It is often said that the father of all sins is pride. If that is the case, then their mother is surely covetousness, the strong desire or wish for what someone else has. Covetousness has its own Commandment: “Thou shalt not covet . . . ,” and it is...
Once known by the name Smeagol, Gollum is an infamous and troubled trickster seen throughout the fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Featuring a sort of Jekyll and Hyde personality split, Gollum became who he is as a result of the corruption...
In the Litany of Humility taught to me by the Miles Christi order, I have always seen a paradox in asking to be granted a “continuous memory of my sins.” I’ve read commentaries on Ignatian spirituality that take various sides on this theme...
When Pope Francis said early in his papacy who are we to judge in relation to homosexuality, he added a layer of complexity, not only to his public perception, but the Catholic Church as a whole. The Bible seems to underscore the plain meaning of...
OxiClean in hot water is the latest stain remover that I have been using with some success. Homemakers, however, might recommend something more efficient. The bottom line is that once we know how, even the toughest stains should come out. We all...
A married couple, Ardith and Jerry, had many problems in their marriage, but were trying to work things out after being separated for over a year. During the separation Ardith had met a man named Bob, who lived in a city four hours away, and she...
One of my favorite weeks of the year right now is the residency week for a spiritual direction program I am in. This program requires me to travel each June to the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, North Carolina. The 2018 week was a...
In 1962 and 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of rulings that forbade praying or reading the Bible in public schools. Since those decisions, teen pregnancy has gone up by 700%, sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high, the...
