Commentaries
An ode to winter
Columnist Father Eugene Hemrick counts all the blessings of our winter wonderland. Really.
President Obama defends religious freedom — overseas
President Obama tried to defend his policies on religious freedom at the National Prayer Breakfast. But Terry Mattingly asks, what about the religious-liberty conflicts currently unfolding here in the United States? And what about Obama's attack on what he considers extreme forms of faith, including people who oppose gay rights?
Addiction’s destruction of the future
Columnist Erick Rommel thinks about an old friend who died from drug addition. He wonders why he didn't see the signs earlier, and wonders about the future that will never be. Mostly, he just misses his friend.
Marriage looks much like the Easter story
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has designated a week in February as National Marriage Week for us to celebrate the blessings of traditional marriage. Carolyn Woo reflected on her native Southeast Asia and a region that shows alarming rates of decline in marriage.
It’s time to end an economy of exclusion
Income inequality doesn't stir much interest other than in those at the very bottom or at very top, writes columnist Stephen Kent. But the vast middle can bring about fundamental, systemic change, the kind called for by Catholic social teaching.
You can’t go back in time, but you can learn from mistakes
In a grief support group, columnist Bill Dodds remembers his wife's sayings and their life together. Regrets -- he's had a few -- are part of life but we can grow from them. The grief is awful, but the love was worth it.
What I learned in the Philippines
Seven cargo ships ran aground in the Anibong region of Tacloban City during Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, as it's called in the Philippines. Three months later, children run and play around the mud-encrusted rudders of one ship.
Media misinterprets the pope’s message to the world
Commentator Peter Lachance finds it remarkable that liberal news sources are complimentary of Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), while conservative news sources are critical of it. We must ensure that youths learn to interpret for themselves what they read, hear and watch, rather than relying on the media’s interpretation.
For wife, retirement is no time to slow down
Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain write in their Marriage Matters column about the tensions when one spouse wants to spend retirement relaxing at home while the other wants to volunteer, almost full time.
The basics of caring for our eyes at all ages
Maureen Pratt sees the value in regular screening for conditions of the eyes and simple tips for healthy eyesight.