May 27, Thursday SEE WITH EYES OF FAITH Ben Sirach invites us to see the works of God with eyes of faith and to admire them. In this way, we share a bit in the view of God himself, who knows and sees everything, even what goes on in the deepest of our hearts. […]
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May
May
The right kind of work values workers As we rethink work post-pandemic, consider Catholic social teaching. Modern Catholic social thought is typically dated back to Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labor). It’s not that Catholicism had never dealt with social ethics before, of course, but the pope’s discussion marked a new level […]
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May
May
Does care for creation ignore the poor? Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable communities. Climate change kills millions from drought, flooding, famine, and disease and exacerbates prenatal and perinatal mortality in poor countries. The United Nations predicts those who are already suffering could experience 100 more days of extreme weather annually. Despite this humanitarian […]
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May
May
How my toddler taught me to pray A toddler’s enthusiasm for giving thanks encourages a parent’s practice. What do slides, cashews, grandparents, undies, and the color yellow have in common? Well, besides their contributions to the good life, they’re all regularly featured in my daughter’s nighttime prayers. Esther just turned 2, and to say that […]
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May
May
Even the smallest gifts can bring great joy A rose handed to a stranger lifts spirits and brings delight. If I give you a rose, you willnot doubt God. —St. Clement of Alexandria A decade before he died, in my front yard my dad and I planted one deep red tea rose. I haven’t tended […]
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May
May
It’s time to reform global lending, say U.S. Bishops A global response to COVID-19 demands a merciful response to debt. Just a few years back, historically low interest rates provoked a debt binge among governments in the developing world, one partly bankrolled by new geopolitical players like China or cheerfully packaged into new lending instruments […]
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May
May
Anti-racism work is essential. Why don’t parishes do it? Why do so many Catholics seem uncomfortable with anti-racism action? When a young woman in an Alabama parish heard that the Jesuits of St. Louis were organizing a solidarity stand vigil, she was inspired to arrange something similar at her parish. The women religious she consulted […]
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May
May
Nicholas Black Elk: Fully Lakota, completely Catholic Nicholas Black Elk inspires an authentic relationship with God. “Good book. Did you know he was Catholic?” You never know what questions will mark you for life, but there was no doubting the impact of this one. I had just walked into a required theology class the fall […]
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May
May
Divine revelation leads to revolution As long as the work of justice is incomplete, our faith drives us to revolutions large and small. Thomas Jefferson promoted a rather surprising idea: the need for a healthy society to make generous room for ongoing dissatisfaction. A nation’s Founding Father might be expected to champion docile compliance among […]
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May
May
In ‘One Night in Miami,’ Black men of faith shake things up The Amazon Studios film, directed by Regina King, gives us a stirring debate about individual autonomy and social responsibility. For the past 21 years, I’ve taught at historically Black colleges, and several times during those years the theater department has either hosted or […]