WASHINGTON (CNS) – The Supreme Court ruled this week that prayers said before town council meetings in Greece, N.Y., do not violate the Constitution. In their 5-4 decision, the judges noted a historical precedent to opening local legislative meetings with a prayer were not coercive to those in attendance.
Month: May 2014
Heirs to the Promises of Easter
Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, but we are hearing Pentecost readings. We reflect on God’s Voice, God’s Word, The Voice and the voices of those who believe.
I do not open the Bible, read from the Lectionary or pray the psalms without recalling these words.
Mindfulness Doesn’t Replace God’s Help
I’m teaching a slightly unusual college freshman course this spring called “The Virtues.” It’s not quite philosophy or theology, at least not after the typical academic fashion. It’s an attempt to present the virtues as something students might want to practice and not just study.
Humanae Vitae: What If?
Cardinal Carlo Caffarra of Bologna has long been a vocal supporter of the teaching on the morally appropriate means of family planning set forth in “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”).
Renewed by a Grace-Filled Friday Evening
A few months ago I experienced what developed into a grace-filled Friday evening. It was the first Friday of the spring semester at St. John’s University, Jamaica. During the day, I had spoken for almost three hours at the university. By evening, I was hoarse and tired and did not feel like attending a Renew Group meeting to which I had been invited.
Iron Deficiency Can Lead to Anemia
Dear Dr. Garner,
First, I want to tell you how much I enjoy your TV show. My husband and I watch every Tuesday night.
I have a question that I wanted to ask. I am 54 years old and, up until now, have been in pretty good health. I noticed lately that I have been short of breath with tiredness all the time. My heart beats irregularly.
Honor of Motherhood
The second Sunday in May officially was proclaimed as Mother’s Day in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson. It came after a campaign by a woman named Anna Jarvis of Grafton, W.Va., who first celebrated it in 1908 as a memorial for her own mother. Since then, it has become part of the nation’s spring calendar. […]
One Busy Month Leads to Another
Most of us in the DeSales Media office are still catching our breaths after the whirlwind that was April. First, there was Bishop Ed Scharfenberger’s installation in Albany, N.Y. Then, we moved right into Holy Week and Easter coverage. Finally, there was the canonization of the two 20th-century popes.
The Gift of Our Mothers
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, It is by a wonderful coincidence that Mother’s Day falls in the month of May dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. As we contemplate the great gift of motherhood, there is no better backdrop from which to view motherhood than looking to the Motherhood of Mary, […]
The Church Is No Place For Status Climbers
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Catholic Church is no place for “climbers,” who want to reach the heights of prestige, power and profit, Pope Francis said.