Columns Archive

National Championship Proclaims Truth that Transcends Football Default Thumbnail
Perspective

National Championship Proclaims Truth that Transcends Football

In a culture whose leaders often seek to privatize religious belief and marginalize expressions of faith, the college football national championship showdown between Notre Dame and Ohio State told a […]

The Power of a ‘Nudge’ to Pray Default Thumbnail
Perspective

The Power of a ‘Nudge’ to Pray

During my husband’s years in business school, he learned about the power of the “nudge”: how to form a new habit by connecting it to a habit you already have. […]

Our Vocation in Life is Simple: Seek Christ and Do His Will Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Our Vocation in Life is Simple: Seek Christ and Do His Will

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time The Book of Nehemiah furnishes the first reading for this weekend. At one time in the Hebrew editions of the Bible, this book and the […]

Total Immersion Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Total Immersion

They say learning a language is like riding a bicycle, but I’m not sure I believe that. Back in the day, I was pretty good at French. Five years of […]

A Eucharistic Word: Holiness Default Thumbnail
Perspective

A Eucharistic Word: Holiness

One of the enduring memories during a recent family pilgrimage to Italy occurred early one morning when my two oldest children, ages 7 and 5, accompanied me to morning Mass. […]

God’s Dogs Default Thumbnail
Perspective

God’s Dogs

I have a confession: I’m a dog man. And I married a dog woman. I’m not talking here about some sort of “Teen Wolf” situation, I merely mean that we […]

Miracle at Cana Encourages Us to Turn to Jesus Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Miracle at Cana Encourages Us to Turn to Jesus

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time The Book of Isaiah furnishes this weekend’s first reading. When this third section of Isaiah was written, the Hebrew people had just emerged from a […]

In Pacific Palisades, Paradise Lost Default Thumbnail
Perspective

In Pacific Palisades, Paradise Lost

I have trouble talking about the loss without tearing up, as if the smoke and ash from Los Angeles traveled across the country to find me. My in-laws were French […]

Make the Virtue of Gratitude a Priority This Year Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Make the Virtue of Gratitude a Priority This Year

Recently, amidst the Christmas season and its festivities, the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) schedule at the parish had us discussing the Eucharist and the Mass. That particular […]

Breathing Life Back into the World Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Breathing Life Back into the World

“We … see all round us every day the living turning into the lifeless. What we never see is the lifeless turning into the living.” – Owen Barfield When I […]

Christ’s Own Baptism Reveals His Plan for Our Salvation Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Christ’s Own Baptism Reveals His Plan for Our Salvation

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is very important to the Church’s process of bringing us to Christ because it reveals […]

Hope and Its Enemies Default Thumbnail
Perspective

Hope and Its Enemies

As a new year begins, it’s natural to look to the future with a sense of hope. But for Catholics, the Holy Year 2025 presents a unique opportunity to explore […]