The Problem with “Chosen Families”
Listening to a radio broadcast recently, I heard an interview of a woman who was advocating for more freedom for women. Basically, she said that women should be free from ...
Are We Becoming “Junkified?”
One of my favorite all-time Saturday Night Live characters was Debbie Downer, a fictional person created and portrayed by the show’s regular, Rachel Dratch. Debbie could always be counted on ...
Can the Ordinary Become Extraordinary?
When I read gospel passages like the following from the Gospel of John – the whole of which was read in Catholic and other churches a few weeks ago – ...
What Hiking and “Church” Have in Common
My wife, Amparo, and I were blessed over the Labor Day weekend by a visit from our son, Sean, his wife and two sons, aged 8 and 10. They live ...
How Could God Possibly Love Us?
I don’t recall how, but I recently came across the above painting of St. Jerome by a 15th century Italian artist named Benvenuto Tisi da Garafalo. Being nearly illiterate in art, ...
How Fear Threatens Us
I’ve told this story to many people because I think it’s a fascinating illustration of how fear often gets the better of us. I heard the story from my wife’s, ...