In the News
On 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…
Read MoreLast week I wrote about the escalating conflict between Hamas and Israel. Since then, the fighting has continued with many people injured or killed. It looks like Israel is preparing to go into Gaza with ground troops. Clearly the situation…
Read MoreDo you pray for the church? There are two ways we can look at this question. First, if we consider the transcendent church, meaning the church that is beyond human institution, one might say why would I pray for the…
Read MoreLast Saturday I read a news story (Sarah Maddox, “Why thousands of U.S. congregations are leaving the United Methodist Church.” September 9, 2023. CBSnews.com.). You may remember that in 2019, the United Methodist Church held a conference that discussed same-sex…
Read MoreSome people love change. I’m not one of them but I do believe some change is natural and not necessarily something to be feared. Change can be good. There is change we seek. It might starting a new job that…
Read MoreThe national and world news has been a little different in the last week or two. First, I would like to mention the situation in Niger. Where is Niger? It’s in Africa. What happened? There was a coup by the…
Read MoreLast week the United States Supreme Court issued decisions on two cases involving religious freedom. The first case was 303 Creative vs. Elenis (see Kevin J. Jones, “Supreme Court sides with web designer opposed to same-sex marriage” Catholic News Agency.…
Read MoreThe right to choose one’s religion is a basic human right. Yet Christians (and people of other religions) have faced persecution since Jesus Christ walked on this earth. Jesus himself was persecuted. Until Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan…
Read MoreI write this during the second week of our Easter season. It is a season of resurrection. Thus, it is a season of life. If we are to enter into eternal life in the resurrection, we must first be good…
Read MoreLast week I wrote about how our lives can be superficial (“We Need to Look Into Our Hearts”). Today I would like to talk about how being superficial relates to problems in the world today. It starts with the question…
Read MoreI’ve been hearing in the news lately about anti-Semitic comments. I do not know why there is a rise in these comments. The Jews as a group were stereotyped by Catholics as bad for a long time. In the gospels…
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