Commentaries
On Father’s Day, pray for flawed and deadbeat dads
Fathers receive almost no preparation for their crucial role in the family, and some fathers make the worst of mistakes. Carolyn Woo calls for empathy for imperfect fathers everywhere.
Are we (really) listening?
Although we retain less than a quarter of what we hear each day, there are skills to help us understand and engage better -- for important talks or even in prayer -- writes Maureen Pratt.
Young adults: The world needs your voice
Writer Patrick Laorden has noticed fewer young adults at Mass. And they are not engaged in ongoing social ministry. Where are they? The upcoming synod on youth will likely ask that same question.
Loud music makes for hard times in the neighborhood
In their Marriage Matters column, Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain write of a couple dealing with a bad neighbor. The husband wants a confrontation, the wife a conciliation.
Inspired by a saint, doctor helped ban procedure before her death
The husband of Dr. Amy Reed, who died of complications from cancer last month, reflects on his wife's battle against the medical industry aided by her faith and the model of St. George.
Seek the common good in the sausage that is the federal budget
Effie Caldarola finds the proposed federal budget a confused and confusing document that would slash spending for the poor. She seeks a national conversation on poverty, wealth and compassion.
This is what Christian persecution looks like
Worldwide, 322 Christians are killed and 214 churches or Christian properties destroyed every month, according to one estimate. Greg Erlandson urges us to be moved to prayer by these martyrs.
Did Mom sign up for messy family life? Yes, she did
Laura Kelly Fanucci's work as a mother means washing stomach-churning laundry, comforting a crying newborn and working through her home's daily conflicts. It isn't glamorous. It is a service of love.
‘Freedom of choice’ becoming a right to coerce
Richard Doerflinger believes "freedom of choice" is showing its age as a slogan. But since it has a myth of neutrality, some doctors and insurers are preferring to demand death over choosing life.
How is your use of tech affecting memory and imagination?
Dangerous addictions and positive upsides to using technology call for a healthy balance, writes Brett Robinson, and that starts with asking, What is all of this technology practice forming us for?