In the News
If you live in New York State, I hope you have heard of Proposal 1. It is on our election ballot for November 5, 2024. If passed, it will amend our NYS State Constitution to enshrine abortion, procedures that attempt…
Read MoreAs we begin a new school year, sadly we experienced a school shooting in Georgia last week. While it has been a few days since the shooting, I have not heard of a motive for the shooting. Therefore, my following…
Read MoreThe Lord speaks “to those whose hearts are frightened.” Are you one whose heart is frightened? I am. My heart is not frightened in the sense of being scared of the Lord. I know that the Lord loves me. My…
Read MoreDialogue is essential in our quest to see fulfilled what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” If we are to do our part towards “thy kingdom come,” we need to help bring the…
Read MoreLast week I held a current events discussion. One of the questions was very timely as we are just three months from elections. Therefore, I think it is a good topic to present here. A person asked, “What does the…
Read MoreWhy did they do that? In case you have not heard, the opening ceremony for this year’s summer Olympics in Paris Francis, included what has been called a “drag queen led parody of the Last Supper” (CNA staff, “Catholics, others…
Read MoreOn June 22nd of each year we celebrate the memorial of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. St. Thomas More served as the chancellor of England. As such he was King Henry VIII’s “right-hand man.” St. John Fisher with…
Read MoreIn May, the Diocese of Buffalo announced plans to merge 1/3 of its parishes. As of this morning (6/18/24) a banner on its website says “Rightsizing and Reshaping.” In the business world “rightsizing” is a good thing. It is seen…
Read MoreToday I would like to write about something that has been on my mind for a while. As I see polarization increasing in our nation to the point where true dialogue almost seems impossible, I want to seek understanding and…
Read MoreI don’t understand…I don’t understand so much of what goes on in the world today. I don’t understand the current protests occurring on college campuses in the United States. I believe in the right of people to protest. However, I…
Read MoreOn Saturday I found myself wondering how close we were to seeing full scale war in the Middle East. Beginning last fall I have been writing articles on the application of Just War Theory on the conflict between Israel and…
Read MoreWe just celebrated our Easter Triduum. The Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood. It continues with the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s death. Yes, we celebrate his death. …
Read MoreLast week I wrote about the hope I saw in the Alabama State Supreme Court’s decision that “embryos are children” (“There is Hope in Alabama”). Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that many people do not get the significance of the…
Read MoreLast Tuesday, I read Daniel Payne’s article, “Alabama Supreme Court rules that embryos are children under state law,” (2/20/24. Catholic News Agency. Accessed online on 2/27/24 at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256891/alabama-supreme-court-rules-that-frozen-embryos-are-children-under-state-law). In the very first line he reported, “The Alabama Supreme Court has…
Read MoreAs I have said before, there are many people who choose not to watch the news because it is full of negativity. I myself watch the news less than I used to because of the negativity along with seeing a…
Read MoreAs we begin the new secular year of 2024, I don’t want to talk about resolutions today. It’s not that I think I’m perfect such that I don’t need to make improvements in my own behavior. I know I am…
Read MoreAntisemitism has been a problem for a long time. It is hostility and/or prejudice against Jews. With the present fighting between Israel and Hamas, the news reports that antisemitism is rising across the world. The increase is likely a reaction…
Read MoreAfter setting up for Mass this morning, I glanced at a Catholic news headline that said, “Dublin archbishop responds to stabbing of 3 children that sparked violent riots”. Ugh! Stabbing children? Why? Why? I clicked on the headline. Reading the…
Read MoreWhy am I Catholic? Traditionally, the answer to the question why are you Catholic was, “Because my parents and grandparents are Catholic.” Being Catholic was part of our identity. One went to church for Christmas and Easter because that’s what…
Read MoreI hope I am not sounding like a broken record that keeps repeating itself. Last week I wrote, “What’s It Going to Take to End the Violence.” There I said the answer laid in tears that came from the depths…
Read MoreThere is a lot of violence in the world today. We see the wars between Israel and Hamas, and the Ukraine and Russia. How many mass shootings have there been recently in our Untied States? Maine, Cincinnati… What’s it going…
Read MoreFor the third week in a row, I find myself beginning a blog article by mentioning the conflict between Israel and Hamas (see “Escalating Conflict,” 10/10/23 and “The Importance of Building Relationships,” 10/17/23). The situation in Israel is important in…
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