With all the hype over President Trump’s first 100 days that fell within this Easter season, perhaps a reflection on the first 100 years of the church is in order. The experience of the early church is important for us, for it provides a norm for how we are to live and grow both as disciples and a church…  

Tonight at a banquet hall near center city Philadelphia, Father Judge High School will induct the newest members into its Hall of Fame. Many schools have such ceremonies to honor famous and successful alumni for their contributions to their profession, the church, society, or the school itself. When Bro. Jim…  

In their book Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches, authors Scott Thumma and Dave Travis discuss the phenomena of Protestant churches whose congregations number more than 2,000 people who attend weekly. Some host more than 5,000 weekly. These communities are…  

Spring is known as the season of the emergence of new life from the dreariness of winter. New shoots bravely rise above the soil to face the sky above. Young birds courageously crack open their shells, crying out to their mother for the first time. Very often, this breaking forth of vitality happens invisibly; one needs to…   

Today, we begin the Holy Triduum, the high holy days of the Christian tradition. The movement from betrayal, fear, and anxiety to suffering, humiliation, and death, to ultimately joy, hope, and new life is marked on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter. Intense experiences to consider during an essentially long weekend. Or, perhaps these are the deep moments of… 

A long time ago athletes would congratulate each other with a handshake. Later, high fives became the norm; both hands if there were cause for real celebration. Now, it is common to fistbump, where two people touch the fingers’ long side of each other’s clenched fist. As the prophet Isaiah exhorted violent weapons of swords to be turned into plowshares and the…  

John Gottman knows what makes a marriage succeed. He can even predict which young marriages will last with 91 percent accuracy. He has studied marriage and the challenging and delightful dynamics between spouses for years. In The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, he discusses a host of behaviors that fortify or threaten this all-important relationship. …  

At this time of year, finding an empty sports field is a difficult task. With winter sports winding down, the tryout season has begun for sports such as baseball, rugby, lacrosse, and track. Students endeavor to show their skills and make the team, and to share in the camaraderie, adrenaline, and hope for victory… 

Johann Pachelbel, the great composer of the now-famous score that accompanies many brides down the aisle, died 311 years ago today. Popularly known as Pachelbel Canon in D, this piece of music evokes an ethereal wonder that can lift the ear, mind, and heart to contemplate beauty and love. No wonder it is… 

With yesterday’s ashes washed from our foreheads, we now undertake the Lenten experience that includes the annual custom of “giving something up.” This practice is an expression of the ancient practice of fasting. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus was upset that the hypocrites were fasting in…  

Sunday night several hundred million people are expected to watch the 89th annual Academy Awards from Los Angeles. The night has grown into the Hollywood’s version of Super Bowl Sunday. Both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the National Football League have pumped millions… 

Fr. Tom Hagan, OSFS, who has served as a missionary in Haiti for more than 20 years, reports some dire facts about the country he now calls home: Unemployment soars at 80 percent, and deforestation at 98 percent. Equally painful facts abound about infant mortality, disease, and hunger. Yet, these two statistics…  

Until the New England Patriots showed a glimmer of life in the third quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl, it appeared that the highlight of the game was going to be the glamour and glitz of Lady Gaga’s halftime show. Halfway across the country, another glamorous lady took to a familiar stage to return to…   

Two masses in Washington, DC this past week gathered many to pray for peace, justice, and the dignity of human life.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and leader of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, celebrated mass on Thursday night, prior to the next day’s annual March for Life that calls for an end to… 

Cover me, Lord, with the cloak of innocence and the robe of love. My God, do not let me appear before you stripped of good works.
Of the many beautiful prayers found in St. Francis de Sales’ Spiritual Directory, the dressing prayer has remained a personal favorite of mine. It expresses Francis’ genius that…   

With tomorrow’s inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, our nation will pause to consider his words. Amid the pomp and pageantry, we yearn to be inspired. Certain presidential inaugural addresses continue to ring in our ears, even though we may have only read them or…

While technology grows increasingly helpful as we complete tasks at home and at work, moments arise when errors emerge without our awareness. Many friends and colleagues have bemoaned how Microsoft’s Word overrules the enumeration, spacing, or indentation intentions of an innocent author. …