“They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” This statement describes nearly every domain of human interaction. Politicians vie over control of party and government. Greedy tycoons contend for the reins of the corporation. Catholic prelates jockey for position in the hierarchy. The quote comes…

The highly acclaimed 2019 movie The Two Popes, starring Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, contrasted the personalities, styles, and priorities of the two most recent Catholic pontiffs. These differences are more than Hollywood screenplays. …

Some people though he was crazy, but he was more like one of the wandering “fools for Christ.” Originally from Florence, Philip Neri moved to Rome in 1533 when he was about 18 years old. …

Nothing about education in the age of coronavirus is easy. — Even so, people are more likely to succeed in an environment that nurtures and supports them. No adult wants to go into a workplace each day where their bosses assign impossible tasks, don’t train them adequately, and demean them for their inability to succeed. In a good-faith attempt to encourage…

Holy Week, the time between Palm Sunday and Easter, is the most sacred period of the Christian liturgical year. Starting with a Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and leading to Christ’s resurrection from the dead, Holy Week encapsulates the entire Christian message. Day 1 On Palm Sunday, Christ is heralded as king…

I want to find hope in this morass. — I found my son’s dead body on the evening of April 26, 2020. Quentin had turned 18 earlier in the month; it would be his last birthday. Beyond saying he did not succumb to COVID-19, I am still not emotionally ready to discuss the details outside of therapy. I am…

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the Biblical book of Nehemiah offers an important lesson for how President-elect Joe Biden should handle the transition and beyond. Nehemiah was a Jew who lived as an exile the Persian empire and served as a high-ranking official in the royal court. In…

The coronavirus pandemic has had troubling effects for people practicing their religion. Due to restrictions on the size of gatherings, religious services have been curtailed and canceled. The quarantines and lockdowns have been controversial for Catholics who gather on Sundays to partake of the Eucharist. By receiving the sanctified bread…

In one of the most celebrated stories in the life of Christ (recorded in Matthew 16:13–28), Jesus asked his disciples about the scuttlebutt. “Who do people say I am?” His closest followers answered, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” …