Mothers and grandmothers are showered with affection and gifts on their special day each May.  While fathers and grandfathers also are often the recipient of gifts, ties, and tools, what most of us really crave — appreciation — rarely makes the gift wrap table. The culture has changed dramatically …

“I thank them every other Thursday when I sign their paychecks,” my boss said, deflating an enthusiastic employee relations seminar leader, who was making the case for management demonstrating more appreciation for workers. He took a more humane approach than his comment signaled, but as a manager, he could have …

Many people reject religion and even leave the church today because they believe that religious faith is at odds with reasonable, scientific inquiry. You may have heard it before:      “I’ll believe in God if you can give me empirical proof that God exists.”      “How can I …

Did you get your mother a card and some flowers for Mother’s Day? Well, that’s a great start, but loving and caring for your mom really needs more attention than a Sunday in May.  Moms are remarkable women. They have given us more than we can think or imagine. So, …

“Nadie tiene amor más grande que este, dar la vida por sus amigos” (Juan 15:13). Este pasaje de la lectura del Evangelio del 6 de Mayo, el Sexto Domingo de Pascua, es uno de los dichos más famosos de Jesús. Incluso los que no son cristianos están bastante familiarizados con …

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) This passage from the Gospel reading for May 6, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is one of the most famous sayings of Jesus. Even non-Christians are quite familiar with it. With these words …

Q: I have read the Bible and can find nothing on purgatory. It seems to me that if we believe that Jesus is our savior and died for our sins, we have eternal life the minute we die. Can you explain the origin of the church’s belief in purgatory?  A: …

By Nick Hardesty One day, Charles Dickens sat in a coffee shop. Actually, it was a “coffee room,” as indicated on the glass door of the establishment. Dickens had read that sign and frequented rooms like it many times. But, on this day, he happened to read the sign from …

The vocation prayer that we say in our parishes has a very curious plea: “Help us… to respond with a generous “yes.” Every time I say the prayer, that phrase haunts me. It seems that the root of our problem in fostering holy vocations is that no one wants to …

Q: I have heard that Mass can be offered outside, but in inquiring about having a wedding Mass outside, I was told that Masses could only occur in churches. Can you please explain the church’s position on outside wedding Masses? A: Catholics place a high value on the eucharistic liturgy. …