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Columns

The saints and all of us

By George Weigel
Amidst all the Sturm und Drang of Synod 2015, something genuinely new in the life of the church began, and it shouldn’t escape our notice. For the first time in two millennia, an entry in the liturgical books will now read, on the appropriate day, “Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, spouses” – a happy addition […]
10/28/15
Reading Time 3 min

Getting rid of clutter

By Effie Caldarola
A member of my faith-sharing community devoted one year to buying nothing. Nothing, at least, that wasn’t a necessity. She bought food, of course, and if her printer ran out of ink, she would deem that a necessary purchase. She paid her utility bills and her mortgage, but she added no “stuff” to her life. […]
10/28/15
Reading Time 3 min

Does Pope Francis visit his family?

By Fr. Kenneth Doyle
Q. I have tried in vain to find out whether Pope Francis has ever had the chance to visit in person with his only surviving sibling since he was elected pope. (I have read that she – Maria Elena Bergoglio, his youngest sister – has not been well.) Will Pope Francis ever get a chance […]
10/28/15
Reading Time 1 min

A dangerous, divisive word

By Carolyn Woo
Pope Francis’ recent visit to the United States has touched each of us in so many ways through words, gestures and that indelible twinkle in his eyes whenever he is with people. There is much to unpack in our own journey of faith. I want to begin with the moniker affectionately given to him: the […]
10/28/15
Reading Time 3 min

Melding the American lifestyle with following Jesus

By Fr. Kenneth Doyle
Q. My husband and I live relatively modestly by American standards, are conscious of the amount of resources we use and tithe 10 percent. However, I realize that even doing so we are still living in extreme luxury compared to most people in the world. In the Gospel, Jesus talks of embracing poverty and leaving […]
10/28/15
Reading Time 2 min

Complementarity

By Father Tad Pacholczyk
James Parker came out at age 17 and later entered into a relationship with another man. He worked as a gay activist for a while, but his personal experiences of intimacy and human sexuality eventually led him to grasp that “same-sex marriage just doesn’t exist; even if you want to say that it does.” He […]
10/21/15
Reading Time 3 min

Is assisted suicide inevitable?

By Russell Shaw
As Robert Hugh Benson’s apocalyptic novel Lord of the World moves toward its shocking conclusion, a naive young woman who has placed simple-minded faith in the utter goodness of the Antichrist figure at the center of the story awakens to the fact that her hero artfully has constructed a regime of violence, oppression and thought […]
10/20/15
Reading Time 3 min

Five minutes after Mass

By Soren Johnson
Let’s draw a line. A stark choice confronts every Catholic, every Sunday after Mass: to run, or to linger. Jesus Christ has, minutes before, entered our midst. Several moments of silence and peace hung in the air – sometimes the first quiet in seven days. Our prayers “arose like incense” as the Psalmist reminds us. […]
10/20/15
Reading Time 3 min

Encourage one another

By Elizabeth Foss
“I’m not being ridiculous,” she said, as she pulled one napkin after another out of the box. “I have four children at my table. We need all these.” “Take your time,” I said. “I’ve got nine kids. I get it.” She stopped her hurried napkin-pulling and turned to look at me. “You have nine kids? […]
10/20/15
Reading Time 3 min

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