Perspective
The Virgin Mary is never alone
I once heard Mexican-American theologian Father Gary Riebe-Estrella, a priest of the Society of the Divine Word, tell a story that has stayed with me for many years. Let me paraphrase. […]
Columns Archive
Perspective
Following Jesus leads to eternal life in heaven
Fifth Sunday of Easter John 13:31-33a, 34-35 Once again in this Easter season, the Acts of the Apostles supplies the first reading for the Mass. It reports some of the […]
Perspective
A death we can be happy about
My husband’s grandfather, Leo Zawatsky, passed away just before Easter. He was 99 years old, a World War II veteran, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dziadek, (“Dodju” or “grandfather” in […]
Perspective
Playing politics with the unborn
The essentially unprecedented leak of a draft of the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on the night of May 2 has posed a singular challenge to one of […]
A more human society
A bias against children’s lives
Thirty years ago, my wife was 16 weeks pregnant with our third child. At a routine prenatal checkup, our doctor suddenly looked very concerned and said she couldn’t hear our […]
Perspective
‘Jesus is with us still’
Fourth Sunday Of Easter John 10:27-30 The Acts of the Apostles supplies the first reading. It gives a glimpse into the modus vivendi of St. Paul as he moved across […]
Perspective
Digital detox: how to guard the mind and slow the pace
It was time. Time to get away, to unplug, to finally write that novel. Time to prove he could resist the barrage of texts and tweets, news and notifications in […]
Perspective
Why did Christ’s glorified body still have wounds?
Several of the Resurrection accounts stress that Jesus showed the disciples His wounds. On one level, we can understand that He was trying to make clear to them that the […]
Perspective
A pro-life witness from the young ones in the roost
Once again this spring, our family is blessed to be preparing to welcome another member. As we get closer to D-Day (B-Day?), every “third child” stereotype is playing out in […]
Perspective
Peter’s commission becomes our commission
Third Sunday of Easter John 21:1-19 Again this weekend, the Church presents as its first reading for liturgy in Eastertime a passage from the Acts of the Apostles. The mere […]
Perspective
Why culture was healthier when Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers were around
When I was a kid, it was a bit of a rite of passage in my family to receive permission to stay up late enough to watch Johnny Carson’s monologue on […]
Perspective
Dehumanizing one another
A female sharpshooter nicknamed “Lady Death” has recently become a Ukrainian folk hero for defiantly attacking Russian soldiers undercover. The young markswoman fought for several years in eastern Ukraine against Kremlin-backed […]