No longer a clump of cells? Mainstream press stories on unborn use ‘baby’ language...
Julia Duin
Inspiring. “Uplifting,” “amazing” and “beautiful.” Those were some of the praises lavished on an upbeat Washington Post story about a 28-weeks-pregnant woman with COVID-19. As she was overtaken with respiratory failure, obstetricians quickly delivered her very premature twins in March. It was at the height of the coronavirus crisis...

Run away from safe schools, safe spaces and safe sex. Seek wholesome and holy dangers instead... ...
Sean Fitzpatrick
There is a strong push from President Donald Trump, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and educators across the country for schools to resume in-person, full-time instruction despite the fears and dangers associated with Covid-19. Even the CDC issued an article recently on the importance of reopening America’s schools this fall, estimating that it is actually more dangerous for children to be out of school than in school...

The ingenious reason why the Dutch wait less at traffic lights...

Catholic churches continue to drop David Haas hymns after multiple accusations against songwriter...

Was Beethoven a Catholic believer? The case of the ‘Missa Solemnis’...

A priest’s hopeful message for parents of fallen-away Catholics: “Be patient... God is waiting”...

Could you die for Jesus? We have one way of finding out...
David Mills
Christians seem to like this meme. The line usually goes with one of the classic pictures of Christians being martyred. Like the one above, showing Christians in a Roman coliseum as the hungry lion sees them. The line is: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” It’s funny, and a good reminder of where your faith can take you...

Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto’s ‘Letter to the Faithful’ announcing excommunication of schismatic priest...

Fix your focus – A homily for the 19th Sunday of the Year...
Msgr. Charles Pope
Although I am currently resting and offline, I am posting this homily from three years ago with the help of a friend. The Gospel today is about faith and about focus. It teaches that although storms and struggles inevitably arise, we have a choice as to whether we focus on them or on Jesus. The message is clear: “Keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on!”

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Even in times of darkness, God is there’...

Takeaways from the Vatican’s ‘Thursday Thunder’...

This Sunday, step out into the storm...
Tom Hoopes
The wind is raging, the waves are taller than the boat. The night seems never ending, and even Jesus isn’t calming the storm. Do you hunker down and go where the wind takes you? Do you grit your teeth and wait for the end? Or do you step out into the storm? That is the question the Gospel and readings ask us this Sunday, the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Are you discouraged? Don’t lose heart. Here are some practical things you can do to fight discouragement...

People keep asking: Why does press say ‘religious left,’ as opposed to ‘Religious Left?’...
Terry Mattingly
Every now and then, readers — or people I meet in daily life — ask this question: Why do journalists write so much about the Religious Right (capital letters), while devoting way less digital ink to the actions, policies and beliefs of the religious left (no capital letters). That is a complex question and you can hear me struggling with it all the way through this week’s “Crossroads” podcast...

Today’s lesson from Rome is about perspective and patience...

The dangers of canceling culture...
Fr. George Rutler
In the ethnic tradition of Anglo-Saxons, the “patter songs” of Gilbert and Sullivan have been the equivalent of contemporary rap music. Learning the repertoire was part of the expected rites of passage and, in the 1960s, I did my duty, even attaining to the heights of playing Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, a baronet disguised as young farmer Robin Oakapple in a New York City production of Ruddigore. In the second act, portraits of Robin’s ancestor come alive and step out of their frames to curse him as he writhes in unspeakable agony. While I quickly fell from that peak in my theatrical career, I still have clippings of critical reviews that thought my plangent voice and shrieks of pain were convincing.

The best ways to reheat and reuse leftover french fries...