A month after his election, Pope Leo XIV is still very much in the headlines. This interest in the papacy and the Church will likely continue to be at a high level for some time because of the Pope’s newness and his US/Peruvian background. Thus, evangelically speaking, it is time for Catholics to make hay while the sun shines. That is to say, while we have everyone’s attention, we need to, as writer Jaymie Stuart Wolfe said in an opinion... Read more
Hardly anyone who talked about the recent election of our new pope did so without a mention of the movie Conclave. Released just last October, the film was not only a multi-Oscar nominee, but also, by coincidence, a very timely look into the process of selecting a new pontiff (albeit with a big surprise ending). During the actual conclave of the cardinals last week, huge numbers of people were streaming the movie Conclave to try to get an insight into... Read more
The Crucifixion and the Resurrection are often thought about separately as very different subjects, except during Holy Week when we are reminded that Christ’s promise to rise on the third day was fulfilled. Wait, though: aren’t Good Friday and Easter Sunday just two days apart? Yes, but they and Holy Saturday are Days One, Two, and Three of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. That’s an important point because the connection of the three days indicates that the Crucifixion and the... Read more
“Without God, the world would be too painful.” [From How to Raise an Elephant, one of the books by Alexander McCall Smith in the delightful series that begins with The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.] The reaction to this quote from a religious person would likely be a knowing nod of the head in agreement. Without our loving God to guide and protect us, how terrible life would be! What purpose would we have? What reason for hope? In 1882,... Read more
Among last year’s political discussions, there were notable references to the Consistent Life Ethic (CLE). As people worked their way to a voting decision, they searched for a rubric that would effectively sort through issues and provide a unifying thread of morality by which to judge them. The result is that more and more people are discovering the Consistent Life Ethic as a standard that fits every life issue. I have written about the CLE twice before in this blog... Read more
This blog has been on hiatus for several months because of the demands on my time and the adjustments required following the death of my husband last September. There are so many changes and so much additional work that come with a family death that I needed time to maneuver my way through it all. Now, however, I would like to share some insights from this experience. Friends and Family: Pillars of Support I’ve been stunned by the tremendous support... Read more
In 2005, Brad Paisley released a song and video about “Waitin’ on a Woman”* with Andy Griffith. It’s a touching song about the frustrations of having to wait, over and over, on a wife who is always late but continuing to do it out of love. I am a veteran at “Waitin’ on a Man” but in a different context. The song describes the chance encounter of a young husband, getting upset at his wife’s failure to meet up with... Read more
The Democratic Party has long touted itself as the party of the people, open to everyone. It is the party of Civil Rights, insisting on inclusion of all races and creeds. Nonetheless, the Democratic Party ostracizes its pro-life members. Since 1992, when the Democratic Convention denied a speaking slot to Gov. Robert Casey, Sr. of Pennsylvania because he was pro-life, the party has become more and more intolerant of its pro-life members. It has refused to support pro-life candidates and... Read more
Can there be such a thing as too much money? Most people would say “No!” However, in truth, people can have more money than they need, more money than they should keep for themselves. Oh, I can hear the screams now: “I earned that money! It’s mine! What are you? Some kind of wacko socialist?” Others like Joel Osteen say, “The Lord has blessed me with bounty. God wants me to be rich.” What about the other people who are... Read more
We are all familiar with the Bible story about how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to God – an actual human sacrifice that required Abraham to kill his own son and offer him up to God. Human sacrifice was a fairly common practice among Abraham’s pagan neighbors, and it continued for many centuries in different parts of the world. The Canaanites offered their firstborn to Moloch in a ritual fire. Consider also the Aztecs, the Vikings, and... Read more
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