Pope Benedict XVI has been writing an encyclical on charity for some time. But in releasing the encyclical Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”) on July 7, it looks as if the Holy Father is responding to our current world economic crisis.
His words are certainly prophetic and inspiring. In fact, they should be assigned reading for not only members of the Catholic Church, but also for leaders of every nation, business executives, workers . . . well, everybody!
Many of us celebrate the July 4th holiday with family picnics or other fun activities. I imagine few of us take time to reflect on the meaning of this holiday and its significance in our lives.
However, with news reports about the recent political upheaval in Iran, I began thinking how lucky we are to live in the United States of America. We owe our freedom and democratic system of government to the earliest Americans. They had to fight to establish this country — and we should fight (not necessarily in the physical sense) to preserve the freedoms they gained for us.
In my 35+ years on the staff of the Catholic Herald, I have had the privilege of getting to know many priests in the Diocese of Madison.
With the recent announcement of the closing of the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison, some people have been quoted in the media as questioning the Catholic Church’s concern for the poor. They are certainly misinformed if they think that the Church does not care for the poor.
Some seminarians have the chance to study in Rome, but many others do not have that opportunity. Now they do.
We’re finally enjoying some warmer weather in Wisconsin after a long winter.
As the temperatures rise, naturally people start dressing with lighter clothes. What does that mean for our choice of clothing for church?
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Holy Land has helped shine the spotlight on the situation of Christians in the homeland of Christ. The number of Christians has been steadily decreasing. Those remaining must often deal with conflict and economic challenges.
A mother was returning from an ice-skating competition with her 14-year-old daughter in their car. As a mother of a former figure skating (who’s now a coach), I can imagine the two of them chatting about the competition: how well the skaters did, whether they should have placed better, what they could improve on the next time.
This is the season of graduations at all levels, from pre-school through graduate schools. We congratulate graduates on their accomplishments and wish them well, especially those entering the job market in challenging economic times.
This coming weekend is Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 10), an opportunity for all of us to thank our own mothers and to celebrate all mothers and grandmothers.
