Bishop's Column: In Truth and Charity
St. Vincent de Paul and St. Juan Diego
The following is the text of the homily delivered by Bishop Rhoades at the annual Mass with the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fort Wayne on Dec. 9 at […]
Columns Archive
The Sunday Gospel
Abundant is the goodness and mercy of the Lord
Second Sunday of Advent Mark 1:1-8 The second part of the Book of Isaiah provides the first reading for this Second Sunday of Advent. When this book was written, God’s […]
A more human society
What is sex for?
It began with reports that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, over many years, used his power over aspiring actresses’ careers to sexually harass and exploit them. The allegations soon extended to […]
Perspective
The art of giving, the challenge of Advent
Oprah Winfrey sang and clapped when presented with the $69 lunch box that made her 2017 “Favorite Things” list. “I looooove!” she belted out in mock falsetto. She didn’t need […]
Perspective
The democracy of the dead: intellectual formation
When I think about the intellectual dimension of priestly formation, my mind instantly turns to my favorite chapter of G.K. Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy,” entitled, “The Ethics of Elfland.” (As an aside, […]
Perspective
A museum for which to be thankful
On Sept. 29, 1952, publication of the complete Revised Standard Version of the Bible was celebrated at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C., and the principal speaker was U.S. […]
The Human Condition
Christ’s human face in glory
It is a doctrine of the faith that, at the Incarnation, the Eternal Son of God, without the loss of His divinity, took upon Himself a complete human nature. That […]
Perspective
Why poetry matters
Richard Wilbur died last month. He was, Dana Gioia said, the finest poet of his generation and the greatest American Christian poet since Eliot. Here’s an example of why I […]
The Sunday Gospel
Prepare your hearts for when the Lord returns
First Sunday of Advent Mark 13:33-37 This weekend the Church begins Advent. It also is the start of a new liturgical year. Each liturgical year is carefully planned so that […]
Bishop's Column: In Truth and Charity
The God-who-comes
The Advent season is about to begin and, with it, the beginning of a new liturgical year. The Latin word “Advent” is a translation of the Greek word “Parousia,” which […]
The Sunday Gospel
The Lord is our shepherd, protector, judge and king
Feast of Christ the King Matthew 25:31-46 Next week, a new year will begin with the First Sunday of Advent. This weekend, the Church concludes its liturgical year of 2017 […]
Perspective
Destroying my freedom — in the name of freedom?
In an August 2015 column in The Washington Post, George F. Will argued in favor of physician-assisted suicide, summing up his perspective this way: “There is nobility in … affirming […]