Imagine being so sure of yourself that you went after people who believed in Christ, determined to harass them and discredit this new religious movement. Imagine travelling from one place to another and suddenly realizing that you had it all…
On the feast of the Presentation of Mary, we remember how the pious Joachim and Anna who have been childless for a long time, in thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, bring her to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate…
I am writing this at the World Meeting on the Family in Philadelphia, where I’ve found a temporary home at the Bayard exhibit. Many Canadians have been kind enough to stop by for a visit, telling me about their hometowns,…
Our publishing director, Joseph Sinasac, was the keynote speaker at the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Western Catholic Reporter. Among his many observations, Joseph writes: The paper is not independent of the authority of the archbishop whose duty it is to…
Today’s feast—the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary—is a special occasion for joy. Nine months ago, Mary was immaculately conceived. Today, we celebrate her birth. Not much can be found about the birth of Mary within the gospel stories. Our…
With Pope Francis in the news on a daily basis, it’s worth recalling another famous reforming pope. Sept. 3 marks the Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 604. In his own way he made a similar…
On this day, the Feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, we share with you an excerpt from Augustine’s work The Confessions. Augustine, caught up in profound grief over the death of his mother, finally allows his emotions to flow from…
And you brought the umbrella? “Faith” is believing the impossible will happen. Everything is possible with God, who in Jesus has loved his children and called and sent us to be a sign of hope in the world. “Faith” is…
Does it really take courage to be happy? Happiness is not easy laughter, it is not the victory of a team or winning the lottery, nor is it finding all the answers to one’s problems. For Christians, what is happiness?…
Many years ago, while in my late teens, I would stay up late and watch TV. Those late-night hours gave me the chance to watch “Saturday Night Live,” “The Late Show with David Letterman” and reruns of old episodes from…