Q. In Matthew 8:21–22, it says that “another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me go first and bury my father.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.’” What does this mean? — G.P., Fla. A. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible explains the passage this way: “Discipleship […]
Times change. That is a truism. At the same time, it is a statement that is slightly misleading. Time itself, though very real, is an abstraction. Hence, it cannot act. It has no propulsive force. Times change only because people change. And they change with or without their knowledge or consent. We live in different […]
“States have the right to regulate migration flows and to defend their own frontiers, always guaranteeing the respect due to the dignity of each and every human person. Immigrants, moreover, have the duty to integrate into the host country, respecting its laws and its national identity” (Pope Benedict XVI, Papal Message for the 97th World […]
The history of our Catholic faith that has spanned nearly 2,000 years is an unending story of the loving Providence of God in the lives of countless souls. This story has been preserved and handed down to us in many forms, from stone carvings and artwork to medieval manuscripts. In more recent times, the advent […]
The Washington Post, now known as the “Bezos Blog,” recently ran an interesting headline: “Retirees receive six times more in federal dollars than young people.” We apologize for the Post, that serves as the news source for the community that receives more federal dollars than young people or old people — namely, what Joe Sobran […]
In the midst of the Easter Season, with the Resurrection of the Lord at the center of our prayer and worship, we mourn the increasing tide of the cult of death. Faith in the risen Lord makes possible the transformation of suffering from a scandal into something redemptive. And yet His word of hope and […]
Holy Week In Corsica The Mediterranean island of Corsica is a culturally unique place with a largely French modern history but with a considerable Italian past. Its Holy Week customs are deeply rooted in the Italian phase of its history, yet they have taken on a distinctly Corsican character all its own. The fashioning of […]
That was the slogan of Bill Clinton’s ace defender James Carville when one after another of the rapist’s crimes came across the screen. It worked, and the next generation of Democrats has now embraced the practice, with a different tone: instead of focusing on denial, it relies on the Memory Hole. “Joe Biden? Who’s he?” […]
A language develops in mysterious ways. How it emerges from grunts and groans to the highly complex and intricate web of meaning eludes scientific explanation. Nonetheless, what is known is that it develops within a community and therefore bears the imprint of communal wisdom, a wisdom that is shared and agreed upon by the members […]
Question. If I dream that I killed someone, would God consider that a sin? — J.B., Pa. Answer. No, we are not morally responsible for sinful actions that occur in dreams. The only sinful actions we are responsible for are those involving grave matter, full knowledge that the action is grave matter, and deliberate consent […]
