Commentaries
In a crisis, look to the poor for guidance
One can take "normal" life for granted, but when it's taken away, those who have little can show how to value what is most essential, and to find an encounter with God, writes Hosffman Ospino.
Virus restrictions help build culture of life by respecting others
To give up in-person gatherings with our friends to protect their lives and health is a great sacrifice and an opportunity to live more fully our Christian calling, writes Richard Doerflinger.
Missing the sacraments? God has something greater planned
While Catholics long for the Eucharist, the church longs for the time when the sacraments will cease and her journey ends with the vision of God. This is the mystery we own, writes Father Eric Banecker.
Antidote of hope arises to banish epidemic of fear
The coronavirus and its disruptions are just the latest sign of a crisis of fear in the U.S., writes CatholicPhilly.com editor Matthew Gambino, but he points to signs of hope that God remains with his children.
An opportunity not to be missed
The coronavirus presents a time of risk and hardship, but also responses of self-sacrifice and appreciation of faith. We're challenged now to live as we have preached, writes Greg Erlandson.
As devotion goes digital, church of the present emerges
With public devotion in groups restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic, the digital paths by which people are gathering for prayer to God have proliferated, writes Father Thomas Dailey.
Past epidemics show today’s action on COVID-19 can work
A century ago Philadelphia experienced Spanish flu and a century before that, yellow fever. Lou Baldwin puts the current coronavirus pandemic in context and shows history's verdict on effective responses.
Heroes needed: Young people, it’s time to step up
The head of Montgomery County's largest food pantry, Martha's Choice Marketplace, says the need for food is skyrocketing. And the need for young, healthy volunteers is urgent. If you've been seeking a purpose, this is it.
Absence of Mass shocks us, as Lent intends
The slow drip of bad news, a radically altered way of life and suspension of public Masses feel like a punch in the gut, writes Father Eric Banecker. We're beginning to see the conversion God envisions for us.
The coronavirus crisis may be an opportunity
Our culture wasted a chance to change after the 2008 recession, writes Greg Erlandson. This pandemic is another chance. We must show gratitude for our gifts, resist fear and think about other people, not ourselves.