Imagine, just hypothetically, that you had a torn window screen. Maybe one that looked like this: Unsightly. Obviously the screen needs to be replaced. But you’re Catholic, you’re busy! And anyway, you believe mosquitoes offer a unique opportunity for redemptive suffering. What you need is a Divine Mercy window cling: And there you go, all fixed! Now the view from your bedroom window says, “We pray extra much!” instead of “We need to go to the hardware store!” ... Read more
The answer is no, and neither should any other kind of hospital. In the news right now, the ACLU is suing a Catholic hospital in Michigan for declining to sterilize a woman who is requesting a tubal ligation. Earlier this year, a Catholic hospital in California caved to ACLU pressure and decided to go ahead and sterilize a patient. The ACLU’s campaign has been building for several years, triggered by the number of mergers in which a Catholic hospital system acquired... Read more
I should probably tattoo today’s Gospel reading on the back of my hand.* I was limping through the first two readings this morning trying to drum up a little spiritual enthusiasm, and then I hit my most desperately-needed annual pep talk from Jesus there in the Gospels. It’s the Everyone’s a Critic talk. Providentially, today’s readings fell on the 16th of the month this year, which means I write about it at CatholicMom.com. An excerpt: Our Lord points out: You... Read more
A catechist wrote to me privately asking for ideas on how to invite parents to start attending Mass with their children. Below is more or less what I suggested she consider including in her talking points: 1) Compliment the parents and thank them (sincerely) for their obvious love for their children and their faith, and for the effort they are making to make it possible for their children to attend your religious education program. 2) Acknowledge that we all have... Read more
I’ve fallen off the internet lately, and that’s because I’ve been sleeping. More on that in a bit, but I thought you might be curious. Way back when the SuperHusband first started working in junior-level management, the company sent him to a training day for junior managers. There was one of these professional presenters whose job was to tell the fresh-faced victims all the bad news about their new life, and how to get through it all without being fired... Read more
This Saturday (Sept 5th) I’ll be on Outside the Walls with Timothy Putnam talking about parish community-building, the part discipleship plays in that, and how you can go about making it happen. We’ll also be giving away a copy of Sherry Weddell’s book Forming Intentional Disciples, so listen in to find out how to put your name in the hat. So you want to be on the radio one day, too? Let me tell you the number one thing you need to do... Read more
In light of the recent Planned Parenthood videos, I’ve been thinking about a group of pro-life friends who don’t fit the Catholic categories. These are staunchly pro-life Christians who believe sex should be saved for marriage, that marriage is a lifelong, exclusive union between one man and one woman, but who take contraception as the ‘default mode’ for marital relations, and sterilization as an acceptable way to avoid pregnancy indefinitely. There are variations within that broad definition, but that’s the... Read more
CORRECTED: Kathy Schiffer graciously reminds me that Bishop Finn has asked NCR to stop calling itself Catholic. So on to the next step, then. My original post below. *** Remember when “Real Catholic TV” was told to drop the word “Catholic” from its name? Quick refresher from CNA: During its time as “Real Catholic TV,” the apostolate was told by the Archdiocese of Detroit that it did not have permission to describe itself as “Catholic.” The Roman Catholic Church’s current... Read more
KNOXVILLE – Outside of the University of Tennessee’s student center, demonstrators have gathered to stand in solidarity with a minority group facing a hostile reception from school administrators: English majors. Sophmore Laura Branson takes the megaphone and leads protesters in chanting, “A Loving Pronoun NEEDN’T / Disagree With Its ANTECEDENT!” Senior Tom Jackson holds a sign saying No Time for Panic We’ll Defeat the Lexiphanic! while he explains, “This is about inclusion. This is about genuine diversity. The administration has taken... Read more
Worth noting from the review pile: For the Union and the Catholic Church: Four Converts in the Civil War by Max Longley, McFarland & Company, 2015. So far so good. It’s a look at the civil war through the eyes of four notable Union-side Catholic converts – the first black American priest; a general and his brother a bishop; and the editor of a Catholic newspaper. Already the fight is getting good here: Nor was Rosecrans hesitant to mingle religion with antislavery... Read more
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