Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
It’s the eyes that get me. With the Mona Lisa, it’s the smile. With The Scream, it’s the open mouth. And what pulls me into the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is the look in Mary’s eyes. They hold you in a steady gaze, sad and hopeful, as...
People of faith sometimes disapprove, reflexively, of the stuff that constitutes modern life: movies, TV, the internet, social media, commerce, psychology, pop culture, and more. It’s easy to discount these things. They don’t necessarily grow from the same ground as those things that are the foundation of our Catholic faith....
It’s hard being an American Catholic in an election year. Humans are tribal, and American political parties—and factions thereof—are sometimes brutally tribal. If you’re not a member of the tribe, you’re looked on with distaste, disdain, contempt, fear, and worse. Such polarization makes it easy to show what tribe you...
In our daily work here at Liguori Publications, we often discuss how to best write about our faith. A big part of writing effectively about faith is recognizing how crucial the internal journey is. That spiritual journey within is our theme for this issue. In addition to Liguorian, Liguori also...
I probably learned to count by praying the rosary with my family, mostly because I was calculating how many prayers were left before I could go do something else. The rosary was a thread that ran through the life of my family. One of the last images I have of...
It’s December and almost Christmas. It’s also time (sigh) to hear about the “War on Christmas.” You probably have heard about this so-called war. Certain writers, commentators, and politicians assert that corporate America and the government are waging a war to remove “Christ” from Christmas. The story goes that only...
As I remember it, I was five when I opened the door to a strange visitor who showed up at our house on Halloween. He or she was taller than most trick-or-treaters and wore a makeshift costume of a long coat and one of those hard plastic masks, the kind...
I am pretty sure I know the exact moment when I blew my chances at a college scholarship. I was a senior in high school enduring an interview with the scholarship committee, and I fumbled my answer to a question about a defining moment in my life. My answer concerned...
I’ve recently been reading Laudato Si’ (praise be to you, my Lord), Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment. It’s an extraordinary document that gives us, as Catholics, some hard assignments. Encyclicals are detailed, thoughtful letters from the pope that are intended to guide addressees in making decisions. This encyclical is...
Over the last few months at Liguori Publications, we’ve been developing a new parish program designed to help couples prepare for the sacrament of marriage. The program includes a video of interviews with couples. Some have been married a couple of years, some for decades. In each interview, the husband...
Mary is our focus in this edition, with a special emphasis on her representation in the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. As you may know, Liguorian and Liguori Publications are named after St. Alphonsus Liguori, a doctor of the Church and founder of the Congregation of the Most...
Daffodils are emerging, blossoms are appearing on trees, and I’m due for my first bike ride of the year. It’s spring, a time of release—from the cold ground, from secret places in branches, from the dusty garage. It is also, of course, the season we celebrate Easter, when Jesus rose...
Back in the last century—in the days before mobile devices and the internet, before texting and webcams—my dorm room housed an instrument called a telephone. To keep long-distance calls as inexpensive as possible, my parents devised a signaling routine. I would call home in Springfield from my dorm room in...
Welcome to our September issue, in which we celebrate the joy of renewal. As discussed by columnist Kate Basi in “Just Live It,” the act of becoming new is constant. This month, for example, students are back in school, breathing in the scent of crayons, old books, or new laptops—renewing...
A dusty eight-inch knight in armor stands guard on my desk, holding a letter-opener lance in his gauntleted hands. Years ago, he stood watch on my father’s desk. Next to the knight sits a well-worn prayer book, stuffed prayer and holy cards, that belonged to my mother. I keep these...
Welcome to our December issue, in which we mark the seasons of Advent and Christmas. The season always brings to my mind memories of Christmas vacations when I was a kid. What do you remember about your Christmas vacations? Were they brimming with excitement and anticipation, itchy from new sweaters,...
Welcome to January’s issue of Liguorian, where our theme is diversity and unity. For me, the theme has a special resonance as I think about Pope Francis and his inspirational words and actions. In a general audience in October, the Pope addressed the joy and power that can be found in...
The human brain works better when we walk. We think more clearly and more creatively. Our memories get better. We learn things more quickly and more completely. Our concentration is stronger. Walking reduces the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other health problems. You may know all this from your...
Let me start by acknowledging that I’m a big fan of pop culture. I don’t like everything, but pop culture offers music, movies, art, books, and other works that can be entertaining, energetic, and redeeming. So please note that I speak here as a fan of pop culture. But pop...
The theme of this month’s issue—faith-filled women—feels very familiar to me. I’ve been surrounded by faith-filled women my entire life. Maybe you have, too. While my father was an important and devoted presence, my mother and aunt taught me the day-to-day application of my faith. My wife’s quiet and practical...