Editor's Desk: The Puzzle of Life

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 1/29/04)

Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and a former Catholic press editor in Philadelphia, compiled the following reflection in honor of Catholic Press Month. This year’s theme is "Need Help Solving the Puzzle of Life? Read the Catholic Press."

Years ago, I heard a story about a priest who was preaching in a mental hospital on the purpose of life. He asked, "Why are we all here? Why are we all here?"

One of the hospital’s residents responded, "I don’t know about you, Reverend, but we’re all here because we’re not all there."

When we see the problems of so many people in the world — addictions to alcohol, to drugs, to promiscuous sexual activity, to violence — we can suspect, at least, that some people, perhaps including at times ourselves, are "not all there."

Many people, including ourselves, need help. They need help not only in solving the problems of life but also, and more fundamentally, in solving the puzzle of life.

Why are we here? While the Catholic press certainly does not offer the complete answer to the puzzle of life, it does — most of the time — have "its own act together."

The Catholic press reports on life from a perspective of faith — a basic realization of the purpose of life.

The late great lay theologian Frank Sheed wrote a masterpiece called "Theology and Sanity." He said that insanity meant "being out of touch with reality." The ultimate reality in life, Sheed emphasized, is God — and to be out of touch with Him is the ultimate insanity.

The Catholic press helps us — not only in the news it reports but also in the spiritual and theological articles it provides — to keep in touch with reality, to remain in touch with Jesus Christ Our Lord and with the Church He founded.

The Catholic press helps us — week in and week out — to help solve the puzzle of life.

Additional Pieces

The HERALD will be mailed to an additional 13,000 homes during the month of February to help promote the paper during Catholic Press Month. Our regular press run is 60,000 per week. These potential subscribers were selected because they recently contributed to the Capital Campaign "Rooted in Faith — Forward in Hope." Speaking of the Capital Campaign, this week’s edition contains a recap of the financial status of that successful diocesan endeavor.

The Feb. 5 issue will contain local information about the John Jay Study — the national survey conducted last year in every diocese to gauge the extent of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

Our annual "Catholic Marriage" issue will be published Feb. 12. In addition to outstanding editorial material, the issue will contain a selection of local photographs of couples who were married in diocesan churches during 2003.

The award-winning HERALD publishes a variety of special sections each month, including the popular Senior Spotlight. Other upcoming specials include: "Vocations, Camps and Travel" March 4; "Retirement Living" May 6; "Graduation" May 20; and "Health and Wellness" June 17. Contact our advertising department at 703/841-2598 to be included in these or other issues.

Now is the perfect time to renew or begin a subscription to the HERALD. The subscription price of $15 for 51 issues is a real bargain. Call our circulation department at 703/841-2565 for further information.— M.F.F.

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