Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
Earlier this year Pope Benedict XVI gave a series of weekly addresses on the Doctors of the Church. On March 30 he spoke about Saint Alphonsus, saying he “had a realistically optimistic vision of the resources of good that the Lord gives to every person.” A lot in that statement...
An old Chinese proverb says, “If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people.” To build a future, we must fill people with hope and equip them with the resources to get...
In 1990 South Africa, it was evident that political inequality had to change. Soon after President F. W. de Klerk made a speech to parliament in which he called for a nonracist South Africa, a joke started making the rounds: Two solutions were in front of the country, one practical and the...
I turned 50 in May. When my physician informed me that I should steel myself for a gauntlet of medical tests, I added my voice to the chorus of people in and out of the health care industry asking, when does the testing get to be too much? When a...
Raising a family is hard work. Millions of small decisions make up the balancing act required to create a healthy home life for children. My hat’s off to the women and men who commit their lives to their families. They should take comfort in the Gospel’s reminders that even Jesus...
In November, the Church focuses on the “life to come” aspect of Christianity. Days that commemorate the communion of saints and the faithful departed launch us into the month. The feast of Christ the King, which proclaims that the redemptive work of God is destined to embrace the life of...
Writers and thinkers have described the good life in several ways: So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.—Helen Keller And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your...
Why do some people express concern over applying business principles to Church operations? Is it a belief that business deals with matters the Catholic Church doesn’t, like generating wealth and building stock dividends? What business practice is of value to the Church? With Pope Francis’ recent election, now is...
Therapists working with patients unable to make a decision because they’re paralyzed by fear or anger often use a technique called reframing to give them a different perspective. Similar to putting a new frame around a familiar picture, therapeutic reframing enables situational details that were once hidden to emerge. The...
“Just where is your head?” Growing up, I often got lost in my own world instead of focusing on whatever was at hand. I’ve since learned that I take in information primarily through listening. Unless I make an effort, I tend to miss a lot of nonauditory details—especially visuals—and what...
As we ring in this new year, we are given the opportunity to change our behaviors or attitudes. Catholics, of course, are encouraged to throw themselves wholeheartedly into this practice during Lent. However, counsel from all corners tells us there’s no time like the present to begin. So, too, with...