A Catholic writer not for the faint of heart

Flannery O’Connor doesn’t buy into part-time Christianity, writes columnist Effie Caldarola. In O’Connor’s novels she focused on the mystery of the Incarnation. Accepting Jesus was a matter of life or death, not a Sunday morning nicety.

Talk about accountability — it’s time for business ethics

The recent $13 billion JPMorgan Chase settlement has Jesuit Father William Byron thinking about ethical conversations. And a good place to start is a report that says the 2008 financial crisis was avoidable: it was the result of human actions, inactions and misjudgments, and warning signs were ignored.

NCYC shows young people are eager to embrace their faith

There were hugs, handshakes and high fives shared throughout the weekend.

Lots of them. When you’re among 23,000 of your peers having the time of your life, teenagers do that kind of thing.

Report: Sexualization of girls distorts childhood and society

A report said “sexualization and objectification undermine confidence in and comfort with one’s own body, leading to a host of negative emotional consequences, such as shame, anxiety, and even self-disgust.”

Is the situation hopeless? Difficult, yes, but a report from the American Psychological Association suggested several ways to counter the influence of sexualization as seen especially on television.

The war on the poor, and agents of relief

On the front lines of this war, defending the poor, is the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. As regular as turkey and football on Thanksgiving, this time of year brings criticism of that agency for doing what the church should be about.

JFK anniversary inspires memories, sadness and regret

The anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination leaves me saddened on many levels. Like other Americans who were alive at the time, I keenly remember how devastated the country was. Looking back, I see how the young JFK was growing in his presidency and imagine what he might have accomplished.

‘Tis the season to calm down

The days of Thanksgiving and Christmas are crucial for we who desire to be better, do better and reflect all the good that God has given us. We are celebrating a marvelous gift, one given freely, with complete love. Simply put, if we take the holidays too seriously, we will seriously miss the point.

Breaking the silence between parents and teenagers

A movement that originated in the Philadelphia area a few years ago called “Speak Up!” aims to summon teenagers out of emotional separation from their parents and create a welcoming environment where youngsters can be heard by parents.

Looking for heroes in real-life nightmares

The annals of World War II literature are full of heroes who challenge us to question how we would have responded to that real-life nightmare. So here’s one more hero: Blessed Restituta Kafka, the only nun in Europe sentenced to execution by beheading at the hands of the Nazis — pray for us.

It’s time to reverse the gun culture in America

Let’s admit firearms for recreational use, but what justification is there for automatic weapons? Some say we need automatic weapons to protect ourselves against a government. Where does this disbelief in the functioning of a democracy leave us?

It is well past time to unwind the gun culture in America, or accept it and wonder if the next trip to the mall, school or airport will be your last.