Commentaries
Owning latest technology does not equal happiness
When I opened the box at the back of my closet, I didn't know I was going to be sucked into a time warp. In it were memories of a bygone age: Neon scrunchies, papers for English class, notes passed in class and a bunch of fascinating, obsolete electronics, like my old iRock MP3 digital music player and battered yellow Game Boy.
Pa.’s Catholic bishops call for fair, realistic immigration reform
In a statement released Aug. 30, the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania urged support of a five-point plan for immigration reform that upholds the God-given dignity of every human being.
Sing a prayer of thanks for busy cantors’ service
Did you ever wonder what it takes to celebrate Mass on Saturday or Sunday? Well, from the musical perspective it’s pretty amazing. A“normal” Mass has 11 (yes, 11!) pieces of music. From the “Gathering” hymn to the “Sending Forth” there are pages and pages of music that are sung and played. On one recent Sunday […]
Today’s parents bring a different way of parenting
This month we took a vacation with all of our children and grandchildren. We stayed at a cottage my parents bought 50 years ago. There were quite a few aunts, uncles and cousins nearby.
Achieving quality jobs and fair compensation
Today's economy is paying the price of the peak of the popularity of productivity two decades ago. It was difficult then to pass by a Borders, B. Dalton or Waldenbooks without seeing windows and shelves full of books touting the blessings of productivity.
The mysteries and tales souvenirs can unveil
When we envision souvenirs, we usually think of trinkets that commemorate an event, a person or a place. Recently, I visited an exhibit on souvenirs at the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington, D.C., that changed my concept of them.
Facebook envy: on the outside looking in
It can be easy to trigger Facebook envy. Just go online and check the latest updates from seemingly countless "friends." Each and every one is having a great time while you ... you stare at that screen, sitting on the outside looking in. It can seem like a never-ending barrage of excerpts from those old cliche family Christmas letters. If you base reality on Facebook, every family has had the most marvelous year. Their children, while not perfect, are oh so close to it. Yes, it's good to hear from them but, come on.
Keys to a successful life
Sometimes, the mind makes odd connections. Mine recently connected three people -- Johnny Manziel, Steven Rhodes and Ashton Kutcher. For those who aren't familiar, Kutcher is an actor, Manziel is a football player and Rhodes is a Marine.
The ideological divide
One of the ill fruits of the church's ideological divisions has been a dangerous split between those who are "social justice Catholics" and those who are "pro-life Catholics." This fracturing of the Gospel message and the core teachings of the church has led to a host of unintended consequences. Layered onto this polarization has been the erosion of Catholic identity in some sectors of the church, and a kind of ideological vigilantism in others. Both can lead to a tremendous distrust of institutional church structures and a readiness to ascribe nefarious or self-serving motives to those Catholics with whom one disagrees.
Making peace with Iran
The United States maintains a number of important strategic relationships -- Israel, China and Russia come immediately to mind -- that have the potential to make a significant impact on the current geopolitical landscape. But perhaps the most important relationship the United States maintains, the one likeliest to have the greatest short- and long-term impact on global peace, is with Iran.