From the encyclical Salvific Doloris: Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to Christ, a special grace. To this grace many saints, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Ignatius of Loyola and others, owe their profound conversion. A result of such a conversion is not only that the individual discovers the salvific meaning of suffering but above all that he becomes... Read more
Cardinal Dolan writes with love and gratitude for women religious: Contrary to what you may have heard, Rome loves the Sisters! When you love someone, you show concern. And, recently, the Vatican expressed some concerns about the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group that represents a lot of Sisters. That expression of concern contained high praise for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and even higher esteem for all the nuns in America. The concord between the Holy... Read more
I had more material from my interview with Dawn Eden about her new book My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, so I have been sharing it here; and now a second installment: “How can Christ’s Passion strengthen me? What does it mean to have him live in me, and for me to live in him?” Doesn’t this sound a little bit like a fantasyland? I suppose it might sound like a fantasyland... Read more
In case you haven’t had to notice yet, the definition of religious liberty has changed in recent days, by order of regulators at the Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the power this president believes is appropriate. And the HHS rule mandating employers provide coverage for contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs that was announced in January is the rule that went into effect this past Wednesday. So all those who originally protested ought to be now, as well. As... Read more
Continuing my interview with Dawn Eden about her book, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, she discusses the wounds of Christ. To borrow a question you raise: “How can Jesus’ wounds draw me closer to him?” Because this seems like a question for all Christians, for anyone searching, perhaps? I do believe Jesus’ wounds are deeply meaningful for anyone who is searching for the love of God. Jesus entered willingly into his... Read more
It hurts my heart a little to hear Barbara Mikulski introduce my fellow Catholic University graduate Senator Tom Harkin during an Affordable Care Act tribute this morning in the Senate. “Men of quality never are shy about supporting women who seek equality,” Maryland’s Mikulski said in introducing her colleague from Idaho Iowa. But forcing Americans who oppose abortion and contraception use based on religious teaching to choose between conscience and the law is not about equality — a choice that... Read more
Mitt Romney’s speech in Jerusalem was necessarily political. But it was hard not to notice he was speaking not far from where Christ was born and crucified. Christ’s death-defying life involved one Nazarene young woman’s “yes.” And in his speech this morning in Warsaw, Romney reflected on the significance a simple “yes” or “no” — answering a call to courage — can have in the course of human events: Americans watched with astonishment and admiration, as an electrician led a... Read more
Earlier today I was reading Saint Ignatius of Antioch thanks to the Liturgy of the Hours. One of the reasons I try to pray it daily is I get to read a little from a Church father with some regularity. Why would I have such a desire? Wisdom. Which brings me fast forwarding to Dennis Prager, who has a new book in which he talks about wisdom, among other things. But the whole point of the book, actually is wisdom.... Read more
This would be appropriate and nourishing and challenging any day, but at a time when we’re reminded as a nation to look around and love a little more, this meditation today in the indispensible Magnificat is an especially timely guide: We must also nourish this deep desire to meet God so that when the opportunity presents itself, we can take hold of it, and transform every event into an opportunity for genuine dialogue. But the real obstacle to a life... Read more
I was taken with what Mitt Romney had to say today about the shooting rampage in Colorado, particularly what he said about love. For a moment forget who said it and just reflect on it — because we do. It’s sometimes easy to forget during the rush of life. Meanwhile, it is what matters most. Governor Romney said: This is a time for each of us to look into our hearts and remember how much we love one another and... Read more
Kathryn Lopez
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