Other than a required law school course in criminal procedure, I have had no training and have developed no special expertise in matters of criminal justice since becoming an attorney some 30 years ago. In fact, the closest that I’ve ever come to associating with any criminal element was when I ran for public office back in 1998 – but I digress. So I speak here not as some kind of expert, but rather as a fellow citizen. And I... Read more

Well, the first of my 40 days of Lent didn’t start off on the right foot. I mean, look, I didn’t even fast on Ash Wednesday (I forgot). I almost ate meat this Friday before I realized it at the last possible moment (wait, chicken is considered meat, right?). And I’ve yet to figure out how I’m going to dedicate this time to something – anything – that will help me better reflect upon what this period before Easter is supposed to... Read more

I started out today attempting to write about an entirely different subject – one that had gotten my Italian up as I had put it. It’s a theme to which I may return in time. But right now, that original topic seems little more than trivial in a world that’s been set afire. The brutality and the reality of this story hit me with full force this afternoon. ISIS, taking full advantage of the chaos created by our so-called Smart Diplomacy in Libya, has today released a propaganda video detailing the unspeakable evil... Read more

From The First Reading The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “If a swelling or scab or spot appears on someone’s skin, which could develop into a contagious skin-disease, that person must then be taken to the priest, either Aaron or one of his sons. If the person has such a disease: he is unclean. The priest will declare him unclean; he has a contagious skin-disease of the head. Anyone with a contagious skin-disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair;... Read more

It’s the dead of winter. The snow is incessant. The cold chills from deep within. Spring seems an eternity away. Behold, it’s time for a new thing! (Yes, that’s taken from Isaiah 43:19.) Actually, here are five new things that you can start today to change your life: Forgive the very last person who hurt you – Silently. Or in a letter. Or in a phone call. Or face-to-face. Even a text message. Do it sincerely. Do it with love.... Read more

Pope Francis – His election instantaneously compelled me to reconsider my 41-year absence. Thomas Merton – His Seven Storey Mountain was the turning point in how I viewed the Church. Father Jim Martin – His books, excellent in their own right, led me directly to Thomas Merton. Professor Peter Kreeft – His teachings are consistently clear, insightful, and deep – yet accessible. St. Augustine – His Confessions introduced me to the very beginnings of the Church. St. Thomas Aquinas – I have barely... Read more

You Shall Not Steal. Four simple words. Uncomplicated in their declaration.  Straightforward in their application. Or so they seem. Of course, we well understand the basic prohibition: don’t appropriate for yourself anything that belongs to someone else. But the Seventh Commandment has a far greater reach, a far richer insight into the complex nature of human relations and man’s relationship with the Divine. Consider this: In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of... Read more

In my last post, Of Virtues and Gifts and Peace, I explored the four main, or cardinal, virtues of humanity as set forth in, and defined by, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, those of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. These revealed virtues probably come as close to an owner’s operating manual for humanity as we will ever likely discover on our own. They enlighten our hearts, instruct our heads, guide our actions, and inform our relationships. Also briefly discussed were the three theological virtues upon which... Read more