Commentaries
Jesus walked among us. We’re walking away
After tracing the steps of Jesus on a visit to the Holy Land, John Garvey is perplexed by Catholics abandoning the Mass in person. Without the sacrament of the Eucharist, the faith isn't much better than a YouTube video.
How to keep the faith in a faithless age
How do we maintain faith amid social chaos and mind-blowing godlessness? Father Eugene Hemrick offer some questions that can reorient us toward the great gift of faith, which takes diligence to maintain.
3 tips on showing gratitude in this season
During this month of Thanksgiving, Sarah Hanley of the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia suggests tuning out noise, turning to prayer and embracing forgiveness as ways we express our thanks to God for his blessings.
Among the bullets, our hearts are in the crossfire
The relentless cycle of gun violence points to a problem that lies not weapons, but in the depths of our being, writes Gina Christian.
Joy in a ‘fulfillment center?’ No, it’s in service to the poor
In the desert that is our consumer culture, there are paths to true joy, writes columnist Effie Caldarola. Christians should rejoice in building a church that is devoted to the Gospel, about which Pope Francis has written so well.
Synod not about a final report, but changing how we listen
The current global synod underway in the church is more about the journey than the destination -- like the Gospel encounter on the road to Emmaus -- writes Matthew Gambino. It's a permanent countercultural trait that is beginning now.
The joy of encouraging vocations, at any age
During National Vocations Awareness Week, Sister Constance Veit says that living youthfully with a smile is the best way of attracting young people to religious life.
Homelessness and the ministry of witness
Priests, like Father Eric Banecker, and faithful Catholics must be more present and visible so that homeless people can see they have a home in the household of God, which is the church.
The church’s teaching on war and peace
A expert on Catholic social teaching sketches the papal and episcopal statements of recent years as well as documents including those of Vatican II that called for an "evaluation of war with an entirely new attitude."
This holiday season, remember it’s not about you
Last year's holiday restrictions give perspective for making this year a delight, not a disaster, at the holiday table. Laura Kelly Fanucci's own family tragedy leads her to the wisdom that the more mercy we bring to the table for others, the more we will find for ourselves.