Commentaries
When invisibility is a curse, not a blessing
Back when I was a kid, I used to think it would be really cool to be invisible. Like any kid, my thoughts back then were usually all about how invisibility could benefit me. Invisibility meant that I would be able to goof off as much as I wanted. It meant that I would hear what the other kids were saying about me when they thought I wasn't listening.
Helping others carry their cross helps us, too
As Lent begins this month, I recall the Stations of the Cross, in particular, the station in which Simon helps Jesus carry his cross. It captures my attention. Simon, most likely on a long pilgrimage from Cyrene (in today's Libya) to Jerusalem for Passover, was "compelled" into service by the Roman soldiers. What did he feel? Not given a choice, did he bemoan his bad luck? Did he wonder how he could take on this burden given his own fatigue? Did he worry about being tainted in the service he was about to render to a "criminal"? Was he moved by compassion for a man beaten, tortured and made a spectacle for the public?
Finding the good news in the news
One of the first questions a news editor asks when hearing a story idea is, "Is it news?" Generally speaking, if the story is about something ordinary, for instance, "Dog bites man," the answer is often no. If it's uncommon, "Man bites dog," then the story is one step closer to clearing the hurdle of newsworthiness.
The Irony of Two Miles and 50 Years
If we think we live in demanding times now, look back at events in our lifetime. Some may drift into history and then provide comfort. Nuclear War and Civil Rights are two events that come to mind. In each, the church had a role with thoughtful teachings on the issues speaking to the moral questions involved.
National unity can emerge from national difference
I tend to think of myself as a United Stater. Not that I'm un-American or not proud to be an American, but I think all who share the part of the planet where I live should be mindful of the fact that there are South Americans, Central Americans and some North Americans who, like Canadians, are not United Staters. We U.S. citizens hold no monopoly of ownership on the name "American."
Set aside a ‘Super Bowl’ day for serious discussion
Football's Super Bowl is remarkable for its ability to have gained such a secure place on the national calendar. Since it began in January 1967, it is all but a national holiday. The Super Bowl has proven that Americans will dedicate a full day to concentrate on a game. What would it take to replicate the same intensity to another event of more importance, say a National Day of Reflection?
Great inventors come in all ages
What do you do when you or someone you know has a problem with no solution? Every life-changing invention -- from the ancient advancements of agriculture and the wheel to the things we take for granted today, such as airplanes, cellphones and the Internet -- came into being because someone, somewhere, had a major problem they needed to solve.
Focusing on food waste as Lent nears
According to a study by Britain's Institution of Mechanical Engineers, up to 2 billion tons of food are wasted annually. This happens in a world where close to a billion people go to bed hungry. In my own city, while I indulge in an extra cookie I don't need, lots of little kids face hunger daily.
What’s good about a Catholic education
There were no Catholic schools in the farm town where I grew up. So, at our mission parish, the priest would travel to another town to bring religious sisters to teach catechism on Saturday mornings.
Time to consider national service for young people
What if we had a national service program in the U.S. today that included not just military service but elder care, child care, resource conservation, rebuilding the decaying urban infrastructure and more? What if we made the national service law applicable to all American men and women, ages 18 to 20?