Viewpoint
O Come, O Come Emmanuel: A Christmas Reflection
The story that we narrate and celebrate at Christmas needs no rehearsal. We know it by heart. The story has... Read more
Recovering the notion of original sin
One of the topics that catechists preparing parents for the baptism of their child must explain is the notion of... Read more
Rediscovering the Authentic Catholic Vision of Purgatory
On November 2, the Church throughout the world celebrates the Commemoration of All Souls, a day which, though popular in... Read more
News Items that Caught my Attention Recently
In clearing out my “Viewpoint” shoebox at the end of summer, I found a few items that might be of... Read more
On Praying the Psalms on Behalf of the World
The Psalms are the most famous poems in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Yet praying them can often be difficult for the... Read more
By the age of 10, young Catholics are losing their faith
Two national studies produced by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), based at Georgetown University, found that... Read more
Bishop Robert Barron: a great gift to the Church
One of the brightest moments in the history on the Church in the U.S. in the past year was the... Read more
How Christians can deal with the experience of suffering
Richard Harries, former Anglican Bishop of Oxford (U.K.), wrote a book some years ago entitled Art and the Beauty of... Read more
News that caught my attention recently
In clearing out my “Viewpoint” shoebox for June, I found a few items that might interest readers. Here are three.... Read more
Why lay liturgical ministers should wear albs at Mass
In my status as a retired-but-still-working priest, I have the opportunity to fill in for Sunday Masses in a variety... Read more
How to work the Spiritual Works of Mercy into your Holy Year of Mercy
There are many ways to observe the Holy Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis last December and continuing until... Read more
Some items that have caught my attention recently
I have more material in my “Viewpoint” drawer than I could ever write columns on. But here are some brief... Read more
Prayer of acceptance is a neglected mode of address to God
In his most recent book, Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner (widely known for his... Read more
Eight reasons college students turn away from the church
A recent blog on Huffington Post written by religion commentator Bob Smith lays out what he has found from experience... Read more
The practice of fasting has many dimensions
Fasting is one of the practices associated traditionally with the season of Lent. Lenten fasting is rich in meaning and... Read more
Lay ecclesial ministry programs need careful implementation
Lay ecclesial ministry programs are a significant development in the Catholic Church in the U.S. Candidates are proposed by the... Read more
Some items that caught my attention recently
I find that my occasional brief commentaries on news and other items are popular with readers. So here are some... Read more
Broken reeds, smoldering wicks, and the Church’s ministry
Every time we come to the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, I think of one of my favorite... Read more
Child sexual abuse is not just a Catholic problem
The movie “Spotlight” (which I saw last week, and thought remarkably fair—not at all expressive of the familiar media attacks... Read more
'Spirituality' without 'religion' does not hold up
When Bill de Blasio was elected Mayor of New York in 2013, he told reporters at a press conference that... Read more
