The Christmas season inspires children. The carols, the gift-giving, the lawn lights, and especially the tree decoration all contribute to a heightened sense of innocence and expectation. The birth of the Infant Child Jesus from the Blessed Virgin Mary calls to mind the joy that innocence brings. This December, all these things … Read more
Today’s modern culture presents so many things that are as ugly as sin, whether it be architecture, dress, music, culture, morals or other fields. This “cult of ugliness” targets God directly, who is beauty itself. Everything beautiful in the world reflects an aspect of God, and everything ugly displays an aspect … Read more
The left faces a new challenge that is leaving its activists troubled. Over the past few years, many high-profile leftist figures, writers and politicians have turned right. They defected to the other side, and embarrassed leftists don’t know what to do about it. In an op-ed in The New York Times, columnist … Read more
The political philosopher Joseph de Maistre was in a prime position to observe those who presided over the Restoration of the French Monarchy in 1814 and 1815. He coined a famous phrase that aptly summarized the Bourbons’ policy upon their return to the throne of France. “Everything has been reestablished, nothing restored.” … Read more
In the seventh century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the word of God. His name was Saint Boniface. He did many good works there and spent much time in Thuringia, a region later to become the center of the Christmas decoration industry. Tradition has it that Saint … Read more
Sometimes small items represent things with bigger meanings. Hidden behind appearances are philosophies of life that it does well to analyze. Such is the case of a recent news article on smoking. Canada announced last May that it would become the world’s first nation to require health warnings to be printed—on each … Read more
While peace seems to reign, many countries are threatened by what might be called slow-motion wars. These conflicts involve a gradual destruction of society, structures and security inside a climate of uneasy peace. The devastation of war occurs not at once but over time. An example of one slow-motion war is the … Read more
The history of an institution often resembles that of a building. We can find analogies between the creation and growth of both. The history of a Catholic-inspired institution more precisely resembles the building of a cathedral. Every truly Catholic institution bears traces of the moral profile of Holy Mother Church from which … Read more
Recent elections in Holland, Sweden, Italy and Argentina have given victories to a new type of conservative leader based on a faulty premise. Some Christians hold the only way to fight against godless and immoral times is with godless leaders who practice no established religion and follow no set rules. Only these … Read more
We live in times of inconsequential religion. That means most people do not believe God acts in the real world. If He does act, it is considered a personal, somewhat subjective matter. Impacting major world events are believed to be outside God’s sphere of activity. Likewise, inconsequential religion holds that what we … Read more