Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Our Scripture readings this weekend point us to some important truths about the purpose, nature, and goods of marriage. We see in Genesis that marriage is, from the very beginning, a part of God’s plan for humanity. That is, it is a natural institution, positively willed by God. The Lord who creates the human race in His image and likeness, who creates humans male and female, and who creates humans for this profound relationship with one another, reveals in Genesis that the marriage bond unites man and woman as a single body with one…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This past Monday was the somewhat obscure feast of St. Eustachius (or Eustace as his name is usually rendered in English). This got me thinking about espresso and a particular coffee bar in Rome that bears the saint’s name, which in turn brought my mind to standards, secrecy, sacraments, and to end the alliteration, evangelization. Come with me on this very convoluted path. St. Eustace was, before his conversion to Christianity, a successful general known as Placidus in the army of the Roman Empire. Though raised in a pagan environment, he was said to…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The second reading at Mass this weekend comes from the Letter of St. James (James 3:16-4:3). There is an awful lot contained in those few verses and they are worth some reflection. I invite you to use this text as a lectio divina starting point for a few days. The practice of lectio divina, or “divine reading,” has been an important part of Catholic spirituality for centuries. It entails reading a passage from Sacred Scripture and spending time prayerfully meditating on the words contained therein. To begin, select the passage you wish to read…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, There is no easy way to mark the anniversary of a tragedy. Twenty years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we who lived through that day and its aftermath remember in vivid detail where we were, how we felt, and the universal shock and sadness at witnessing such evil. For those born after the attacks, the world in which they have grown up is very different. As we observe this sad anniversary, of course we remember those who died that day, and we cannot help but grieve a world that remains so…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this Labor Day weekend, I want to share with you a portion of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, on the rights and duties of capital and labor. You may be interested in reading the entire document and not only the selected paragraphs below. For further reading on sanctifying the workplace, I encourage you to read the thought of St. Josemaria Escriva, in particular his books “The Way,” “The Furrow,” and “The Forge.” But back to Pope Leo XIII: “40. The working man, too, has interests in which he should be protected…read more