COLUMNS

In the Footsteps of Popes

THINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME by Mary MorrellRetreatants engage in time-honored papal practiceA number of years ago, Father Eugene Hemrick, a Catholic News Service columnist, wrote an instructive column about the value of the silent retreat.

Fire, snow and wind: faith that withstands the elements

The men had just left morning Mass when they spotted the flames. It was the second Monday of November, and they’d been without electricity since Saturday. Torrential winds had toppled trees and power lines, so they’d been keeping warm with a big fire in their lounge.

An encounter with God will lead people back

Besides just sending their children to religious education or to Catholic schools, how can we encourage more families to come to Mass?  That seems to be the most popular question I get these days. It’s a great question, but I don’t have an easy answer. 

Let us never grow weary of doing right

There is a Norwegian proverb that reads: Heroism consists of hanging on one minute longer. When I was a child in elementary school one of the stories assigned to us told the story of a young boy who had fallen through the ice while skating and was left clinging, cold …

Faith means clinging to God's grace in the storm

It seems unreal that more than two weeks have passed since the effects of Hurricane Sandy were felt along the East Coast of New Jersey and beyond. The storm made landfall on a Monday and life on the barrier islands here will never be the same.

Advent & the art of anticipation

Twenty five years ago Hallmark introduced a simple device that revolutionized the mechanics of gift giving: a paper bag attached to two handles.

King Herod and the Wise Men

The Christmas story is surely one of the greatest stories ever told. It chronicles a birth from which the world records time as before or after. Moreover, it is written in a way that has inflamed the romantic imagination for 2000 years. This hasn’t always been for the good.

Remembering the gift of a friend and a crust of bread

THINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT MEEvery year, as Christmas approaches, I find one of my most memorable lessons happens while singing with the parish choir. Each time the lesson is different, but always unforgettable.

Say yes to new risks and new graces in 2013

Barbara Benson Keith’s wake-up call came while chatting with a fellow kindergarten teacher at the end of a school day.

Learning lessons from a peacock's feet

Nature has always fascinated me, especially animals. Like many people, I feel a particular bond with animals of all kinds, and am delighted with any chance encounter with my feathered or four-legged friends.

My top book recommendations for 2012

Concerning taste, there should be no disputes! St. Augustine wrote those words 1,700 years ago and their truth applies not just to taste in food, but also to taste in literature.

An Alaskan cruise, a path to priesthood

Matthew Bearth was 17 when he set out on an Alaskan cruise that changed the course of his life and led him to the seminary. Today the 2o-year-old college junior loves to recount that northern voyage.

You play a big part in evangelization and communication

For as long as the Church has existed, the individuals who advanced the faith were the ones to break new ground and set out on new journeys. The early evangelizers risked their lives to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

'Cast thy burden on the Lord' is an invitation to faith

Lately, at the end of a busy day, on my long drive home from work, I’ve been turning off the car radio for a welcome time of silence. But, inevitably, interrupting the silence are the soulful tune and lyrics from an Otis Reading song that keep running through my head: …

Recalling the life and wisdom of a Capuchin

God-incidences I like to call them.Just a few days ago, as I was drifting off to sleep I had thoughts of a story I had written almost 15 years ago about a 90-year-old Capuchin priest, Father Hyacinth Dabrowski.


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