CNA Columns
Housework can be a source of profound spirituality
One of the projects I have been undertaking in my spare time over the past month or so is going... Read more
Eight Hundred Years of Prayer: Lawyers, Faith, and the Common Good
The Catholic tradition of the Red Mass dates back to the year 1245, when the Bishop of Paris brought together... Read more
A man of frugal speech
He is honored as a Doctor of the Church, the Angelic Doctor, the Church’s “very own theologian and philosopher,” and... Read more
The light that the recent Extraordinary Synod offers us
What light can we gather from the recent Synod? Never before has a synod received so much attention. It has... Read more
Ideals and Norms
Is the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, including indissolubility, an ideal or a norm? Although the question may sound abstract,... Read more
The 'Throwaway Culture' Has Arrived at Our Doorstep
Pope Francis has frequently used the phrase “throwaway culture” to lament the very casual way in which we dispose of... Read more
America's Next Saint, St. Junípero Serra
America’s next saint will be the man who evangelized California and is associated with the beginnings of Los Angeles.Pope Francis... Read more
The Paris Attack against Charlie Hebdo and Freedom of Speech
Oxford University Press has a long and distinguished history. From its humble birth in 1480 when it began to publish... Read more
From Paul's Desert to His Garden of Wonder and Delight
Several years ago, I went to see Philip Gröning’s movie, “Into Great Silence,” chronicling the life of Carthusian monks, the... Read more
C. S. Lewis and the Catholic Church
C. S. Lewis, one of the most popular writers of the last century, had a complex and complicated relationship with... Read more
Study and Beauty in the Family and Consecrated Life: Part II
The Catholic Church has a long, deep, and abiding respect for the habits of the minds and for the pursuit... Read more
Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Death to Compassion
In 1993, Oregon’s present governor, John Kitzhaber - then a state senator and a doctor - worked hard to make... Read more
Tua Res Agitur: It Concerns You
In the century before Christ was born, the great Roman poet Horace wrote a wise line: “Tua res agitur paries... Read more
Great Society
President Lyndon Baines Johnson had spoken the words “Great Society” before, but on January 4, 1965 he brought the pieces... Read more
Charism and Consecrated Life: Part I
In popular jargon, the word charisma is used to describe a person with dazzling gifts of charm or grace. Charismatic... Read more
Real Life Heroes: Unknown and Unrecognized
Let’s face it, 2014 was a rotten year for heroes and hero worship. Sure, it brought plucky, admirable people who... Read more
A Child: God's Gift to a Family and the World
In 1843, Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant in London, found himself too busy to sit down and write the... Read more
"My Mom Said We Shouldn't Be Happy During Advent"
The comment caught me by surprise. I was in the middle of beginning a CCD class for fifth grade boys... Read more
Happy Birthday and Thank You, Pope Francis!
Happy Birthday, Pope Francis! You are a true gift to this world and to our Church. It is through your... Read more
Renaissance and Baroque Christmas Music
Every year, Händel’s Messiah seems to claim the center stage of Christmas performances. Yet, there are other classic works no... Read more
