nbsp We asked Daniel P Horan OFM a Franciscan author to respond to Joan Acocella 39 s long and substantive article in this week 39 s New Yorker on St Francis of Assisi nbsp Ms Acocella a superb writer looked at several books on Il Poverello and offered a reflection on his life nbsp Fa

Here is an important article on the value of Catholic education in the United States written by two people who know what they rsquo re talking about nbsp Today 39 s New York Times includes an op-ed entitled ldquo Catholic Education In Need of Salvation rdquo written by Patrick J McCloskey

nbsp Two of my favorite spiritual memoirs are the magnificent works The Sacred Journey and Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner an ordained Presbyterian minister who since 1967 has lived in and written from Vermont nbsp Buechner 39 s prose is supple his mind fertile and his way of looking a

Okay we all like making lists of New Year rsquo s Resolutions nbsp And most of the time--well much of the time--we have a really hard time keeping them because they rsquo re so difficult nbsp Lose 20 pounds nbsp nbsp Read a new book a month nbsp Never get drunk again nbsp Avoid all soda

nbsp The Smart Samaritan1 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus nbsp ldquo Teacher rdquo he said ldquo what must I do to inherit eternal life rdquo nbsp 2 Jesus said to him ldquo What is written in the Law What do you read there rdquo nbsp He answered ldquo You shall love the L

nbsp By my count today 39 s Gospel Luke 1 26-38 appears four times during Advent nbsp So perhaps it 39 s worth a bit of reflection nbsp What does the Annunciation such a beautiful and strange story have to teach us today nbsp What is it about the Annunciation that is so captivating H

Gun control is about the defense of life.

Where were you God We are crushed with grief God We cannot bear to think of so many people killed We cannot bear to think of children being killed It is unthinkable to us the worst tragedy Children Where were you God How could you let this happen Why is your world like this We are sad and an

This morning the Holy Father began his personal tweeting under the handle Pontifex nbsp The word is from one of the traditional titles in Latin of the pope Pontifex Maximus meaning more or less Great Bridge Builder nbsp Together the first three papal tweets read Dear friends I am ple

Fr. James Martin, S.J., writes "desire is a key way that God speaks to us, whether in Advent or the rest of the year."