Commentaries
How badly do we want to return to the church?
Despite expectations that people who haven't come to church for a year might not come back, Greg Erlandson thinks the time is nearing for parishes to reset and become a truly welcoming community.
In tough times, look to St. Joseph
For a model of accepting life's troubles with courage and not giving up, Sister Constance Veit finds inspiration in St. Joseph's "Christian realism," as Pope Francis puts it.
Addiction has risen during the pandemic, but help is nearby
Karl Miller, a recovering alcoholic, knows how isolation and lack of stress relief have led to a rise in substance abuse in the past year. He offers resources for personal, social and spiritual support in sobriety.
In age of relative truths, we’re at each other’s throats
If each person has his or her own "truth" then nothing can be reasonably debated, writes Richard Doerflinger. He argues that Catholics who understand objective truths must engage with the culture.
500,000 dead from COVID — where’s the Catholic lament?
Laura Kelly Fanucci watched the president's memorial ceremony but saw next to nothing from the national or local church. We need rituals to mourn, and we can draw from the beauty of our tradition.
Enriching our ‘domestic church’ this Lent
A deeper reflection on the life of St. Joseph, the Holy Family and the church's teaching about marriage and family life can enrich how we live the call to discipleship in our own families.
Clergy abuse survivor embraces Lent, and God’s plan, again
As Michael McDonnell's journey in recovery moves through Lent, it is a time for him to pray for others who have suffered at the hands of their abusers in the church.
There’s new grass on the field, and hope for humanity
A man after our own heart, Jesuit Father Rick Malloy, hopes for a World Series championship for the 2021 Phillies. Baseball fans know all about Lent's call for patient endurance and the promise of salvation.
Fighting words, and lessons from a marriage
Simple yet powerful lessons from Greg Erlandson's years of marriage, and dealing with conflict, can be instructive for many of the civil disagreements we face -- including, that your wife is right.
Worsening hunger accompanies the pandemic
The economic hardships that cause a rising number of Americans to go without food reminds Moises Sandoval of the Great Depression of his youth. Those hard times have returned to his own family now.