Check out these recent articles from around the web:

Our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment by Christopher Ingraham: “In fact, infant mortality rates among wealthy Americans are similar to the mortality rates among wealthy Fins and Austrians. The difference is that in Finland and Austria, poor babies are nearly as likely to survive their first years as wealthy ones. In the U.S. – land of opportunity – that is starkly not the case.”

War, Revenge, and the Eucharist by Timothy O’Malley: “I still see the validity of the air strikes that continue to take place in Iraq and Syria alike. But, the problem for me as a Christian, remains my own twisted delight at the entrance of violence into the world. Rather than acknowledge with lament the continued reign of sin and death with a heavy heart, I found myself celebrating this coronation of death. The gift of peace that Christ bestowed was of little interest to me, as I savored the intoxicating fumes of war.”

What every church should know about preventing suicide by Scott Alessi: “As the understanding of suicide and its causes has increased, so too have prevention efforts. When larger communities learn strategies for preventing suicide, it can make a difference in helping reduce the number of suicides.”

Hong Kong Stands Up by Hannah Beech: “With each Hong Kong citizen who emerged, coughing and crying, to face another round of tear gas, a conviction grew: a quest for liberty is not, as the Chinese government charges, some Western-imposed frippery designed to undermine Beijing’s authority, but a universal aspiration. Let the umbrellas of the world unite.”

The Little Flower by R. R. Reno: “St. Thérèse of Lisieux is important for me, and for most of us, because she guides us away from irony, critique, and self-awareness and toward a literal-minded piety that is childish enough to actually speak to the Lord with the expectation that he will listen—and respond.”

Women and Children for Sale by Colum Lynch: “The trafficking in sex slaves is only one facet of the Islamic State’s violent campaign to transform huge stretches of Iraq and Syria into an Islamic caliphate. Forces loyal to the movement’s self-styled caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have committed multiple mass murders of ethnic and religious minorities like the Yazidi, Iraqi Shiites, and even fellow Sunni Muslims who refuse to “repent” and declare their belief in the Islamic State’s harsh view of Islam.”

Vietnam frees Catholic activist after three years in prison by Vatican Radio: “The Vietnamese government has released a young Catholic activist after more than three years in prison where he risked death from repeated beatings, humiliation and abuse at the hands of prison guards.   The guards even confiscated the Bible of 26 year old Antonie Dau Van Duong in an attempt to undermine his faith.”

Advice for Grad School Students by Nathaniel Peters: “In the end, your study is your vocation, vocation is about love, and love leads to thanksgiving because it is good and is of God.”

Thousands of Porch Lights Switched On for Six-Year-Old and His Dad by NBC News: “On the day Darren learned of his father’s death, his mother told him that his dad would split time between heaven and the moon. So Darren asked his mom if they could turn their front porch light on so his dad could see it shining. And then last week, Darren asked the world to put their lights on, too, to mark the one year anniversary of his loss.”

The Temptation of Either/Or: Liturgy and Loving the World by Hope Boettner: “Learning how to better be an incarnational Church comes in learning that we can hold the people and the Person in tandem. It comes in learning that we can and need to say social justice and liturgy. Relationships and worship. Community building and sacraments. Active action and deep lives of prayer.”

Remember Our Syrian Allies by Robert Ford: “President Obama made the right decision to boost military aid to moderate Syrian rebels last year, but today America’s approach to attacking Islamic State fighters risks undermining the moderate opposition and alienating support among the Syrian public.”