a lifelike robot seeks recognition as human. After two centuries, it concludes that the most human act is to die. It reasons this because death is an experience unique to humanity. Asimov’s story raises a perennial question: What does it mean to be human? The question becomes even more pressing today, in a world reshaped by artificial intelligence and technological advancement. What It Means To Be Human The Solemnity of the Ascension offers a Christian response... Read more
Few forms of entertainment beat professional sports. The amount of production that goes into a professional sports event never ceases to amaze me. Recently, at a Carolina Hurricanes’ hockey game, it surprised me to see one of the filler activities. (What I mean by ‘filler activities’ is that, when there is no action on the rink, they do other things with fans to keep everybody engaged and entertained.) A young gentleman was playing a video game that the stadium transmitted... Read more
Lions only roar when they have to do so. Our new Holy Father has taken the name “Leo,” which means “lion.” What are the things that concern him the most? His first week as Pope indicates that he is concerned about peace, unity, and our ability to love one another. God calls us to love one another (cf. Jn. 13:31-35). Something that strikes me about the Gospel readings during the Easter season is that they often come from the Last... Read more
Unity and Communion: A Gospel Invitation Today’s Gospel (cf. Jn. 10:27-30) reveals the intimate union between the Father and the Son – a union that invites us to communion through sacramental grace. We have to learn to understand the sacramental nature of the world, as literature often communicates. For example, we could look at the sacramentality of Beauty and the Beast. First, we have to understand what a sacrament is. What is a Sacrament? Encountering Christ through Grace Celebrated worthily... Read more
During his campaign, President Donald Trump touted his support for work and promised to support working-class America. Such a promise raised eyebrows, coming from a real estate magnate such as himself. Growing division in the country has made people suspicious of any willingness on the part of the wealthy to help the poor and the middle class. Trump’s claim to support workers should be evaluated not just economically, but morally, against models like St. Joseph the Worker. The conclusion of... Read more
We all feel at certain points in our lives the sting of betrayal, and sometimes even have the misfortune of inflicting it on others. Can love overcome failure? This is a question that is in all of our hearts, because we have all seen and lived failures in love. This question also reminds me of a couple I attended to once in marriage counseling. Pain of Betrayal The pain of betrayal was evident as I sat across from them. They... Read more
Did Pope John Paul II feel fear? One of the refrains of his papacy was “Be not afraid.” Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems,... Read more
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