Q: Was Christ born on Dec. 25 in the year A.D. 1? A: We cannot be sure of the day and month, nor the year, of Jesus’ birth. Many scholars date the Nativity to several years before the traditional first year of the Lord (Anno Domini or A.D. 1) This …

It’s Thanksgiving dinner. You look around the table and see, once again, your beloved, dysfunctional family. While you would like to imagine that you and your family are the perfect, loving family, around this turkey is a spicy mix of selfishness, negativism, pride, and a pinch of bitterness. I offer …

October 2018 My Dear Friends in Christ, On November 18, the Church will once again celebrate a World Day of the Poor. In his message for the occasion, Pope Francis directs us to reflect upon what it means to “hear the cry of the poor” (cf. Ps 34). He exclaims: …

I have a confession to make. In my focus on how to discuss the teachings of the church with others, I have neglected an important first step: Evangelization. I touched on it when I wrote about my beard evangelizing people. (It’s true, see my column for July: Click here). But, …

References in the popular culture to letters written but never sent appear in literature, film and even songs. Nights in white satin, never seeming to end; Letters I’ve written, never meaning to send. – Justin Hayward, The Moody Blues 1967 Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, even John Kennedy, were all writers …

Q: Is the foundational concept of respect for life, especially concern for the unborn, something that is in the Bible or is it rooted more in church traditions? A: The Catholic Church is noted for its respect for life: from the moment of conception to natural death. Like all church …

A principios de noviembre, el calendario de la iglesia nos llama a celebrar a los santos y a orar por los fieles difuntos. Debemos tomar esto en serio. El mes comienza con el Día de Todos los Santos, en el cual honramos y buscamos la ayuda de todos los que …

In early November, the Church calendar calls us to celebrate the saints and to pray for the faithful departed. We should take this seriously. The month begins with All Saints Day, on which we honor and seek the help of all those in heaven, including those not officially recognized by …

Greetings Fellow Catholics in Mission, In his message for this year’s World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis specifically invites young people who want to follow Christ, to seek, to discover and to persevere in their vocation. Observed by the Catholic Church on the penultimate Sunday of October every year, World Mission …

It is really easy to come up with excuses not to go to Sunday Mass. Ask anybody that you don’t see there: I am too busy, no one will miss me, I’m not showing up if she/he is there, I do not agree with the church’s teaching on… You can …