The rise in interest in things mystical is symptomatic of the loss of faith in God By Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM What is occultism, and why is it becoming such a popular topic today? Is it the same as black magic? Is it astrology? Is it all of the …
Chilling words: ‘You know neither the day nor the hour’
Some Sundays the Gospel can be terrifying, such as when Christ reminds us to be ready for our own death By George Valadie I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m willing to bet that—for at least a few of us—what we know about the words of Christ has come to …
Guns and roses
The Church’s spiritual weapon of choice to combat the evil of our times is the rosary By Bishop Richard F. Stika Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. — Luke 2:19 As intense debate continues on the question of banning weapons—be they handguns, assault rifles, …
Ain’t life ‘grand’
Parenting never grows old, especially when you add the titles ‘Grumpy’ and ‘BB’ to the job description By George Valadie It doesn’t happen all that often. It certainly hasn’t been typical for our family. But remarkably, one of our longed-for dreams has come true. Katy, our oldest, her husband, Clint, …
Rights of migrant and country
In considering the issue of immigration, we need to keep two basic rights in perspective By Bishop Richard F. Stika “They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus” …
A study of the cynical Book of Qoheleth
Also known as Ecclesiastes, the book is among the wisdom books of the Old Testament By Bob Hunt I’ve been reading the Book of Qoheleth, also known as Ecclesiastes, attributed to Solomon because of the opening line, “The words of David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1). It is …
Trip to Honduras ‘leaves a lot of emotional bridges’
A daughter’s mission trip to a foreign country brings home the same lessons as her father once brought home By George Valadie I’ve lost track, but I know it’s been well over 20 summers since I had the opportunity to visit Saltillo, Mexico. Though “visit” might not be the best …
Transfiguring icons
Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words By Bishop Richard F. Stika Come up the mountain to me! — Deuteronomy 10:1 The call of Moses by God to ascend Mount Sinai to enter into closer communion with Him reminds us that prayer, like climbing …
Praying for perspective: A journey of a hundred years begins with a few missteps
By George Valadie By the time you read this, another Father’s Day celebration will have come and gone. Believe it or not, I’m actually hoping for some socks. I could hardly believe it after doing the math. This will make 42 Sundays I’ve gotten to celebrate as a dad. Didn’t …
He dwells among us: Build them up with prayer
Our priests need our prayers and to know that we support them By Bishop Richard F. Stika “You made them a kingdom and priests for our God.” –Revelation 5:10 St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests, knew well that, “When people want to destroy religion they begin by attacking the …
Praying for perspective: Senior-class motto could be ‘Oh, the places you’ll go’
Graduates can never appreciate what that means until later, ‘a later that is still to come’ By George Valadie For a school principal such as myself, it’s impossible to ignore the opportunity to write about this season of graduations. It’s why we teachers do what we do. Be it the …
Marriage Enrichment: On long marriages—and a columnist’s retirement
Many people are thanked for their efforts over the years to benefit marriage-support events By Marian Christiana This article is going to have two parts to it. At first glance, they may not seem to fit together, but stick with me and I think that you will see the connection. …