A Reflection for the Thursday of the First Week of Lent, by Colleen Dulle

“Faith can move mountains, not to mention a stupid war,” Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner whom Pope Francis sent to Ukraine, told journalists in Lviv.

God’s moral creation, though it suffers the assaults of evil, will not be shaken nor become unbalanced. The good will prevail.

Of the many things my dad passed on to his children, a reverence for our Ukrainian identity and the strong faith and spirituality that it nurtured in us is his greatest legacy.

The Catholic Church needs women, especially women saints, who have shown throughout history an unwavering dedication to God and to caring for their brothers and sisters, Pope Francis said.

When war erupts, the weapons industry benefits from the fears that motivate politicians to budget more money for the military—and investors to sink more capital into armaments.

Yes, the synod on synodality is off to a sluggish start, especially in the United States. But if we are brutally honest about what is broken in the church, we can still have a successful dialogue.

A Reflection for the Wednesday of the First Week of Lent by Tim Reidy

“As we celebrate the strength of women around the world, we’re also seeing women struggle in such heartbreaking ways, trying to keep their families safe…serving the youngest and most vulnerable.”

Called “the Chekhov of the suburbs” for his intimate if painful portraits of American suburban life, John Cheever was a prose master and, said one reviewer, “a boyish scamp.”

Does the “responsibility to protect” doctrine call for Western action in Ukraine? Perhaps not through military intervention, but certainly in efforts toward recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation.

A posthumous collection of some of John Cheever's early stories shows his development as a writer.

“Our word isn’t racism. It’s relationship.” Those are the words of Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott, who joined “The Gloria Purvis Podcast” to discuss the Dred Scott decision and its ripple effects today.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin “reiterated his call for an end to armed attacks, for the securing of humanitarian corridors for civilians and rescuers, and for the replacement of the violence of weapons with negotiation.”

While the church teaches that baptism is indeed necessary for salvation, God does not need us to complete a ritual in order to care for our children.

A Reflection for the First Tuesday of Lent, by Kerry Weber

Outspoken papal critic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò released a letter Monday blaming “deep state” forces in the United States, the European Union and NATO for triggering the current war and demonizing Russia.

Where else would we have listened to each other this way? Not online these days. Not at a school board meeting. Not at a political debate. Not at a family gathering. Not even in church.

A conversation with Patrick Saint-Jean, S.J., the author of “The Crucible of Racism.”

The United States should not abandon a foreign policy that promotes free self-determination around the globe. But people who have lost faith in democracy at home may be on to something.