Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
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...
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...
Thieves broke into the empty home of my son’s friend but only grabbed his shoes. Why? Nothing else was worth taking. The young man—I’ll call him Jake—was orphaned at twelve and moved in with an aunt in a rough neighborhood. He was regularly urged to commit crimes and use drugs,...
Written by Virgil Tipton Buried in a musty cardboard box—under a stack of letters, postcards, books, and old bank statements—I found a photo created by a little miracle of timing. My siblings and I believe it may show our parents’ first touch. My mother told us a story years ago...
Catholics began helping right after the shooting and continue to serve with Jesus’ word as their guide. Within hours of the shooting on that hot Saturday afternoon in August, Sr. Cathy Doherty, SSND, understood the magnitude of the death of Michael Brown. A shooting death, any death, yields an aftermath...
Pete Fountain’s face, one of the most recognizable in music, normally glows with a smile, or the corona of one. Not so in the days after Hurricane Katrina. His New Orleans’s home flooded after the levees broke, and his West Indies–style plantation home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was swept...
Written by Fr. Joe Maier, CSsR “To our neighbors and friends: How arrogant we are to dare tell your stories. But humbly we ask your pardon and forgiveness if we have goofed and not told the story properly or showed any disrespect in any way.”— FR. JOE MAIER, CSSR Editor’s...
I’m the captain of a small boat that’s being buffeted by a hurricane. The only other passengers on board are my two terrified children huddled below deck. I grip the lifeline tightly and fight against the waves that try to sweep me overboard. I’m tempted to give in and let...
I have been blessed to have visited many countries: Canada, Mexico, China, Thailand, Germany, and Italy to name a few. My travels have allowed me to experience wonderful and variant cultures. I’ve found that all of humanity yearns for God. And while each person may express his or her need for God in a different...
Jesus’ ministry was devoted to embracing all of humanity, and—plainly and clearly—he charged us to do the same: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). He didn’t make it easy. In reaching out to the pariahs of his day—sinners, tax collectors, the divorced, Samaritans—he taught that our neighbors...