VIEWS

Every once in a while I like to give up my creature comforts to remind myself of the blessings God has afforded me. But I also do it so I can learn about and identify with others who might not have received such blessings.

Years ago when our five children were small, my husband and I managed to keep them insulated from the corrupting influence of the pagan society in which we live. They had never heard the word “stupid” and no one had ever uttered the words “shut up” in their presence.

In the previous part of this series, we looked at the first of three stages of education for human freedom, and saw how it is built on natural inclinations given to us by God and on the discipline of obedience. Now, we shall consider the second stage, where we progressively interiorize what has been learned in stage one. Here, personal initiative comes to the fore and virtues begin to be formed. We develop a consistency of personal intention to act in accord with excellence.

A baby unable to consume food or water was born on April 15, 1982. The parents refused a procedure to correct the defect —...

“It’s the economy, stupid!” James Carville’s memorable note-to-self during the 1992 presidential race will be the determining factor in the 2012 campaign, according to the...

My best friend is one of the most Catholic people I know. Only he’s not Catholic. But we can all learn something about being...

Nestled in the mountains not far from Naples, Italy, there’s a rustic little village known as Pietrelcina. Visitors from all over the world descend...

“It is not enough to say ‘I am free’,” Blessed John Paul II was accustomed to say, “One needs also to say ‘I am...

In response to editors' requests for a regular sampling of current commentary from around the Catholic press, here is a column titled "Our faith...

writing my essay Americans have produced a nation unlike any other on the planet. We donate more time and money to charitable causes than any...