Commentaries

The upside to playing in a minor league

Reflecting on his school's NCAA Division III standings, Catholic U. president John Garvey observes that athletes and fans alike can find greater satisfaction in sports when they play for one another, and for the fun of the game.

Biblical wisdom for expectant, ‘older’ mothers

Being pregnant over the age of 35 gave Elise Italiano Ureneck a chance to catch up with (and learn from) women who had significant experience in the field: Sarah, the mother of Isaac, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

The sin of anti-Semitism resurfaces

Violence against Jewish people is on the rise in Europe and America, and Greg Erlandson warns that Catholics must guard against anti-Semitism and not give intellectual cover to those who invoke its slanders.

A few thoughts on Sunday Mass attendance

Empty pews are a call to focus on the corporal works of mercy, improved liturgies and homilies, and a relational approach to ministry that favors real authentic conversion over big numbers, says Father Eric Banecker.

When ‘going home again’ becomes a lesson in humility

Effie Caldarola enjoys a Labor Day parade in her old hometown, and finds few people today remember the prominent leaders of the past. Humility is accepting each fleeting, God-filled moment, she writes.

In praise of today’s seminarians

If you’re feeling down about the future of Catholicism in the U.S. as crises continue to roil the church, note that seminaries haven't emptied. Young men are stepping up in love, and a grateful George Weigel is impressed.

When you see goodness all around, there’s reason for hope

It's hard to find hope in the church or ourselves. The source of hope, and what our eyes should remain open to, is that God loves us, that Christ saves us and that he is very much alive, writes Katie Prejean McGrady.

To change the world, see the cross lifted high

The cross is worn, displayed in homes, set in roadside memorials and carried in churches, and gazing upon it can show us a different world. The gift of imagination can unlock the power of the cross of Christ to transform us, writes Oblate Father Thomas Dailey.

Restless hunger of the heart meets God’s lavish banquet of grace

As college student Laura Lindmeier begins her senior year, she reflects on her summer full of grace and her relationship with Jesus .The hungrier she is for his love, the more she seeks him.

The climate crisis and our chilling absence of urgency

Most Americans want aggressive action on climate change but will sacrifice little for it, writes Carolyn Woo. Meanwhile, the world continues to heat faster -- with costly consequences.