The Shy Pro-lifer: Little Effort, Big Impact While you are considering your New Year’s resolutions, allow me to suggest that you commit to being more active as a pro-life advocate in ways that even the shyest wallflower will find easy, but impactful. Many people think that life issues are too political, volatile, or enormous for the average person to tackle. So they say “What can I do? I don’t want to demonstrate in marches or debate anyone. I don’t have... Read more
There is still much being written about Charlie Kirk, his death, and his influence. To be honest, since I live under a rock, I didn’t know who he was until his assassination became big news. So, I began to research him, and I am dismayed that someone who professed to be a dyed-in-the-wool Christian could advocate such un-Christian policies. Are we sure that Catholic leaders should be praising someone so xenophobic, racist, and sexist? Kirk’s admirers laud his college tours... Read more
Look around your parish. Nice place or needs upkeep? Who takes care of the church and grounds? You assume there’s staff for that. Yet, who is the manager who makes it all function properly? Well, the parish pastor, of course. My question is, though, how does he cope? Doesn’t temporal maintenance interfere with spiritual maintenance? In my travels, I have come across a couple of situations that made me ask that question. My husband and I attended Mass in Cheyenne,... Read more
This blog is not the usual essay; instead, it presents information about what to do with fetal remains in the case of a miscarriage and a request that Catholics share this information as a way to encourage respect for human life. With permission, I am copying for you the “Guide for Hospital Miscarriage Care” created by the pro-life organization Secular Pro-Life. https://secularprolife.org/ Background of the Need If you have had a miscarriage, you likely were never given the opportunity to... Read more
Headline news currently within the pro-life movement is all about defunding Planned Parenthood. To those who oppose abortion and don’t want their taxpayer dollars to go to this killing industry, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor, but is it? Aren’t our efforts and funds better spent on the mothers and babies? A friend who used to volunteer for a Pregnancy Resource Center recently commented that she wished pro-life leaders would stop pouring money into legislative and court battles and just... Read more
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
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