As of January 2013, same-sex marriage was legal in nine states and the District of Columbia, as well as in two sovereign Native American tribes. Moreover, President Obama and Vice President Biden have declared their support for such marriages, as...
Everyone who has regular interaction with children is helping determine what sort of adults they’ll be; this is obviously most true of parents, but all of us must try to be a positive influence. As someone once said, “There are only two lasting...
Ladies and Gentlemen: In my letter of December 21, last year I proposed that we wade into the great contest for our future, restore the United States to its rightful condition as the “great political light” that it once was, and likewise restore our...
Someone once said that “Parents spend two years teaching children to walk and talk, and eighteen years trying to teach them to sit down and be quiet.” This tongue-in-cheek observation reminds us that while parents and others with influence over...
The second week of Lent is upon us. By now, we should have gotten into the rhythm of our Lenten routine of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. As St. Paul notes in the second reading, “Our citizenship is in heaven.” Everything we do should emanate from...
It was the early 1990s and I had just finished a lecture to a group of educators on the teaching of critical thinking. Several people came up to the podium for further discussion. Though I’ve forgotten most of the exchanges, I remember one very well...
The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent (Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; 2 Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36) are the oldest we will hear during this holy season. Their use by the Church goes back nearly one thousand, seven hundred years. In the Fourth...
This Lent, try this strategy: Be very specific. Don’t merely say, “I want to pray more or I want to lose weight.” Say, “I want to add 10 minutes more prayer time every day” or “I want to lose 20 pounds.” When mapping out a strategy also be very...
