Anticipation changes the way we look upon the world. It diminishes our sense of burden and heightens our sense of what is possible. Rather than feeling foolish for having bought a lottery ticket, I feel like I came close to greatness.

It is inspiring to see how the people are allowing the challenges of their community to function as inspiration rather than reason for complaint.

Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of Dorothy Day, said her grandmother “loved the Staten Island Ferry, so what an honor to have one named after her.”

A Reflection for Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time, by Ashley McKinless

The church’s preferential option for the poor demands that U.S. policymakers dovetail inflation-fighting with credible investments to sustain the unemployed.

Pope Francis reiterated the Holy See’s commitment to end the fighting and find a way to obtain “a just peace."

French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, former head of the French bishops’ conference, admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago

“Even if you leave the ordination question aside for a moment, there is still a great need to explore ways of engaging women in all other levels of the life of the church in significant roles. There is still a lot of work to be done.”

"A society that erases women from public life is a society that becomes impoverished," he said.

A Reflection for Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time, by Molly Cahill

A Reflection for Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time, by Kevin Clarke

Besides casting votes in the flashier congressional races, Catholic voters will get to speak up on any number of local and regional concerns through local ballot measures.

In their first private one-on-one conversation, the president of the Australian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, S.D.B., told Pope Francis, “The church in Australia is alive!”

Leaders of the California Catholic Conference warn that passage of Proposition 1 in California would open the door to abortion at a level that far surpasses what was allowed under the Roe v. Wade decision.

With age comes wisdom, and that is certainly true for Taylor, whose latest album, “Midnights,” is almost entirely introspective, even a little retrospective.

Pope Francis joined Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders on Friday in calling for the great religions to work together for peace.

Jim Towey tells of his long friendship and collaboration with Mother Teresa in 'To Love and Be Loved.'

We are all called to a close and yes mystical relationship with God and to lead lives of contemplation. And today's guest on Jesuitical, Kelly Deutsch, wants to help people do just that.

This selection from our conversations about the Trappist monk Thomas Merton is one of the fascinating threads in the book, which turned out to be about more than it seemed.