Commentaries
Ease consequences of loneliness with human connection
We need to challenge ourselves to be connected with lonely people by inviting the neighbors over or putting down the remote and the phone and laughing with someone, writes Effie Caldarola.
Prayer: Leading us not into temptation
Maureen Pratt tells of a scientific study that showed people who pray frequently are better able to gain control of their thoughts -- resisting temptation, achieving goals -- than those who pray infrequently.
Shame adds to pain of slavery for 30 million addicted people
Those trapped by substance abuse know what they’re doing to themselves and others is wrong, but without help they’re unable to stop. We may be tempted to judge them, but they need our love instead, writes Gina Christian.
Three truths that parenting taught me about Lent
The simple fact of family members bumping up against each other's needs and flaws can teach us volumes about humility, forgiveness and faith, writes Laura Kelly Fanucci.
Gun violence is a bigger problem than armed teachers can fix
Richard Doerflinger applauds a range of solutions to the crisis of violence, but arming teachers isn't one of them. Instead, look deeper at the lack of father figures and alienation among boys, he advises.
For children’s sake, find the courage to combat gun violence
A guest editorial advises Catholics start with prayer to stop school shootings, that God may "burn in your heart the courage to stand up," said Greensburg, Pa., Bishop Edward Malesic. "We have to start taking action to stop this carnage."
‘Boys will be boys,’ or is it time to man up?
A couple disagrees over whether to cut their teenage sons some slack, or to rein them in. Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain advise honest discussions, and above all, prayer.
Catholics want better preaching, but are they listening?
A good Sunday homily is more than a one-way broadcast for priests and deacons, writes Father Thomas Dailey. He notes that Pope Francis has called for brief homilies and for listeners to open their hearts to God's Word.
Despair will not have the last word, Miami archbishop says of shooting
In the wake of the Feb. 14 school shootings in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami wrote this spiritual reflection on how we as Catholics deal with such terrible acts.
Wisdom for the digital age comes from the street of broken dreams
A homeless man's conversation with digital advertising pro Brett Robinson led to a random opening to the Bible and a lesson from God, via his humble messenger, on the value of knowledge over information.