Evangelii Gaudium offers us a key – the key in fact – to finding joy. Yet most of us remain in constant pursuit of pleasure. And the world is most amiable, and most willing to please. Offering us an endless flow of temptations and idols and distractions from which we can draw our pleasure in an attempt to satiate our need for stimulation, our need for temporary relief, and our need – when you get right down to it – for love. Now,... Read more
Abolition of the family! Even the most radical flare up at this infamous proposal of the Communists. Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto, 1848 (quoted in the introduction of Takedown) Anyone interested in understanding the full, historical context of the recent Obergefell decision need look no further than Takedown, Paul Kengor’s latest, and perhaps most essential, book. Kengor, a best selling author of over a dozen books, is a Professor at Grove City College and the Executive Director of the school’s Center... Read more
I don’t normally respond to ignorant propaganda, but this one was so vile and so appalling that I have no choice. Since I am fortunate enough to have this platform, I am compelled to use it. This came across my Facebook newsfeed this morning – from a young person no less: 4000 Jewish people took off work in New York September 11, 2011. Look it up. This vicious and slanderous piece of anti-semitism is so hateful on so many levels... Read more
If today you are Lonely – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Suffering from depression – don’t assume that I don’t understand; In physical pain – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Angry – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Feeling unforgiven – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Acting Unlovable – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Harboring hate in your heart – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Burying feelings of untoward attraction – don’t assume that I don’t understand; Seeking a way out from the unending chaos that... Read more
Twenty-five years of accumulated household stuff has a way of overwhelming a modest home. Tons of read – and unread – books, Scrabble games with missing tiles (but somehow with a full complement of Qs, Xs, and Zs), Monopoly games with a shortage of cash rivaling an Athens ATM, and toys long-since abandoned for lipstick, prom dresses, running shoes, and jewelry. So this past week, a huge dumpster for hire was placed strategically in our driveway. Day after day, each of us... Read more
May God continue to richly bless this country, and most especially our Republic: “Well, Doctor [Franklin], what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?” “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Stay safe. Remain vigilant. Pray without ceasing. And be at peace. Photo Image Credit: Timo Kohlenberg, via Wikimedia Commons (United States Flag Illuminated by the Sun, 2007) Read more
What was once a simple cultural divide has now become what seems like an unbridgeable chasm. In some ways, it feels as if we are playing out a second American Civil War, brother warring against brother. Perhaps the current battle lines are, in some ways, even worse. Communication has all but collapsed into vile name-calling. Those who once sought respect and tolerance now demand submission and abject surrender. Some voices on the left want nothing more than to silence... Read more
Five things come to mind: 1) As Americans, respecting all of the laws even in dissent. 2) As brothers and sisters, maintaining a dialogue with those with whom we profoundly disagree even when our hearts are the most blocked and unsettled. 3) As seekers of the truth, first looking inward with humility and honesty before reacting to others. 4) As Catholics, boldly engaging the culture in truth and with love without fear of retribution – which, in any event, appears... Read more
I was privileged to be on Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s SiriusXM Program on June 23, 2015, Conversations With Cardinal Dolan, where we discussed the #WhyRemainCatholic initiative sparked by fellow Patheos blogger Dr. Tod Worner and spearheaded by our fantastic editor, Elizabeth Scalia. His Eminence also asked me about my own reversion story. You can find links to many of the posts here, including my own: Upon This Rock: Why I Remain. Father Dave Dwyer conducted the interview and is seated to my left. I’ve included... Read more
It will be two years this July since I lost my dad. He wasn’t a doctor, a lawyer, a professor, or any kind of white collar worker at all. A high school graduate, he first became a US postal worker before settling in as a maintenance man for the New York Public Library on 42nd Street in Manhattan. There, he spent the next 25 years of his working life, commuting over two hours – each way – every single workday. He... Read more
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