Everyone experiences feelings of overwhelmingness, depression, and hopelessness when personal problems, physical challenges, and troubling thoughts become too much. During these times, what is the
Throughout the United States, over 600 volunteers have dedicated themselves to setting captives free. They set seniors free from the captivity of spiritual isolation during
Two essential elements of magic are misdirection and distraction. These two elements enable the magician to perform all sorts of “magic” tricks. Confidence tricksters also
Midlife crises can be downright stupid. Mine came in the form of an inspiration to try jiu-jitsu for the summer. I’m 47. Everything started out
Over the course of a year there are a couple of occasions when my old buddies and I get together. Although we are aging, and
Link to Part I. A Hidden Language: Emoji Codes and the Illusion of Parental Oversight There’s something deeply unsettling about watching a parent read their
I’ve worked with families for over two decades—in mental health as a counselor, then as a teacher, and now in ministry. I’ve walked with parents
After five years of living in Italy, the inevitable finally happened. I got sick. After feeling terrible for a couple days, despite my general avoidance
Fasting has always been a part of the world God created. As St. Basil the Great tells us “It was the first commandment that Adam
When I was a young stay-at-home mom, I earned a little income and kept myself intellectually active by giving guitar lessons. Sometimes, as often happens
Each morning we wake up to a brand-new day. I think how we do that sets the tone for the day. Waking Up Having been
A person with empathy has a deep emotional bond with others. This bond results in the ability to often feel others’ joys and sorrows with
Years ago there was a bumper sticker that said “Quitchyourbellyaching” (i.e., ‘Quit your belly aching’) The message was simple – stop complaining. It’s a message
Suffering is one of the most profound mysteries in human life. Suffering appears, at first glance, to alienate us from joy, peace, and even from
Background Fifteen years ago, I was fascinated by prophetic commentary from a health care law expert (Amazon review of Diagnosis Critical, 10/24/2009): Catholics may have to
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Crossing to Eternal Life Today, the
For many woman Rachel’s Vineyard is a sanctuary. It’s like an oasis in a desert of emotional turmoil. So just what exactly is Rachel’s Vineyard, one might
At times it may seem that the pursuit of virtue is little attended to in our current culture. Instead, virtue signaling seems to be more
Many in the northeast have seen the “Tunnel 2 Towers” commercial with legendary NY Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte supporting this great program. Pettitte’s statement in the
It’s time for a change of seasons. But instead of going from summer to autumn, it appears that it’s time to return to COVID season.
Many people taking vacations leave hearth and home for other locales. But my recent vacation took me home. I recently returned to the parish I
When most Americans celebrated this month’s national holiday with fireworks and barbecues, did you refer to the day as “Independence Day” or “The Fourth of
