Jayme Stuart Wolfe Every sincere Catholic hope for a revival of the faith – even if we don’t all agree about what that should look like. But now that the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has begun, and the National Eucharistic Congress being held in Indianapolis is only six weeks away, I expect that the inside baseball…
In its calendar, the Church singles out special seasons to celebrate – Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. But, outside of these special times, it invites us to live and celebrate Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time. For most of us, I suspect, that phrase conjures up images of something that is less than special – bland, flat,…
The Sunday Gospel Ez 17:22-24 Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 2 Cor 5:6-10 Mk 4:26-34 To walk by faith, and not by sight, is one of the challenges and joys of the spiritual journey. This is the invitation extended to all in God’s word this Sunday. As the Church returns to ordinary time, God’s word invites…
Notebook In recent weeks, I presided at the funeral of a young man who died by suicide. He was one of several who died in the same way in recent months here in the South-East. His tragic death was heart-breaking and devastating for his family. In preparing the homily for the funeral Mass, I was…
Q. Can you explain the Church’s teachings about yoga and reiki? Recently a priest gave a presentation in which he said that, to avoid the devil, Catholics should also avoid things like palm readers and ouija boards. He also mentioned yoga and reiki. I’ve practiced yoga on and off for many years and have found…
Roman Cabay To those who knew me then, the idea of my conversion was an absurd prospect. I was raised non-denominationally protestant, variously attending Anglican and Methodist services as well as Sunday school. Church, to me, was an interminable lecture where I fruitlessly attempted to achieve apostasy. Faith was a private certainty of my damnation…
Deacon Dominic Cerrato The issue of admitting women to the diaconate has been, over the past decade, a subject of intense theological debate. In a recent interview with CBS News, Pope Francis unequivocally stated that women cannot be ordained as deacons. This stance, delivered during a ‘60 Minutes’ interview, has significant implications for ongoing discussions…
Greg Erlandson It is always hard to predict how a generation is going to be judged by history. When my dad graduated in 1939, did anyone see that his would be the Greatest Generation? Yet perhaps the stress and pressure of the Great Depression and the nation’s response to that challenge helped forge the courage…
Our own complexity can be befuddling. We are better than we think and worse than we imagine, too hard and too easy on ourselves all at the same time. We are a curious mix. On the one hand, we are good. All of us are made in the image and likeness of God and are,…
Q: A divorced, annulled Catholic friend of mine recently got engaged to another divorced Catholic, who said her previous marriage was ruled “lacks proper form” by the Church. What does this mean? Are they able to marry in the Catholic Church? A: Even as a canon lawyer, it’s impossible to draw firm conclusions about another…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser