The caring gaze
On September 19, 1870, troops of the new Kingdom of Italy surrounded the city of Rome, which at the time was ruled by Blessed Pius IX, styled by his loyal people Il Papa Re, the Pope-King. Pius had refused entry...
Tagged: charity
Affability: The Antidote to the Culture of Despair
A review of the book The Virtue of Affability or Friendliness and Its Relevance in Modern Evangelization by Anne DeSantis (En Route Books and Media, 2024). The Virtue of Affability or Friendliness and Its Relevance in Modern Evangelization offers a much-needed...
Homework for the life of our community
Reflection on the readings for Sunday, September 10, the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the last few weeks, many families have reached the end of the summer break and have returned to school. I’ve talked to many people in...
A faith built upon the love of God
Early in the pontificate of Pope Francis I was, generally speaking, what could be called a “Francis skeptic.” To be honest I didn’t pay that much attention to him at first. As the father of three little kids, I primarily...
Are the Poor Blessed?
Confusion about the Gospel teaching on poverty is widespread in the modern Church. The call to voluntary poverty is uncomfortable, particularly to the inhabitants of the wealthiest civilization in history. Human nature being what it is, this inconvenient teaching has...
Catholic Transgender Ministry: People, Not Ideologies
For much of my life, I’ve dealt with a persistent unease about the sex into which I was born. This wasn’t something I asked for, although it also hasn’t made me as miserable as some might assume. My unease has...
Christian charity in the new phase of the pandemic
On Thursday, May 13, the CDC announced new public health guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals in the United States. During a press conference, CDC director Rochelle Walensky announced that Americans who are vaccinated can safely gather outdoors and indoors without...
Dialogue is an Exercise in Charity
211. In a pluralistic society, dialogue is the best way to realize what ought always to be affirmed and respected apart from any ephemeral consensus. Such dialogue needs to be enriched and illumined by clear thinking, rational arguments, a variety...
Opening our Hearts to all Our Brothers and Sisters
On Sunday, Pope Francis promulgated his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship. His timely assessment of the state of our world touches on issues including war, extreme inequality and economic disparity, environmental degradation, and the fractured global...
Love In the Time of Coronavirus
I have increasingly had the feeling that I’m reaching a breaking point. In this current crisis of health, wealth, and love of neighbor, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. Maybe you’re feeling it too, and asking yourself:...
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