New comfort with old silenceMark T. Valley
I've returned to Los Angeles. My knees are still sore -- possibly more from the long flights than from walking. I'm not entirely at rest, but the house is quiet. The dog -- more of a silent presence ...
'When I was a child'Archbishop Richard G. Henning
The 13th chapter of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, sometimes called "the hymn to love," is frequently chosen by couples for the readings at their wedding Mass. It is a good choice, as the ...
True Mission is Giving and ReceivingMaureen Crowley Heil
The country of Zambia, in southeastern Africa, is twenty-eight times the size of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in area. Their population is only double ours. To say that populated areas are few and ...
Glorious processionsScott Hahn
In today's liturgy, we're swept through time in glorious procession -- from before earth and sky were set in place to the coming of the Spirit upon the new creation, the Church. We begin in ...
Scripture Reflection for June 15, 2025, Solemnity of the Most Holy TrinityFather Joshua J. Whitfield
Prv 8:22-31 Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Rom 5:1-5 Jn 16:12-15 "Remember you're speaking as a Catholic," St. Augustine thundered once in a sermon. But he wasn't talking about the sacraments. He wasn't ...
Is immigration history in the United States cyclical?Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
As I am preparing a paper to be given at a university on 100 years of immigration history, I could not help but discover similarities between the situation of our country in 1924 and that of today in ...
Are Jewish marriages valid to the Catholic Church?Jenna Marie Cooper
Q: In a recent article, you quoted the Code of Canon Law for what constitutes a valid non sacramental marriage. I'm not sure if you know this, but the Jewish marriage document -- the ketubah -- is ...
Taking Pentecost seriously -- and personallyJaymie Stuart Wolfe
Most people understand that bars with live music often have a cover charge or a two-drink minimum. But when it comes to singing hymns, it seems that most Catholic parishes seem to have a two-verse maximum. ...
At Compostela againMark T. Valley
I hardly slept last night. I was excited. The albergue in O Pedrouzo was large, clean, and white. When the dormitory door opened at 4:45 a.m., a shock of fluorescence jolted me out of bed. Apparently, ...
BaccalaureateArchbishop Richard G. Henning
Over recent weeks, I have participated in graduation ceremonies and celebrated baccalaureate Masses at a number of universities and high schools around the Archdiocese. Combined with regular pastoral ...