Category: Columns

On
Bishop Robert Barron

Church ministers to body, mind, and soul

One of the greatest heroes of the social justice wing of the Church is, quite rightly, the 17th century “slave of the slaves,” St. Peter Claver.

Born in Barcelona, Claver joined the Society of Jesus and was known, even as a young man, as a person of deep intelligence and piety.

Spurred by what he took to be the direct prompting of the Holy Spirit, the young Spaniard volunteered to work among the poor in what was then known as “New Spain.” Arriving in Cartagena, he saw the unspeakable degradation of the captives brought in chains by ship from Africa, and he resolved to dedicate his life to serving them.

Letter tells of Claver’s work

We have a wonderful letter that Peter Claver wrote to his Jesuit superior in which he vividly describes apostolic work that he did among the slaves, just after they came ashore in Cartagena. He speaks of hopeless people staggering off the ships, stark naked, starving, and disoriented.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

The importance of ‘real’ friendship, intimacy

Matt Spicer’s dark comedy Ingrid Goes West is a telling and penetrating critique of the iPhone culture that has swallowed up so many young people today.

Now I know: I have an evangelical ministry that uses social media and reaches out through iPhones and other similar devices. Moreover, I have been known from time to time even to use such instruments personally.

So I’m not going to use this review as an excuse for a broad brush dismissal of social media. But I will indeed use it to encourage you to see this film, which artfully explores the shadow side of living in virtual reality.

Read More
On
Tony Magliano

No back to school for child laborers

It’s that special time of the year again when kids start heading back to school. And for those who have discovered the fun of learning, school is an adventure!

But for millions of working children worldwide, the adventures of a new school year remain but a dream. Sadly, these children will never learn to read or write. They will not acquire computer skills. They will not experience singing in chorus, going on field trips, or playing at recess.

Their classrooms will be sweatshops, farm fields, and battlefields. Their days will be filled with long, dirty, dangerous work. And the lesson they will learn is that life is cruel and unfair.

Read More
On
Julianne Nornberg

Keeping the presence of God in busy times

Everyday Faith column by Julianne Nornberg

Rest has never been something at which I’ve particularly excelled.

Somehow there is always laundry to be folded, children to be fed, dishes to be washed, and stories to be read.

A parent’s job is never done.

And yet, today, I saw just how important rest is.

Amid a busy schedule, somehow my seven-year-old daughter got a full, good night’s rest, uninterrupted by nightmares or early-rising siblings.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

Worldly approaches to religion: karma or grace?

Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Stephen Davis, retired professor of the philosophy of religion at Claremont University.

In preparation for the meeting, I read Dr. Davis’ book called Christian Philosophical Theology, which includes a chapter contrasting two basic approaches to religion throughout the world. The first — which can be found in much of the East — is a religion of karma, and the second — prominent in the Abrahamic religions of the West — is a religion of grace.

Religion of karma

The first approach has a lot to recommend it — which explains its great endurance across the centuries. A karmic approach says that, by a cosmic spiritual law, we are punished or rewarded according to our moral activities. If we do bad things, we will suffer, either in this life or a life to come. And if we do good things, we will be rewarded, again either here or in the hereafter.

Read More
On
Fr. Donald Lange

Labor Day invites us to reflect on our work

Labor Day has become a day of parades, picnics, and political speeches. Many see this day as a celebration of summer’s end, the beginning of school, and one more chance to relax before fall’s busyness. Labor Day did not begin with this intention.

On September 5, 1882, the first Labor Day celebration and parade in the United States were held in New York City. Thousands of workers marched in a parade up Broadway carrying banners that read: “EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR REST, EIGHT HOURS FOR RECREATION.” It became a federal holiday in 1894.

Reflecting on dignity of work

In 1891, in his ground-breaking encyclical Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII outlined the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions, and formation of labor unions, while affirming the rights of property and free enterprise.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

Charlottesville and America’s ‘original sin’

I vividly remember my first visit to Charlottesville, Va. It was about 20 years ago, and I was on vacation with a good friend, who shared with me a passion for American history and for Thomas Jefferson in particular.

We had toured a number of Civil War battlefields in Maryland and Virginia and then had made our way to Jefferson’s University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Finally, we ventured outside the city to the little hilltop home that the great founder had designed and built for himself, Monticello.

It was a glorious summer day, and the elegant manse shone in all of its Palladian splendor. We took in its classical lines, its distinctive red and white coloration, the understated beauty of its dome, its overall symmetry, balance, and harmony.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

The mysterious church on the edge of the world

Even though I lived in France for three years while doing my doctoral studies, I never managed a visit to Mont Saint-Michel, the mysterious, mystical, and hauntingly photogenic abbey situated on a promontory just off the Normandy coast between Caen and St. Malo.

But last week, in connection with the filming for my Pivotal Players series, my team and I made the pilgrimage.

I first spied the mount from the backseat of the van, when we were still many miles away. It looked like a great ship, moored on the line of the horizon. As we got closer, the place became increasingly impressive, sometimes looming like a fortress, other times seeming to float on the sea.

When we entered the gates this morning to commence our work, we stepped out of our world and into the Middle Ages. Our climb to the top —arduous and steep — mimicked that of thousands of pilgrims and monks and spiritual seekers over the centuries.

Read More
On
William T. McKenna

Catholic therapists incorporate ‘human’ touch

Ask DMU

Q .I keep hearing how a Catholic therapist makes a world of difference, but I’m not sure how a therapist with a Catholic-Christian worldview would operate differently from a secular therapist. Can you help me understand the difference?

A. Excellent question. Since the answer to this inquiry is very complex, I will only present three ways in which a Catholic therapist’s approach is different from their secular colleagues.

Read More
On
Bishop Robert Barron

Veneration of relics and bodies of saints

I write these words from Milan, Italy, where I am with my Word on Fire team filming new episodes for our Pivotal Players series.

I’ve seen lots of marvelous things on this trip, including the ruins of the ancient baptistery under the Milan Cathedral where, in the spring of 387, St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose.

But the most fascinating sight I’ve taken in is the vested and mitered skeleton of that same Ambrose, which rests in the basilica that bears his name, not far from the cathedral.

Skeletal remains

Behind a grille, just under the main altar, lie the skeletal remains of Ambrose and two martyr saints, Gervasius and Protasius, whose bodies were recovered during his lifetime.

Read More