Commentaries

Divine Mercy heals victims of abuse, and perpetrators

Msgr. Ralph Chieffo has spiritually guided victims and perpetrators of child abuse. Once they let go of anger and sadness, the divine love of Jesus can bless them with peace and the ability to make amends.

Use your words to share, and witness to, your faith

Parents can powerfully shape the faith of children at any age, writes Laura Kelly Fanucci. By speaking openly about their spiritual path, mothers and fathers can serve as models for a relationship with God.

Catholics have a moral duty to fight anti-Semitism

Rejecting gun violence is only the first step in rooting out this ancient evil, says an editorial. The church must move past empty gestures and challenge "deranged ideologies" that flourish in a toxic political culture.

When his wife becomes a holiday elf, a husband is left on the shelf

Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain prepare a couple for the busy holiday season, counseling them to prioritize their time and activities while keeping the real "reason for the season" in focus.

After the synod on youth, be present

Young people matter, and their presence in the church is critical -- for the good of them and the church. That's what gives synod participant Katie Prejean McGrady hope, despite some cynical commentaries.

Ever-new question for young Catholics: ‘What are you going to do?’

That's the question 29-year-old Katharine Drexel once pondered, and the same one today's youths must answer with the help of their elders walking the road of faith with them, writes Father Thomas Dailey.

Imagination: The open road where God speaks to us

Great books and movies can open our unique capacity to imagine the love, joy, peace and mercy that God wants to bring into our daily lives and vocational choices, writes Sister Rose Bernadette Mulligan, I.H.M.

Repair the world through mustard seeds of faith

The Oct. 27 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was not an isolated act, but part of growing trend of hatred and fear, writes Mary Hood Hart. More than ever, we need to live out Christ's love to heal the wounds of sin and division.

Choose to hope, even if it doesn’t come easily

In these rugged political and social times, one can wake at night with anxiety, the opposite of hope. But Effie Caldarola finds encouragement in people whose action for justice impels us to hope.

The slow reform: No quick fixes for the evils we face

Be it abortion or the sexual abuse crisis, the unraveling of evil takes place over a very long time, writes Father Eric Banecker. The solution to sin is quiet, lengthy conversion. The problem is us. God has great victories in mind.