Commentaries
In political war of words, a triumph for conscience
Richard Doerflinger praises a positive new federal regulation that protects conscience rights in health care, chiefly on conscientious objection to abortion, as he peels back the ironies of its opponents.
In praise of dad jokes and divine humor
Laura Kelly Fanucci doesn't know where her husband is getting his newfound corny jokes, but her sons are laughing. That reminds her of the power of humor, and the God of laughter.
Thank God for the interruption
It's inconvenient to meet a homeless person on the street, so we look away. But that interruption is a chance to show a person their value and transform the policies that cause the suffering, writes Patrick Walsh.
Your summer pilgrimage
It seems to Effie Caldarola that everyone but her has walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain. She has her own physical and spiritual pilgrimage this summer, and encourages people to make one of their own.
The work behind true understanding
In an age of jumping to quick decisions, Father Eugene Hemrick calls for a delicacy in speech and demeanor as a way to practice asceticism, or a harmony in life from born of deep understanding.
Show your joy over the gifts we’ve been given
The awe and unbridled joy shown by the graduates of Morehouse College upon learning their student loans would be paid off should be like that of all Christians living in the Holy Spirit, writes Father Thomas Dailey.
Tech as a new tool for contemplation
In a weird reversal, young people are quietly leaving social media sites, handing on popular culture to their elders, observes Brett Robinson. He cites some hidden intersections of technology and tradition.
The algorithm in our heart
Algorithms powerfully shape what we read on social media, but the "digital dizziness" of modern communications comes down to our deepest values, and the code written in our hearts by God, writes Gina Christian.
What kind of world will we leave our children?
Ecological devastation, mass shootings and population control make a pregnant Elise Italiano Ureneck wonder about the challenges faced by the next generation. Youth possess an eye for beauty and a heart of hope that can inspire their elders to create a better future for all.
Every life — including mother and baby — is precious
The simple message from recent abortion-restricting laws is that every life is precious. If we really believe that, writes Greg Erlandson, we must radically support pregnant women, prisoners, the homeless -- everyone.