Many ideas that used to be considered absurd are now considered wise. For example, the idea that disbanding police departments will make people safer. Or that increased government spending will reduce inflation. Or that persuading groups of citizens...
In The Making of a Christian Leader, Ted Engstrom wrote: “The world needs men who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not...
Like most Catholics, I’ve lulled myself into thinking that I’m doing pretty good: Mass on weekends, daily Breviary, contemplative prayer… until I had a rude awakening. During a recent residency week in a spiritual direction formation program I...
During the American Revolutionary War, a distinguished gentleman in civilian clothing observed a corporal in the uniform of the Continental Army ordering his men to move a large beam. Because it was very heavy and the men were struggling with it...
I can remember the days before refinancing, adjustable rate mortgages, student loans, automobile leasing and multiple credit cards. Sounds like a long time ago but it actually wasn’t that long ago – sometime in the 1960s. Now maybe for some people...
On this 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, I want to begin by putting in front of us some phrases I am sure you have all heard. “Talk is cheap, it’s actions that count.” “You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” “Actions speak louder than...
In May of 2004, the NAACP held a gathering to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the court decision that struck down Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that the separate but equal doctrine was inherently unequal and...
It’s easier to point at others than at ourselves. If you doubt me, try this—extend your arm and point straight ahead. Now turn your hand and point at yourself. The difficulty is not just anatomical; it’s also psychological, a fact increasingly...
