Do you hate shoving your way through crowds at the mall to find the perfect gift? Do you tire of buying warm sweaters, exotic coffee, jewelry, and wish that you could find something truly unique for that special someone? Now I’m not sayin’ you should really snap these things up—but I got a chuckle finding them, so here you go. Watch this space for more Christmas gift ideas. And remember: Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Read more
Michigan lawmakers are considering a tax break for expectant parents—but the National Organization of Women objects. On Tuesday, November 20, Michigan state legislators held a hearing on House Bills 5684 and 5685. The bills, if passed, would “allow taxpayers to claim a dependency exemption for a fetus that has completed at least 12 weeks of gestation as of the last day of the tax year, and that has been under the care and observation of a physician since at least... Read more
One of the most popular television shows in the 1950s was “Father Knows Best.” With father Jim Anderson (played by Robert Young) as the wise and loving father, mother Margaret (Jane Wyatt) as the voice of reason, and children Betty, Bud and Kathy (Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin), the show epitomized traditional family life. In a special Thanksgiving episode on November 21, 1954, Jim led his beloved television family in a prayer: “Oh Lord, we give thee thanks... Read more
Get them while you can: Milan’s Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nascente, is putting its 135 gargoyles up for adoption. Italy’s “culture budget” is smaller this year; but the Duomo requires essential maintenance, even in a lean economy. The gargoyle adoption program is an effort to protect the world’s fourth-largest cathedral and, as Cathedral management has stated, “to encourage the Milanese and citizens of the world to be protagonists in the history of the cathedral.” I should note that... Read more
Men Must Endure Their Going Hence. So warns Edgar in Shakespeare’s classic King Lear. And so says the tombstone shared by illustrious Christian apologist Clive Staples Lewis and his brother Warren. The tombstone, located in the yard of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, Oxford, commemorates the writer C.S. “Jack” Lewis, who died 48 years ago on November 23, 1963, and his quieter older brother who died in April 1973. Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th... Read more
You’ve heard the whining: The Catholic Church oppresses women. The complaints likely center on two specific Church teachings: the all-male priesthood, and the sanctity of human life. Stretching credulity, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd equated the suffering of women under radical Islamic law with being a Catholic woman in America. (Fact check: Under Sharia law women cannot drive cars, get jobs, choose their own fashions, vote, speak in public, get a divorce, prosecute a rapist, travel abroad without permission,... Read more
How my ears have been burning! After yesterday’s column encouraging my readers to support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development with a gift in the second collection on Sunday, you rose up—on Facebook, on Google Plus, by email, and on my blog. You chastised me for trusting the bishops to fulfill their God-given responsibility to sanctify, to teach and to govern. Most of the criticism emanates from faithful Catholics who draw their conclusions based on reports from two main sources: ... Read more
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has been a flashpoint for controversy in recent years; but I’ve heard some very positive reports recently regarding changes in the organization’s procedures—changes which are intended to prevent problems such as the misallocation of funds to groups whose missions are in conflict with Church teaching. WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON THERE TODAY? In the week leading up to the annual CCHD collection, I’ve seen a lot of dire warnings pop up on Facebook and Twitter... Read more
Tonight’s the night! If you live in a part of the United States with a forecast of clear skies, tonight is probably your best opportunity to catch the 2012 Leonid Meteor Shower in its resplendent glory. Turn out the lights, get away from the city to an area without a lot of streetlamps, and look up! The Leonids—so named because the meteors originate in the east, near the constellation Leo—return each year in mid-November. As Earth slips through the garbage... Read more
American Christians are shocked that Ferrigno, the family-owned and operated business which is known worldwide for its elaborate creche scenes, has added a new character to its Nativity figures for 2012: a statue of President Barack Obama wearing a gold crown. Marco Ferrigno is a descendant of the company’s founder Giussepe Ferrigno, who introduced the elaborate Nativity sets in Naples, Italy, in 1836. Marco explained on November 7 that “Every time a major event occurs we create a new figurine,... Read more
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