Several of our Lord’s parables have to do with productivity in one form or another: The Sower, The Mustard Seed, The Tares, and then there is today’s (November 15, 2020), which is specifically about money (Matthew 25:14-30). In Greek currency, a talanton, as a measure of silver, was the equivalent of 6,000 Roman denarii. Establishing…
New York Times—It’s a prominent refrain these days from activists in the aftermath of arson and looting — businesses have insurance. Buildings can be repaired. Broken glass is a small price to pay in a movement for justice. One new book, called “In Defense of Looting,” for example, argued that looting is an essential tactic…
While mainstream media and PBS news continue to stir ordinary citizens into a state of near perpetual fear with hourly news reports that drone on about new covid cases — never about the new vaccine(s) recently announced that have so far shown 93% success rates, nor about successful recovery — many many MANY people wonder……
Popular culture holds a dismissive attitude toward history. Common headlines include “unprecedented times”, “worse than ever”, and “never before.” But how often is that really true? What do we face that is truly without precedent? This mindset—that all things have either escalated or de-escalated, that the present is always somehow more or less than the…
CNA—The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. How the court might decide the case was a crucial part of Democratic opposition to the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the court last month. In the cases of California v. Texas and Texas v. California,…
CNA—While the U.S. bishops’ conference congratulated presumptive president-elect Joe Biden on the election results this weekend, the bishop of Fort Worth has called for prayer, saying the vote tallies are not yet official. “This is still a time for prudence and patience as the results of the presidential election have not been officially authenticated,” Bishop…
CNA—On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State will release a report on its two-year investigation into the career of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who has been found canonically guilty of serial sexual abuse and misconduct, and was laicized in 2019. (Click here to read The McCarrick Report for yourself) Who is Theodore McCarrick? Theodore…
The Catholic Leader—BRISBANE Archbishop Mark Coleridge has joined church leaders from around the world condemning the killing of three people in southern France – hacked to death in Nice’s Notre Dame Basilica while preparing for morning Mass. “Violence in the name of God is the ultimate contradiction and is utterly abhorrent, whatever historic injustices are…
“Either the government will be given to us, or we will seize it by marching on Rome!” declared Mussolini. And his Fascists responded with the cry, Roma! Roma! Roma! The following text comes from the pre-eminent history textbook series for Catholic students, Volume: “Light to the Nations II: The Making of the Modern World.” The…
“We have waited half a century for this opportunity,” said Students For Life America (SFLA) President Kristan Hawkins. “It’s absolutely vital that the U.S. Senate vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, and, as we continue to travel across the country in–person and virtually, we are activating a new generation of single-issue voters on the human rights struggle…
I was shocked to learn that Thomas Howard had died last week at age 83. It just seemed, as odd as it sounds to say, so out of character for the lively, inspiring and fiercely bow-tie-affectionado professor, speaker and Catholic convert who was ever so full of life, good wit and clear discernment. It is…
Since we are responsible for the actions of those we elect, how should we vote when there is no perfect candidate? Obviously, the same way we make other prudential decisions in an imperfect world… we prioritize and weigh competing issues and considerations. This does not make us a “single issue” voter but we do have…
CNA—A federal court ruled on Friday that Florida State University (FSU) must pay the Catholic former leader of the student senate who was removed in June for comments he made about Church teaching and anti-racist groups. Jack Denton, the former president of the FSU student senate, was removed from his position by fellow senators in…
by Thomas M. Loarie “Dazzled, Finding the Key to Perfect Forgiveness” is one of the best books I have read this year. It is very well-written and difficult to put down. Author Jess Echeverry, with the help of award-winning co-author Patti Maquire Armstrong, has written a dark story about today’s culture and the challenges faced…
Effective September 1, 2020, the State of California has new eviction protections arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. This new law includes new state rules regarding: Protection for tenants who cannot pay rent, including temporary relief through January 31, 2021 Nonpayment hardship declarations Deferred not eliminated: Tenants will still owe the rent Expanded Just Cause Eviction…
When explorers roamed what was to them a “New World,” they sent back to Europe descriptions of strange vegetation and wildlife, using familiar images to describe the unfamiliar. Spaniards in Peru reported that the llama was an animal with the body of a large sheep, the neck of a camel, and the head of a…
At the cathedral where I live, often I stop to pray at the outdoor chapel to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which overlooks the US 101 freeway. As I pray to Our Lady and look out on the cars moving by below, my mind goes to St. Junípero Serra and the missionaries. Three centuries ago they…
CNA—Cardinal Raymond Burke, a canon lawyer and formerly the prefect of the Church’s highest court, has said that Catholic politicians supporting abortion should not receive Holy Communion, including pro-choice Catholic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Biden “is not a Catholic in good standing and he should not approach to receive Holy Communion,” Burke said in an…
CNA—Criticism of Amy Coney Barrett is part of a “virus” of anti-Catholic “bigotry,” retired Archbishop Charles Chaput said on Monday. The archbishop warned that public attacks on the Supreme Court nominee’s faith constitute a wider threat to religious liberty. Chaput, long considered a leading intellectual among American Catholic bishops, retired as Archbishop of Philadelphia in…
I found Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell to be an excellent book. As someone who has served as a CEO of early stage companies for many years and has also been asked frequently for advice by growth minded professionals and entrepreneurs, this book resonated. My copy is dog-eared and…
