Perspective
Life-giving sacrifice in Lent
I would bet that when Msgr. Robert Coll began an interdenominational drive against world hunger in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1975, he had no idea he was becoming an important part […]
Perspective Archive
Perspective
Sorting through ‘solutions’ to the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Each year, human immunodeficiency virus infects about 50,000 people in the United States and more than 2 million worldwide. Reducing the number of infections with this virus, which causes AIDS, […]
Perspective
‘He Ain’t Heavy …’: the death of my same-sex attracted brother
“I don’t believe in hell. If there is a hell, it can’t be any worse than my life here.” These were the most striking words from my 55-year-old, same-sex-attracted brother […]
Perspective
Sex education ‘opt-in’ bill receives hearing in House committee
A bill to establish the state’s sex education program as an “opt-in” rather than an “opt-out” program received a lengthy hearing in the House Education Committee on Feb. 15. The […]
Perspective
America magazine’s survey of women in the Church
Last month, America magazine published a fascinating survey regarding the attitudes of women in the Church. They were kind enough to publish a few of my reactions to the study, but I would like, in this […]
Perspective
Pork Roll, Lent, and Catholic identity
A few weeks before Ash Wednesday, an Associated Press squib with Lenten implications appeared in the Washington Post sports section: “* YANKEES: New York’s Class AA affiliate in Trenton, N.J., […]
Perspective
The placebo effect
Thomas Jefferson once said: “One of the most successful physicians I have ever known has assured me that he used more bread pills, drops of colored water, powder of hickory […]
Perspective
Racial healing and God’s mercy
In 1961, there was a best-selling book called “Black Like Me.” It was the story of a journalist named John Howard Griffin, who changed his skin color from white to […]
Perspective
Lenten listening: What do you hear?
There is an ongoing debate in our home on how well my husband can hear. He doesn’t always catch the conversation, particularly so in noisy venues. Sometimes I will loudly […]
Perspective
Finding beauty
Recently, I stopped to chat with a young mother — who shall remain nameless — after Mass. We talked briefly about this and that, but not without a few self-deprecating […]
Perspective
Truly empowering women?
The biggest news at the Golden Globes this year was not which television series won the most honors. It was Oprah Winfrey’s speech, saying of the “brutally powerful men” in […]
Perspective
Waltzing on ice: on crisis and community
When it came time to interview prospective sailors for his expedition across Antarctica, Earnest Shackleton had clear-cut criteria. He had to pick the right men for his journey to the […]