Our Catholic faith fundamentally rejects the possessive individualism of both major parties as contrary to the doctrine of solidarity. We do not have a home on the continuum of liberalism.

The desire to “live to see your children’s children,” as Psalm 128 puts it, is wired deep inside the human heart. We want to see the children we worked so hard to parent in turn bring the next generation into being.

Beyond the Gospel accounts, Mary’s perpetual virginity is something that has been continuously affirmed though our sacred tradition.

It’s easier than ever to pull away from people with minimal consequence: ghost someone, block, unfollow. We’ve built technologies that make disconnection frictionless.

The God of second chances is always ready to move forward. Not that we aren’t supposed to acknowledge our failings. But we can’t linger in the past, spending time beating ourselves up as God makes plans for us.

I hoped everything would be fine, and that the baby would continue to grow and thrive. But, just a few weeks later, we learned the baby had passed away.

“Wake Up Dead Man” may not share your politics, but it offers a timeless reminder that transcends ideology: The Gospel’s saving message is attractive and compelling, even in a skeptical world. We need only step aside and let false fronts fall away.

Emptying and filling our interior buckets is hard work. In fact, it can’t be done apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who enables us to heed Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all you who are burdened and I will give you rest.” Jesus invites us to exchange our heavy yoke for his lighter burden – peace, forgiveness and thankfulness.  

A household of persons who are united to God and one another through the sacramental life of the church means that it is grace that makes a household a domestic church.

We might see this new time in muted sepia tones or we might see it unfolding in vibrant technicolor. However we feel about this new year, we have the chance to begin again. And we hold onto the faith that we are not alone.