2019 Summer Reading Recommendations:On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer by Antonin Scalia On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer is a compilation of addresses, speeches, and excerpts from judicial opinions by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, interspersed … Continue reading
Politics
Knitting
Attention artistic vandals! Looking for a cozier creative medium than graffiti? Try yarn bombing, the urban art that bedecks everyday objects (traffic posts, bicycles, city busses, etc) with colorful displays of crocheted yarn. Although steeped in the ideological debates of … Continue reading
A 70th Anniversary
Seventy years ago today, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. This declaration quickly became the most translated document in the world, available in over 500 languages. The language of rights … Continue reading
An Undivided House
Social-justice-warrior Catholic or conservative Catholic? Advocate for the oppressed immigrant or for the unborn child? Must the two be at odds? Either of these issues could demand the full dedication of a person. And there are far more than these … Continue reading
GPS pro Anima
I was speaking with someone recently who confessed that, even when she knows where she is driving, she’ll use her GPS. “I like having a voice there talking to me,” she explained with a sheepish laugh. “It keeps me company.” … Continue reading
In Defence of “Thoughts and Prayers”
After a tragedy, politicians take to Twitter and TV and offer their “thoughts and prayers” to victims and families. For some it seems to be an automatic response to terrible suffering. In the last two months there has been a … Continue reading
Mary’s Peace Plan
Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in Dominicana in September 1947 by Br. Vincent Ferrer McHenry. He was ordained a priest on June 9, 1949. In his almost sixty-five years as a priest, Fr. McHenry served as a college … Continue reading
The Glamour of Evil
In the middle of the rite of Baptism, right before the water is poured, the parents and godparents are asked if they reject Satan and “the glamour of evil.” It’s a curious phrase. Their whole life ahead of them, young … Continue reading
You Too Were Strangers
Having heard a very different speech earlier in the day, my Dominican brothers and I sat down in our chapel a few Fridays ago and heard these words from the Prophet Moses: On your fathers did the Lord set His … Continue reading
Fake News Is Great News
I have known many men who wished to deceive, but none who wished to be deceived. –St. Augustine “Fake news” has become big news in recent months. How could the proliferation of deliberately fabricated articles be a good thing? It’s … Continue reading
A Sign of Hope
After an exhausting year, which made me grateful that my hope is based solidly upon God alone and not upon any human person or institution, I was nonetheless ready for some sign of hope to start this new year. The … Continue reading
Who Am I?
The philosopher wonders, “why am I here?” He considers the natural order, man’s place within it, and the thoughts of others who have sought to understand man’s nature and what fulfills it. The religious person gratefully asks God, “why did … Continue reading
A Prayer of Christian Philosophy
Why, O Eternal Wisdom, do the heavens move as they do, the rains fall, and the windows fog? Why does my breath make clouds? Why does the oil hover on the water and the light burn up the darkness? Why, … Continue reading
The Church is not a Government
The Church is not a government, and in these not-so-serene days of state debate, we can be thankful for that. A democracy, for instance, is like a babysitter. Her classic question is, “What did your mom say you could do?” … Continue reading
No Trust in Princes
Soon we’ll have a new president. At the time of writing (last week) we were still waiting for the election, still embroiled in pre-election scandal and controversy in a political spectacle that just wouldn’t stop. Today we make the transition … Continue reading
5 Meditations for Election Week
This election has all the attraction of a highway car crash. It’s gruesome to behold, but we can’t seem to turn away. Much of America is disillusioned about the candidates, yet record numbers watched the presidential debates. And like a … Continue reading
Give Us Wisdom to Govern
“Give me, therefore, wisdom and knowledge to govern this people, for otherwise who could rule this vast people of yours?” (2 Chr 1:9–10) Ascending the throne of Israel, Solomon trembled inside. King David, Solomon’s father, had ruled a united Israel … Continue reading
Election Day
I don’t envy Trump or Clinton. They sit underneath the public microscope. Critics from either party want whatever dirt they can find. They clamor for financial statements and medical records. Such scrutiny would make any of us squirm. But just … Continue reading