Commentaries
5 ways the election showed that the times are changing
People are shaking their heads not only about the outcome of the election but about the future of America. Father Eugene Hemrick suggests it's time learn the signs of our times and respond to the challenges calmly.
We won’t make America great by making America mean
People are as angry after the presidential election as during it, but Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski hopes our better angels look for ways that unite and not divide, that heal and do not scar, that build up and not tear down.
Children learned to love the elderly when Mom offered rides to Mass
Writer Helen McBlain tells of the lessons two families learned about sharing the gifts of friendship with seniors who needed a ride to Mass -- one of whom became as close as family.
‘Ask and it will be given to you’ takes on new meaning for helpful sister
Writer Kim Griffin's mission to find a household item for her sister started with a prayer for God's help. After a few frustrating stops, her prayer was answered -- providing a swift lesson in reliance on providence.
Simple acts off the football field teach big lessons of tradition
The coach of Father Judge High School’s freshman football team discovered that his players understood what the coaches had been teaching about sowing the seeds of school pride back into the program.
Words help us give the best of ourselves to one another
At its best, language conveys intricate information, deep feelings and wonderful stories. Maureen Pratt hopes we don't become so focused on our own sensitivities that we lose the ability to relate to people through the words we use.
Your death may be your last, best gift to loved ones
The chance to care selflessly and with deep love for a dying relative or spouse should give pause to those calling for assisted suicide, writes Little Sister of the Poor Constance Veit, who is experiencing her own mother’s final hours.
In delaying start of family, a couple weighs the risks
In their Marriage Matters column, Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain discuss the case of a married couple planning their family, and the natural, less risky methods available to conceive children -- the "crown" of marriage.
Building bridges of compassion is hard work
Moises Sandoval calls on the American electorate to vote for empathy next Tuesday. He tells how today's immigrants are real people with great gifts to be offered, if only we use our hands as the Lord wants.
To ‘fly away’ from turbulent times, or stay and transform them?
People are fed up with our uncouth political atmosphere and echo the psalmist's desire to flee far away. But Father Eugene Hemrick offers St. Paul's advice to configure our hearts to Christ and seek the good of others.