A more human society
Valuing truth over faction
Confirmation of a new justice for the U.S. Supreme Court has been halted, at least temporarily, by an accusation that the nominee when 17 years old tried to force himself […]
Columns Archive
Perspective
‘It has been an honor to be a physician and see miracles like this’
I would like to tell you a story about one of my all-time favorite patients. This happened many years ago. Only a few people in my family and a few […]
The Sunday Gospel
Only that which is of the Holy Spirit endures
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 The Book of Numbers, the source of the first reading for this weekend, is one of the first five books of […]
Perspective
The truth that set him free
“I believe the Lord has put me here for this very moment. Throughout all of the pain, the Lord has never left me alone. He has continued to love me, […]
Perspective
Opioids, pain management and addiction: balancing ethical duties
Almost 2 million Americans are now addicted to opioids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that more than 100 people die each day in the U.S. from opioid overdoses. […]
Perspective
Praying with children
Next month, Pope Francis will host a synod of bishops on the theme of “Young people, faith and vocational discernment.” This may seem uncomfortable, even incongruous, given the crisis the […]
The Sunday Gospel
‘If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all’
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 9:30-37 Protestants, accustomed to reading the King James, or Authorized Version, of the Bible, often ask why Catholic versions of the Scriptures include the […]
Perspective
Sacraments, not social events
A common pastoral problem today is that many people have reduced the liturgy and the sacraments to ceremonies. To be sure, they have ceremonial aspects, but they are not mere […]
A more human society
Good and bad ideas on Church reform
The ongoing discussion of clergy sex abuse has moved to proposals for Church reform. The immediate need is for transparency and accountability. Charges against former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, and […]
Perspective
Breaking up with your phone
I’ve been emailing my friend Becky, a newspaper editor in South Dakota, about our growing desire to unplug. We used to compare notes on “Dancing with the Stars,” but lately […]
Perspective
Can we pay others to donate a kidney?
Often, we envision donating our organs after we are dead, but we can also choose to become an organ donor while we are alive if we share part of our […]
The Sunday Gospel
Discipleship means denying ourselves, following the Lord
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 8:27-35 The last and third section of the Book of Isaiah provides the first reading for this weekend in ordinary time. This passage is […]