When the calendar flips past Thanksgiving, that means two things: leftover turkey sandwiches and a month of hyper-saturated, over-the-top Christmas commercialization. Yesterday, CNN reported that between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, U.S. consumers generated $59 billion in revenue. “Black Friday” may be welcomed by accountants who see their corporations climb into the black, but it… Read More Season of Giving
We Americans are fascinated by individuals. We are drawn to their stories of sacrifice, endurance, and accomplishment. Programming from this past summer’s Olympics linked personal narrative to individual achievement to get viewers to root for athletes by sharing their stories. We marvel at rare feats like Felix Baumgartner’s free-fall from 24 miles above the earth. … Read More Not the Time for Heroes
Last year I had the privilege of teaching a theology course on Christian faith, service, and solidarity. It was filled with more than sixty college students (mostly seniors) who were deeply committed to these topics in their personal life and wanted a more rigorous, academic exploration into subjects like altruism, compassion, kinship, and advocacy. It… Read More Shouldering Our Weight
A little over two weeks ago, Fordham University had the privilege of hosting an evening of conversation about Catholic faith, humor, and joy with Fr. James Martin, SJ, Stephen Colbert, and Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York. The event was immediately sold-out and due to a media blackout, was only shared live via texts… Read More The New Evangelization?
On a retreat with college students earlier this year, we collected everyone’s cell phones as a way for students to disconnect from all they left behind and to be present to the group during our time together. When I looked in the plastic bag that held all the phones, I had a hard time believing… Read More Would Jesus Own an iPhone?
Fifty years ago today, Pope John XXIII proclaimed that the Church is a “Church of all and in particular the Church of the poor.” This statement, from a radio address one month before the opening of Vatican II, was further developed in a number of council documents that articulated the nature and mission of the… Read More Fifty Years Later, Are We Still the Church of the Poor?
Millennial 