Commentaries
Accepting change as a force for good
Karen Osborne advises young people to take advantage of change even when it brings sadness. Most kinds of change can be turned around, harnessed and used for good.
Keeping an eye out for the quiet hero among us
Jesus is asking us to view others, especially the poor, as he did and not as the world does. He's asking us to be observant of the quiet sufferer, the unnoted faithful, and to model our lives after them.
During holiday feasts, remember the hungry in this land of plenty
The rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer, and the government does little, writes Moises Sandoval. Our battle against hunger cannot end with charity. We must seek systemic change for our brothers and sisters who go hungry.
A father for those who need one
Jesuit Father William Byron sees himself as any priest might -- an unwed father. He sees among many people the need for father-figures like him, and prays more men will answer God's call as he did.
Americans near and far honor Mary, our empress
Father Gus Puleo, a local pastor with a mostly Latino congregation, retraces the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe and recounts the miracle of devotion each year on her feast, Dec. 12.
Mom and Dad’s Christmas: Humbug or happy?
Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain offer some tips for a husband who’s caught up in the festive Christmas spirit and his wife who’s overwhelmed with the work of the holiday rush.
Christmas: The most inclusive time of the year
Pete Sheehan is all for being sensitive to minorities. Yet the irony is that Christmas is perhaps the most inclusive of holidays. If non-Christians enjoy Christmas, then he’s going to wish a “Merry Christmas” to all.
Excitement keeps building for papal visit next year
News of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia is pumping a new vibrancy into this archdiocese and this city, writes Melissa Squarcia Fordyce. He will drive home an important message not just for Philadelphians but for the entire world: family matters.
While running to meet Christ, keep an eye on the poor
As we look for Christ in the least of his brothers and sisters during Advent, we should work to improve society for the common good, writes Amy Hill of the Pa. Catholic Conference.
Widowhood and Christmas
As I head toward my second Christmas as a widower, I now know the challenges begin with Halloween.