by Father John Catoir I spoke to a group of first communicants recently, and at the end of Mass, I asked the entire congregation to give them a hand of applause. Everyone stood up and applauded. I told children that they owed a debt of great gratitude to their parents, who not only feed, shelter […]
by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk People often surmise that same-sex attraction is inborn, and that homosexuals are “naturally gay” or “born that way.” They suppose that if God made them that way then it must not be a sin to act on their sexual desires. The possibility of a “gay gene” is sometimes offered as a […]
Father Eugene Hemrick BETWEEN 380 and 400 international priests enter the U.S. priesthood yearly, according to the study “International Priests in America: Challenges and Opportunities” (Liturgical Press), by the late Dean R. Hoge and Dominican Father Aniedi Okure. Although American-born priests still outnumber international priests substantially, the study said, priests among second-generation immigrants, together with […]
by Therese J.Borchard In a previous column, I listed some reasons to be Catholic, a ready response to throw at people who question why I would be part of such a flawed religion. But by far the best resource on this subject is a book hot off the press from my longtime mentor and co-editor […]
by RoseAnne Cleary
By Father John Catoir Accepting God’s will is the goal of a healthy spiritual life. Acceptance of God’s permissive will is an advanced stage of personal holiness. Holiness is not the reward of a lifetime of loving service; we give a lifetime of loving service because we are holy. Holiness is not what happens to […]
by Father William J. Byron, S.J. I’ve been reading and talking a lot about health care in recent weeks. Whenever someone mentions health care “reform,” I find myself always thinking (and sometimes saying), “No, it’s health care finance reform that is the issue,” not reform in general. No one wants to dismantle or reform the […]
by Effie Caldarola Recently it was announced that the Catholic bishops of England and Wales are bringing back meatless Fridays as a form of penance in their dioceses. I have mixed feelings about this no doubt well-meaning effort to reintroduce penance into the lives of Catholics. Years ago, when the long-standing practice of abstaining from […]
by Father William Byron, S.J. “Ex ore infantium” are the Latin words for the Scripture phrase that Jesus quoted in reminding His hearers that “out of the mouths of infants” praise and sometimes even wisdom can be spoken (Mt 21:16). Jesuit Father Mark Horak, pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., reversed that […]
