On Dec. 25, Christians throughout the world will direct their eyes to the crèche, remembering the birth of our infant Lord. In Bethlehem, hidden from all except the poor and lowly, God has pitched his tent among us. How are we to
Across the country, election signs are forgotten. The newest governors, senators, congressmen and women, mayors, and county commissioners will soon take up their offices. As residents of the United States, our elections are endless occasions of hope. If only the right party
Catholicism is a faith that sees the gift of institutions. We open up Catholic schools for the education of children and seminaries for the formation of priests. We develop parish programs and processes for evangelization and catechesis. We engage with the state,
Stinginess is a mark of a fallen world. We’re stingy with goods, refusing to share everything with the poor. We’re stingy with prayer, bypassing divine worship for emailing or meetings. We’re stingy with our time, refusing to share a life of fellowship
In the Gospel of Mark, it is rare for a disciple or one of Jesus’ interlocutors to understand him. The scribe asks Jesus, “What is the first of all commandments?” Jesus responds that all the commandments are fulfilled in the divine ordinance
Roads feature prominently in the Scriptures. In Jeremiah, the prophet speaks the Word of the Lord to Judah, still in exile in Babylon. The moment of their captivity is over, and it’s time to return home to Jerusalem. But the faithful remnant
As Mel Brooks once said, it’s good to be the king. It’s good to have absolute power. It’s good to know that every eye in the room is attending to your presence, waiting to exchange but a single word with you. At
In Genesis, we discover the reason for the overpowering sorrow caused by divorce: Men and women were made for communion. The Lord creates Adam from the dust of the ground, breathing life in him. Yet, Adam is lonely. God seeks to soothe
In the Book of Wisdom, the term “wisdom” does not simply refer to “wise” decision-making. Wisdom is instead connected to the Law, to giving one’s will entirely over to God’s will. The Book of Wisdom describes wisdom as a woman who is
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus repeatedly does something we’d consider odd. Our Lord performs a miracle, in this case “opening” the ears of a man without hearing, and then “ordered them not to tell anyone” (Mk 7:36). This is doubly peculiar