Commentaries
Where were you, God?
God suffers with us even in tragedies like the Philadelphia house fire. Effie Caldarola's thoughts turn to the boy who survived and who needs our refuge and support.
Contraception, abortion and splitting the atom of human sexuality
In his encyclical "Humanae Vitae," Pope Paul VI predicted the dire consequences of manipulating the marital act, as current statistics on poverty, violence against women and human trafficking attest, writes Gina Christian.
Four ways that mourning is a blessing
Paulist Father Richard Andre shows how the "sure and certain hope" we hold as Catholics that life is changed, not ended, can help us live the beatitude to "comfort those who mourn."
How do we comfort those who mourn?
One woman's gentle presence as a parish ministry leader enables her to serve the needs of grieving parishioners, a key to evangelization and to living the second beatitude.
Americans aren’t as far apart as we think
Despite ample distrust, our differences are not as huge as we fear, writes Greg Erlandson. Parishes could bring people together for acts of service where diverse Catholics can work shoulder to shoulder on what unites us.
Let the light of Christ shine through 2022
Sarah Hanley of the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia reflects on how everyone can resolve this in New Year to think more about their neighbors, contribute time, abilities and money to charity and live the Gospels more fully.
The beatitudes: Poor in spirit
In the first of a new series on the beatitudes, we see the blessing of those who are self-empty and the promise of the kingdom of God entering the world through them.
Jesuit Father Walter Ciszek: Poor in spirit
Father Rick Malloy tells how his fellow Jesuit was a broken spirit after five years of solitary confinement. Only then could his own poverty lead him to see the poor as brothers and sisters.
Jan. 6 insurrection is still a crisis for American democracy
The political purge underway in the Republican party Democracy in the U.S. is as vulnerable to demagoguery as anywhere else in the world, as the failed putsch of last year showed. But the anemic response to it is just as concerning, argues an editorial.
2022: Expecting the unexpected
The better we know ourselves, the better we can handle unexpected occurrences, writes Maureen Pratt. And regular prayer is a good way to gain better insight on ourselves.