Pope Francis is featured in the latest Time 100, which profiles “the 100 most influential people.” President Barack Obama was selected to describe the influence of Pope Francis. He writes: Rare is the leader who makes us want to be better people. Pope Francis is such a leader. His Holiness has moved us with his… Read More Barack Obama: Pope Francis makes us want to be better people
In a remarkable communiqué, the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land has put Christian persecution in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring in the proper perspective. The persecution of Christians in the region is real and gravely serious, but it does not exist in isolation. Other groups are… Read More A Prophetic Rejection of Sectarianism and Defense of Human Rights in the Middle East
Pope Francis (in last year’s Mass for the inauguration of the Pontificate): “I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be ‘protectors’ of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and… Read More Quote of the Day
Here are some highlights of Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa’s (the preacher of the papal household) Good Friday homily: “Mammon, money, is not just one idol among many: it is the idol par excellence, literally ‘a molten god’ (see Ex 34:17).” “Mammon is the anti-God because it creates an alternative spiritual universe; it shifts the purpose of… Read More Money is the Anti-God, the Idol Par Excellence
On Palm Sunday I got out a little bit earlier than I normally would, especially after a decidedly non-Lenten Saturday night. I wanted to see the Passion play put on by the Life Teen group at my parish, and they don’t perform it at the mass I usually attend. As it turns out, while the… Read More One year and thousands of miles later
Check out these recent articles from around the web: Friends of Merton by Dan Horan: “Thomas Merton continues to exercise an ‘apostolate of friendship,’ bringing people together across many divides. If you haven’t met Merton and his friends yet, I encourage you to do so.” The Five Lessons of Good Friday by Fr. James Martin,… Read More Around the Web (Part 2)
“What are you doing for Lent?” A few years ago, when I was a parish youth minister, I asked the students to think about ways they could truly live the season. There was a lot of discussion about giving things up: technology, certain foods, picking on a younger brother or sister. Some mentioned collecting money… Read More What Are You Doing For Easter?
