March 19 is the Feast of St. Joseph, sometimes referred to as St. Joseph’s Day. This Feast of St. Joseph is extra special because it is also the Year of St. Joseph. With all of this St. Joseph-ness going on, it’s a great time to take a look at how …

Kurt Vonnegut’s 2005 New York Times bestselling book, A Man Without a Country, changed my life. Without this book, I don’t know that I would have published two books, recorded an album, painted original works (that only my mother could love), written poetry or even if I would be writing …

What do you think Jesus’ laugh sounded like? Do you think he snorted or giggled? Was it a hearty guffaw or a milder chuckle? What would it be like to hear Jesus when he was only three- or four-years-old, laughing as St. Joseph played with him? These kinds of reflections …

Johnny had always wanted to help when his Uncle Mike dressed up as Santa and delivered gifts to kids in need before Christmas. His family collected gift lists from a local hospital or homeless shelter, then they’d get their neighbors or school families to donate gifts. And then, Uncle Mike …

When I was 19, I traveled to the poorest country on this side of the world. As a middle-class, Midwestern white-kid traveling to Haiti on a mission trip, I had strong faith and missionary zeal, but nothing could have prepared me for the kind of abject poverty I had only …

The 1973 short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, tells of a utopia complete with green fields, blue skies, shimmering buildings and happy people. But the city is built on a dark truth. In the bowels of the city, in the basement of a building, there exists a …

by Dominick Albano The pious will tell you there is nothing more powerful than prayer, while the agitator will scoff and say, “You pray and I’ll actually go do something.” The meaning behind the jab is clear: To some, there is no power in prayer. For others, belief in the …

About one year ago – on August 5, 2019, to be exact – my five-year-old son jumped off a cliff. Yes, literally. But don’t worry, he’s fine. We were in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the cliff was about 25 feet, we were at a very popular spot where tourists …

What will people remember about you after you die? The 2000 film Cast Away tells the story of FedEx employee Chuck Noland, who washes up on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. After four years of isolation, he is rescued and finds himself on …