There is a friendship crisis in America. The number of Americans who say they have no close friends has quadrupled since 1990. Lower-income Americans are far more likely to report feelings of loneliness or social isolation, and 31 percent of those aged 18-29 report feeling lonely all or most of the time, increasingly replacing personal … Read more
Some tragic things are so symbolic that they demand a commentary. Remaining silent is not an option. Such is the case of a new trend among well-heeled women suffering from the pains of divorce. They have taken to making “divorce” rings to celebrate their newfound “freedom.” Wearing one is a form of therapy that helps … Read more
The industrialized world often mistreats the consumer. With so many mass-produced and standardized products, I sometimes feel standardized myself. There are limits to standardization. Some products present no problems since we benefit from their uniformity. Others cause us to lose our personality since we have to adapt to them. For example, I have no problem … Read more
I recently read an article in a local paper about the desperate situation in Venezuela. It told the doleful tale of an economy in crisis with shortages, blackouts and widespread corruption. At a certain point, the article mentioned that the average worker’s wage was about one dollar… a month! I did a double-take at the … Read more
Once again, thousands of Catholics gathered for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (REC). It is America’s largest Catholic religious educational conference of the year, and this year marked its seventieth anniversary. The idea of any religious educational conference should be to help people learn how to teach fellow Catholics to grow in their faith … Read more
As millions of pages of the Epstein files become available, many are shocked by their sheer volume and the extensive network maintained by the notorious sex offender. Many notable figures among the elite had at least some contact with him. These leaders in society are now falling from favor because of these ties. The scandals … Read more
Throughout history, Providence has never left the Church without defense. Whenever new errors appeared, God supplied new graces so that the faithful might confront them. When heresies spread in medieval Europe, for example, God raised Saint Dominic and his sons to fight them through preaching and learning. When the spirit of the world threatened Christendom, … Read more
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy officially launched a campaign calling for a “Golden Age of Travel.” It was a plea for civility to restore courtesy and class to the friendly skies. His theory is simple but difficult to enforce: If passengers dress a bit more respectfully—swapping sweatpants and pajamas for something more appropriate—they might act … Read more
This article is the third part of a series about Purgatory, a topic that is rarely discussed today. A knowledge of Purgatory is essential if souls are to avoid the pains of this place of expiation. The first article can be found here. * * * Even during her lifetime, Saint Lidwina of … Read more
We cling to the quaint notion that technology is a neutral, passive medium waiting to be used. We tell ourselves we can master technology, choosing when to post, scroll, click or log off. Such illusions ignore the ruthless efficiency of the attention economy, which exploits basic biology to dominate our attention. Indeed, human attention is … Read more
