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At first I was angry. How could parents do this to a beloved child? Framed in their Christmas greeting, the parents beam upon 3-year-old twins; look again, friends and family, mom and dad are employing the card to introduce the child formerly known as Claire as now ‘Clark’ who prefers ‘them’ as a pronoun. Mother gushed: ‘Clark asked us to tell our friends and family who “they” are now…we support whatever “their” journey might hold.’ Are our struggles to guide our children wel

'I write to comfort others as I have been comforted. The word "comfort" means to be strong together, to have fortitude together. There is the reminder of community. Once when I suffered and sat in church in a misery while waves and billows passed over me, I suddenly thought, with exultation, "I am sharing suffering," and it was immediately lightened.' Dorothy Day Chill dry wind blew through my otherwise cozy holiday season. Unexpected. Flimsy walls failed to block the needlin

By Marco Casanova Editor’s Note: TOB is the abbreviation for Pope St. John Paul II’s book “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” Pauline Press I just got off the phone with my girlfriend. It was an important conversation. Weighty. Profound. I decided to share more of my story involving homosexual sin with her. She knew the main details, but I felt led to leave no stone unturned. This lovely woman gave me love where I am least lovely. Moments like this change

‘To make obvious or clear to the eye of one’s heart’ (Gr. epiphany). True desires of the heart may languish until someone manifests what we most value. Jesus drew the searching Magi like a magnet; returning to a people dwelling in darkness, the trio manifested Jesus to every longing heart. Who surfaced subterranean desires in you? I refer not to idols that enslaved but icons who liberated us. Whose face manifested the Savior in such a way that your ‘ache’ found a satisfying e

‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you’ (Is. 60:1, 2). The Kennedy Center Honors this year, lauding five artists for lifetime achievement, were so dominated by LGBTQ+ entertainers that I thought the Human Rights Campaign had shanghaied the whole affair. It’s not just the tedium of Billy Porter wearing a flo

‘Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart’ (Lk. 2:19, 51). Aging agitates me. Docility flows not peaceably from unexpected aches of body and soul: costly medical procedures unthinkable a decade ago, fretting over regrettable decisions, weaknesses (lack of virtual acumen and business sense) that worsen, and daily reminders to not expect of the creature what he cannot give. Can I like Mary ‘treasure up all these things’ and somehow spin gold from straw?

By Abbey Foard "Love consists of a commitment which limits one's freedom—it is a giving of the self, and to give oneself means just that: to limit one's freedom on behalf of another." Karol Wojtyla (Later to be known as Pope St. John Paul II) Whoa Karol. This does not line up with Christmas Hallmark movies! What do you mean love’s commitment limits me? Constraint of my freedom is anathema; I’ve been taught to cast off restrictions when love is at stake. But leave it to a 15th

I tend to prepare myself for the worst on this Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Family. I have heard too many dismal homilies on the too-radiant-to-be-believed triad: you know, ‘be holy as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are holy’, piercing neither the surface of family nor holiness. My pastor proved me wrong last year. He pointed out the disparity between our generosity to family members and to strangers. We write big checks to orphans then all but get restraining orders on family memb

By Abbey Foard We enter the manger tonight and adore Infant Jesus. There He invites us to heal. Let me give you an example from a recent Living Waters Training. Our small group sat still and silent around one precious woman. As Eva disclosed the lifelong impact of abandonment, we felt its weight. Her long pursuit of healing, a few decades of seeking relief, had not secured her at core. At base, Eva’s world was dark and lonely. Her early life—no parental response to her need,

By Katie Comiskey The joy of Advent is often lost on me. As one prone to melancholy, I dwell more on disappointment than victories. Somber devotion suits me better than musing on the triumphant. To be sure, sober meditation is necessary. How else can we probe the depth of the Incarnation? Yet here is the fault-line for me: I miss out on the joy of the season. The Visitation invites me into the jubilance of Advent. Mary hurries to the home of her older cousin, Elizabeth. (I

‘Man becomes truly himself precisely at the point when he recognizes that the highest and brightest Being dwells within him.’ Fr. Alfred Delp A young man once moved in across the street from me. He was an actor-dancer, ‘gay-identified’ and had come to the big city to star in a ‘gay’ holiday cowboy review. Wow. I politely refused his invite to bring my family for the opening. I did promise to be a good neighbor and if it was ok, to pray for him and give him any words I receive

I couldn’t respect Pope Francis more for his heart for the poor. And like you, I love his jocular, down-to-earth style. Yet I find his wisdom on sexual pastoral matters as clear as mud. Early this month, Francis let go of Archbishop Aupetit--leader of France’s most important diocese—due to the Parisian’s alleged boundary-crossing with a female aide. We don’t know its meaning. Talking to a reporter about what he doesn’t know, the pope claims that he accepted his resignation du

‘One is coming mightier than I…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’ (Lk. 3:16). ‘He must increase; I must decrease’ (Jn. 3:30). St. John the Baptist I’ll admit it--I’m shrinking. Once 5’ 10.5’’, I’m down to 5’ 10’’ and dropping. I predict a clean 5’ 9’’ when death do us part. But that doesn’t diminish my fire. In truth, I experience incendiary moments when decades distill into dense oil then combust and flare like a klieg light. I’m consumed; joyfully burning up

‘Advent is the time of the promise, not the fulfillment.’ Fr. Alfred Delp Adele fever is back. Her new album ‘30’ is selling faster than any other this year, and she’s rocking a super-model makeover and new boyfriend who she claims freed her ‘to love herself and to become open to loving and being loved…’ In the same interview, she attributes her recently divorced husband and child with ‘saving her life’ and the substance of her commitment to an intact family. Breaking up that

Jesus is coming and He’s mad. Today’s Advent Gospel (Lk. 21:25-28; 34-36) rouses us, not with carols but a swift kick. The Son of Man—supreme in ‘power and great glory’ (v.27)—will soon shake heavens, pierce clouds, judge earth. Scary. Conclusive. Inclusive. ‘For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth’ (v.35). What? Gimme a break, God. Tough year…Leave me to boozy nostalgia. He persists. Eschewing all sedatives, the God of Advent alerts us to distra

Editor’s Note: TOB is the abbreviation for Pope St. John Paul II’s book “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” Pauline Press ‘One of the good things that comes of a true marriage is: there is one face on which changes come without your seeing them; or rather, there is one face you can still see the same through all the shadows which years have gathered on it.’ George McDonald Annette’s sinus infection kept us up most of the night. Three strong-willed grandkid

By Marco Casanova DSM Assistant Director Editor’s Note: TOB is the abbreviation for Pope St. John Paul II’s book “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” Pauline Press I know a nun whose love of Jesus amazes me. Spirit-filled and made for mission, this sister lives radically in communion with Jesus. She’s concerned about His business. Her celibate offering in the Dominican Republic bore many spiritual children. She mothered people to Jesus. I worked with her fo

Editor’s Note: TOB is the abbreviation for Pope St. John Paul II’s book “Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body” Pauline Press That guy (call him Tom) intimidated me: snorting and glowering as he benched 300 pounds, he typified the type of guy I tend to hate. And envy, with a little lust thrown in to keep me humble. I would see him at the gym on occasion and felt conflicted over the Spirit’s prompt to evangelize him. Jesus reminded me that I need not come under

By Marco Casanova DSM Assistant Director ‘The way to holiness is the path of My friendship. There are many who complicate the way of holiness and who make it seem forbidding and unattainable to others. It is enough to accept My gift of friendship… Let Me love you as a friend. That is enough.’ (In Sinu Jesu, 41) I usually pray in my living room before an image of the Divine Mercy. Blood, Water, and Spirit flow from His merciful heart. Wordlessly. Early in the morning, coffee

By Abbey Foard DSM Executive Director St. Thomas Aquinas’ (1225-1274) hymn, Adoro te Devote, captured me with its melody when I heard it almost a decade ago (listen to a contemporary setting of the melody here). Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee, truly present underneath these veils: all my heart subdues itself before Thee, since it all before Thee faints and fails. Ah, this 'hidden' God, who implores us to seek Him passionately, before whom hearts melt in submission and surr