I don’t know how many times during the summer that someone said to me: “The world is in a mess.” I knew immediately what the speaker meant. Often reading the first page of a newspaper can be depressing.
Arts and Culture
Fr. Robert Lauder is a philosophy professor at St. John’s University and the author of “Pope Francis’ Spirituality and Our Story” (Resurrection Press).
The Value of Persons
As I read Pope Francis’ “The Joy of the Gospel” for the third or fourth time, I continue to discover sections that seem new to me. What I mean is that they strike me in a new way or say something that I appreciate in a new way.
Pope Francis and Theology
Sixth in a series
One of the unfortunate occurrences of the last 30 years is that a growing distance seems to have grown between some Catholic theologians and some members of the Catholic hierarchy.
A Film Apostolate
At this time of year various parish programs are being evaluated and decisions are being made to improve them.
A Revolution of Tenderness
In the fifth part of his series, Father Robert Lauder takes a closer look at “The Joy of the Gospel” and Pope Francis’s suggestion that some people want to avoid the social dimension of the Gospel.
Pope Francis’ Optimism
Fourth in a series
Going through Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” for the third or fourth time, I have been thinking about why I find his writing so inspiring.
Attraction, Not Proselytizing
There has been a great deal of talk in recent years about the new evangelization. Everything that I have read or heard about it makes a great deal of sense to me, but I find that some people don’t have a clear idea about what it means to be an evangelizer.
Disillusioned Catholics Are a Serious Issue
Second in a series
I don’t think I am a negative person – a kind of “doom and gloom” Catholic – but I do spend a considerable amount of time reflecting on problems that make it difficult for people to embrace the Christian faith.
Living as Graced Images of God
First in a series
This series on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” has been planned for some time.
Visiting the Catholic Worker
Occasionally I offer my services to the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality on the Bowery in Manhattan by giving a lecture that I hope those who live in the House and those who attend the regular Friday evening lectures might find interesting.