The symbolism and words of the Book of Tobit strike us with surprising clarity, and in the manner of an “emperor with no clothes.” In our modern culture, with its “liberated” way of speaking about sex and sexuality, we have become used to su … [Read more...]
Articles
Killed by the Dragon
The Effects of Contraception on Courtship and Marriage
May 7, 2021 by Dr. Gintautas Vaitoska
Breastfeeding Does Space Babies and So Much More
May 7, 2021 by Sheila Kippley
Years ago mothers knew that breastfeeding had an impact on their fertility. Why? Because there was an absence of menstruation with frequent breastfeeding. Then along came bottles and pacifiers, strict schedules, and babysitters, and this … [Read more...]
Mother of the Little Bright Lights of the World
Her History and Spirituality
May 7, 2021 by Fr. Stanley Smolenski, SPMA
At Medjugorje, Our Lady said that she was completing there what she began at Fatima. Surprisingly, my story follows that same way. This story begins simply at Fatima in 2001 and proceeds to Medjugorje in 2017. In July 2001, I went on a … [Read more...]
John Henry Newman: A Saint for Times of Trial, Conflict, and Crisis
May 7, 2021 by Dr. Peter Kahn
On October 13, 2019, the Church canonized John Henry Newman, the great nineteenth-century convert from Anglicanism to the Catholic Church. Newman’s canonization is a gift from God to a Church that is in need of the wisdom contained in his w … [Read more...]
He Makes the Clouds His Chariot
Preaching the Ascension of Jesus Christ
May 7, 2021 by Br. Branden J. Gordon
Forty days after his Passion, Jesus was lifted up and taken from his apostles’ sight by a cloud (Acts 1:9). While the apostles were gazing into the sky, two white-robed men appeared and told them that Jesus had been taken up into heaven ( … [Read more...]
A Cross Like Yours: Perspectives On Infertility
April 22, 2021 by Mary C. Tillotson
According to the CDC,[1. www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm.] about 6 percent of married women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 44 fit the medical definition of “infertility,” that is, being unable to conceive a chi … [Read more...]
The Effects of Globalization in the Ivory Coast
A Part-time Missionary’s Impression
April 22, 2021 by Br. Dain Scherber
In his address to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in 2001, John Paul II described globalization as follows: “The globalization of commerce is a complex and rapidly evolving phenomenon. Its prime characteristic is the increasing … [Read more...]
Celibacy as an Asset in Ministering to Married Persons
April 22, 2021 by Matthew Kappadakunnel
Celibacy for the Kingdom of God might seem like an obstacle in relating to the struggles of married people, including but not limited to spousal conflicts, balancing home and work duties, managing multiple children, and dealing with in-laws … [Read more...]
Some Reflections on the Spiritual Life for the Lockdown
With much of our ordinary life still affected by the lockdown, it can be harder than ever to keep our heart fixed on the Lord and his divine providence. Rather than prayer, spiritual reading, contemplation and encouraging others, we may … [Read more...]
Quod Scripsi, Scripsi: The Life and Legacy of Marvin R. O’Connell
April 22, 2021 by Richard J. Janet, PhD
At the end of his recently published posthumous memoir, Father Marvin O’Connell quotes the words of Pontius Pilate from Scriptures. “Even though I too can write Quod scripsi, scripsi, my trouble is not the same as Pilate’s. My trouble has to … [Read more...]
The Mass that Always Was There
April 22, 2021 by Gerard T. Mundy
As a result of the 2020-2021 coronavirus pandemic, Catholic bishops in dioceses around the world restricted public access to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the United States, every Latin Rite diocese reportedly canceled public Masses at … [Read more...]
The Dangers of Safety
April 9, 2021 by Fr. Sean O'Brien
We had a pre-existing condition, but we didn’t know it. Before the days of COVID, I was aware that I was in a safety-based culture. We could think of the expansion of insurance (I bought a phone recently and was automatically involved in an … [Read more...]
Early Theologies of Purgatory
April 9, 2021 by Dr. David W. T. Brattston
How can a loving and merciful God send a person into endless torture in hell? Actually, He does not. They send themselves there. The only unpleasantness to which He channels them is purgatory, where they have the hope of rising to … [Read more...]
A “Modest Proposal” for a Pastoral Year Apostolate
April 9, 2021 by Fr. Peter Stravinskas
As the academic year winds down, administrators go into overdrive in planning for the next year, hence, the rationale for my present musings. Since it appears that most seminaries/dioceses are now moving (or have moved) to a mandatory … [Read more...]
Expanding the Narratives of Scripture
April 9, 2021 by Brandon P. Otto
For all the depth hidden in Scripture, it can often appear barebones to the storyteller; frequently only the simplest actions, the most basic order of events, is described. One can hunger for more detail, for more color, for more character. … [Read more...]
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