|
|
|
Word on Fire
|
In October, the Church commemorates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a celebration that has its origin not, as it would seem, in simply a prayer, but in a battle.
On October 7, 1571, a fleet of ships assembled by the combined forces of Naples, Sardinia, Venice, the Papacy, Genoa, Savoy, and the Knights Hospitallers fought an intense battle with the fleet of the Ottoman Empire.
 |
|
| Sr. Constance Veit, LSP |
Each October we observe Respect Life Month in dioceses around the United States.
This year’s theme is “Be Not Afraid,” but of what, or whom, are we supposed to not be afraid?
Pondering this question, I recalled an experience I had while attending the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando last summer.
|
|
|
Word on Fire
|
The poet Wendell Berry reflects that “for parents, the only way is hard. We who give life, give pain. There is no help. Yet we who give pain give love; by pain we learn the extremity of love . . . ”
In other words, it may be different in another world, but in this world, all love requires a sacrifice, and with that sacrifice there is inevitable pain. To reject sacrifice as the condition for the possibility of love, is to live an essentially loveless existence.
Berry continues his reflection with this insight: I read of Christ crucified, the only begotten Son sacrificed to flesh and time and all our woe. He died and rose, but who does not tremble for his pain and loneliness, and the darkness of the sixth hour? Unless we grieve like Mary at his grave, giving him up as lost, no Easter morning comes . . .
|
|
| Ask DMU |
Q .I keep hearing how a Catholic therapist makes a world of difference, but I’m not sure how a therapist with a Catholic-Christian worldview would operate differently from a secular therapist. Can you help me understand the difference?
A. Excellent question. Since the answer to this inquiry is very complex, I will only present three ways in which a Catholic therapist’s approach is different from their secular colleagues.
|
|
| Ask DMU |
After the 13 Reasons Why debut that dramatizes the reasons behind one teen girl’s suicide, there has been a significant amount of discussion regarding teenage suicide and preventing such actions.
Some authors have debated whether or not the Netflix series will harm or help adolescents when navigating both their own and their peers’ feelings regarding this important topic.
Here, however, I wish to discuss ways that you can identify whether or not your teen (or an adolescent you know) is at risk for taking their life, and then what you can do to help.
|
|
|
Word on Fire
|
Thomas Hobbes considered human civilization as an endless war of all against all with the only viable solution being the power of the state to regulate, order, and control.
Georg Frederich Hegel postulated that existence was an experience of inescapeable dialectics, a violent collision of opposites and it was only in this state of affairs that new growth and development was possible.
Friedrich Nietzsche insisted that all is “will to power” and that it is the master of power alone that escapes the heavy hand of fate.
These ideas have all had great weight. Whether we know about them or recognize their validity or not, these ideas have shaped, formed, and defined our culture.
|
|
|
| Robert Enright and Msgr. John Hebl |
Seventh in a series of seven articles on forgiveness.
This final forgiveness essay is a collaboration of both writers. Previously we discussed what it means and what it does not mean to forgive others; how one goes about forgiving; how forgiveness is viewed within the Catholic faith; and how it appears within schools and families.
Today, in conclusion, we will examine how forgiving might be planted for good in our communities.
|
|
|
| Marilyn Uselman |
As a Catholic child, going to Confession was a scary and anxious time for me. It involved dark small spaces, dirty drapes, and talking to a stranger about things I did wrong — not a good experience!
As I grew up, going to Confession still was anxiety-provoking. I came to realize I do not like small spaces with closed doors, or talking personally with a stranger. I have a hard enough time going into doctors’ offices. Avoidance is certain.
|
|
| Robert Enright |
Sixth in a series of seven articles on forgiveness.
It is so special that the Second Vatican Council referred to the family as “the domestic church” (Lumen Gentium #11).
On the Feast of the Annunciation this year (March 25), Pope Francis, in a talk to 27 heads of government, stated, “Europe finds new hope when she . . . invests in the family, which is the first and fundamental cell of society.”
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is in the family that children learn to love.
It is so sad that the family also is the first place where too many children (and adults) learn conflict and division and discord.
|
|
| Robert Enright |
Fifth in a series of seven articles on forgiveness.
All of a sudden, Martha, age 28, found herself unable to cope with life.
Until now, the challenges were few and manageable. She grew up in a stable two-parent household, was an excellent student, and graduated from a university. She married and was blessed with two young children.
Four weeks ago, her husband suddenly and unexpectedly asked for a divorce. This is something for which Martha was unprepared.
She is having trouble sleeping, sometimes is not patient with the children, and is constantly tired. She wishes to forgive, but she is unsure how to accomplish this. “I am confused, angry, and scared. I do not know how to even start forgiving him” is her honest response.
