In case you hadn’t heard, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William had a baby in July. As a lifelong fan of the monarchy, I was among those eagerly awaiting this birth. I blame my starry eyes on my grandmother, who was born and raised in Scotland. She married a Yank and became an American, […]

I just read “Take This Bread” by Sara Miles (Ballantine Books, 2008). Miles describes herself as an atheist and “a lesbian, left-wing journalist.” She spent her younger years in restaurant work and covering revolutions in South America. Then one day she wandered into St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. When the priest […]

I have only a vague idea of what’s taught in seminary beyond theology and Scripture. How well are future priests prepared for real parish life? I believe the following exam could reveal any gaps in their education before it’s too late. 1. Many more people came to the parish picnic than signed up. Demonstrate your […]

When I go to a funeral, I look forward to the photographs and the eulogy. No matter how well I knew the deceased, I always learn something. How fun to discover that my insurance agent’s passion was motorcycles or that my frail neighbor was a softball champ. It also gives me pleasure if I can […]

I dislike getting angry. It leaves me shaken and ashamed. I understand anger’s source. We perceive a threat, and a surge of adrenaline gives us the strength to run away or fight back. Knowing that, I can sometimes walk off anger before I say or do something I’ll regret. I tell myself that I’m not […]

I just read a biography of Tom Cruise (it’s summer). Naturally there was a lot about Scientology, and the biographer gleefully mocked its teachings. As I read, I thought to myself, “I could make Christianity sound just as silly.” For example, we Christians believe that God is big enough to create the universe yet small […]

I hear voices. No, I’m not crazy — or no crazier than you are. We’re all continually bombarded with messages from the world around us. We usually start the day with the news, and it’s always bad. Health care costs keep rising, the Middle East may explode, and we’ve ruined the environment. After the headlines, […]

When my daughter was little, she took swimming lessons. At first, she would take a big gulp of air and try to get all the way across the pool. After a few strokes, she’d flounder, gasping for air. Finally, she learned to turn her head and get a breath with every stroke. Then swimming became […]

One of my Catholic magazines is so full of complaints about the church that I’m cancelling my subscription. Still, the articles made me think about this church of ours and what our attitude toward her should be. From the moment he began his public ministry, Jesus was building his church. He selected 12 close companions. […]

Pain. We’ve all had it, and we don’t want it again. Americans spend close to $27 billion dollars on pain relief. At least 100 million of us suffer from chronic pain. Millions more have experienced severe pain from injury or disease. In “The Problem of Pain,” C.S. Lewis explored how to reconcile faith in a […]