Reading the news every morning is nothing short of chilling. Not only because of the sheer number of stories about violence or war around the world, but because the existential burden of the victims—their suffering, their despair, their muffled cries...
Jean de Florette is my favorite film of all time. Two films really, with its powerful sequel Manon des Sources where Jean’s daughter seeks revenge on the villagers who drove the ‘outsider’ to his early death by depriving his farm...
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...
In recent years, my native Mexico has been gripped by a crisis of violence. Organized crime, political corruption, and lawlessness have led to mass killings, forced disappearances, and a growing sense of fear and despair among ordinary citizens. Thousands of...
I bet there have been times that you, like me, have experienced that empty feeling that you do not belong here, that you are an unwelcomed person – persona non grata. Now magnify that feeling many times. Imagine that you...
The Justifying Power of Mercy Some years ago, I read about this incident at a middle school: a boy, who was about ten years old, was suspected of stealing. One day, at the end of class, his teacher called him...
In a recent interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Pope Francis powerfully stated: “I will never tire of reiterating my call, addressed in particular to those who have political responsibility: ‘stop the bombs and missiles now, end hostile stances...
[TRIGGER WARNING: This story involves descriptions of sexual grooming and abusive behavior.] Click here to read Part 1. Editor’s note: Many Catholics view the Church’s sexual abuse crisis as primarily involving minors. But as experts and advocates — such as Awake...
A reflection on the scripture readings for July 24, 2022, the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Old Testament is not light on stories of divine punishment and destruction. One of the necessary tasks to have a mature, integrated Biblical...
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...
“Christ is our peace,” says St. Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians (2:14), but peace eludes us. Our quest to uproot injustice inevitably reveals more deep-seated injustices even while new ones continue to crop up. The problem is sin....
I was in prison and you visited me. — Matthew 25:36 In Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Miserables, the protagonist Jean Valjean is released on parole and given a yellow identification paper that said to all he met that he was...
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