Michele Bachmann made headlines several years ago by stating a simple truth that Christians had agreed upon for around 2,000 years. Naturally that makes it controversial in modern America. The quote, “The Lord says be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands (Bachmann, 2006),” riled up quite a few commentators. She riled up other commentators when she dialed back that simple concept by stating that she simply meant “respect.”    I am blessed to be married to a man who makes respecting him easy. That has not necessarily made obeying him eas ..read more

In 1898, the British painter, Francis Barraud, created a portrait known as His Master’s Voice that became the symbol for a powerful, upstart company of the 1920s—Radio Corporation of America (RCA).  The painting is of his dog, Nipper, who enjoyed “nipping at the back of patrons’ legs.” When asked about the inspiration for the painting, he said: It is difficult to say how the idea came to me beyond the fact that it suddenly occurred to me that to have my dog listening to the phonograph, with an intelligent and rather puzzled expression, and call it ‘His Master’s Voice ..read more

In What’s Wrong with the World, G. K. Chesterton observed that “In the last analysis most common things will be found to be highly complicated. Some men of science . . . get over the difficulty by dealing only with the easy part of it . . . Materialists analyze the easy part, deny the hard part and go home to their tea.” I was recently reminded of Chesterton’s observation while reading an essay by Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, who is also Migration Chairman of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and in that role speaks and writes on matters concerning immigration.&nbs ..read more

Aleister Crowley passed his baton of sexual depravity to a meek and outwardly man whose early interests centered on his gall wasp collection. This was Alfred Kinsey, who would revolutionize the sexual mores of the American people. As Dr. James Jones, a professor of history at the University of Houston, relates in his seminal study Alfred C. Kinsey: A Public and Private Life, this was a typical activity for the man who helped destroy the traditional moral strictures of the Christian code of personal morality. With Kinsey as a guide, it is not too difficult to understand how ..read more

“I am the Good Shepherd.” This simple, yet most powerful statement, reveals the uniqueness of Jesus’ shepherding. Compelled by the realism imposed by life itself, we do not want to dwell on the fact that in countries where there are real shepherds, they raise sheep for profit. The most benevolent aspect of such profit is usually wool and milk. But eventually, sheep would have to be sold and butchered for human consumption. From what Jesus tells us about himself, we can list the following aspects of the Good Shepherd’s mission. He is so devoid of self-interest that unlike a hired man, he is wil ..read more

As we were praying the Novena of the Divine Mercy that prepared us to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, I felt something very interesting happening. Upon going through the Novena one can encounter similarities with the Good Friday Solemn intercessions. What is the relationship between the Novena of the Divine Mercy and the Good Friday Solemn Intercessions? Before answering these questions let us examine both prayers individually first. As we know the Divine Mercy Novena starts on Good Friday. In her Diary, St Faustina writes the following: Novena to The Divine Mercy which Jesus instruct ..read more

I go to Mass to worship God and to accept the gift of salvation. In Holy Communion, I find that which gives my soul all that it needs. Nevertheless, for much of my life, I did not follow the way of the Christian. I did not comprehend the mystery of the Real Presence when I came to Mass during my adolescent years. I grew up in a religious family and I observed the requirements of my faith. Altogether I was not living an authentically Christian life. What I am about to say is very hard for me to admit. I bring it forward not to aggrandize myself but to give honor to the amazing healing power of ..read more

The wisest among us have long taught the rest of us that the way to solve problems and overcome controversies is to ask important questions, seek answers, and follow the facts. That approach, of course, takes curiosity which many people lack, and diligence, which they have no interest in developing. Those people are content to cling to the notions they find satisfying, to demand that others accept those notions, and to attack them if they don’t. Meanwhile, the problems increase, the controversies deepen, the conditions worsen, and everyone becomes more frustrated. Consider, for example, these ..read more

If greed and material extravagance was the vice of the 19th century that of the 20th century was lust and sexual perversion. English novelist Aldous Huxley let the proverbial cat out of the bag in 1938 when he revealed that the real reason intellectuals of his generation embraced modernism was because of the unrestricted sexual freedom that it guaranteed them. Most biographers of great modernists, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Margaret Mead, or Sigmund Freud have all but ignored their sexual proclivities.   Since the time of Luther and Descartes, the West has accepted ..read more

Almost every day the news media bring into our living rooms immediate images of harrowing pain, hardships, and death from our country and from other parts of the world. We love Jesus too much to be able to turn away from those horrible scenes unfazed, unaffected. The most painful aspect of our empathy for these unfortunate people must be our powerlessness to do something tangible and concrete to alleviate their suffering besides our thoughts and prayers, and the occasional donation. Our readings for the Third Sunday of Easter underscore a very comforting truth: God notices and appreciates ..read more