We live what might be called a prodigal son illusion. People suffer from the temptation to live prodigal lifestyles in which they engage in the frenetic intemperance of demanding everything instantly and effortlessly. Such a state promises happiness to those who follow the program to the end. However, it does not always deliver what is … Read more
The War on Christmas is very real. Everyone has seen the massive attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. There are sparkle trees, X-mas cards and Happy Holidays. Major retailers jumped on the bandwagon and filled their advertising with joyless celebrations of an unnamed winter solstice holiday. Merry Christmas has become the war cry for … Read more
Not unlike the times of Our Lord, we live in the paradox of a world in disorder yet under the appearance of order. Beneath the veneer of optimism and prosperity, many people experience lives of trial and suffering due to the lifestyles of frenetic intemperance they have adopted. Christmas is especially a time to address … Read more
The Trump phenomenon leaves many people perplexed. On the one hand, he has done many good things for the conservative cause. On the other, he undeniably gets into trouble with his unique style and tweets, many of which open him up to criticism and attack. While it is true that the president excites a temperamental … Read more
“Send down the dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One: let the earth be opened, and bud forth the Redeemer.” Thus begins the Advent hymn, “Rorate Caeli,” that mournfully calls upon God to hear our prayers. We are made to sigh with longings, as the Fathers of old, asking … Read more
In our polarized nation, an “us versus them” scenario naturally arises. We are not supposed to frame the debate in this way. “Us” should refer to all Americans. “Them” is a term that is better not used at all. This is the central message of Sen. Ben Sasse’s new book, Them: Why We Hate Each Other … Read more
The rash of violence leading up to the elections has given way to the spinning of narratives to explain the sad state of the nation. While ignoring all violence from their side, the left has become especially adept at turning every violent incident involving anyone even remotely conservative into an ideological statement of hate. Liberals … Read more
On every American coin, there is the Latin expression, e pluribus unum, meaning “one out of many.” The motto is a celebration of the variety found in America expressed by different groups, regions, races, and opinions. Of course, not everything can be pluribus in a political entity. There must be some point of unity. By … Read more
If there is an image that describes our postmodern world, it is the Prodigal Son. Everyone has heard of this Gospel parable where the son of a rich man takes his inheritance and goes to the city and squanders it. When he runs out of money and famine comes upon the land, he becomes a … Read more
At first glance, it seems to be a very positive initiative on the part of those at the University of Notre Dame. Over one thousand male students, faculty and staff have signed a petition asking that “the University implement a filter to make pornography inaccessible on the Notre Dame Wi-Fi networks.” Finally, some sanity seems to … Read more
