There have been many canonized saints who were treated very badly by church leaders of their day, through no fault of their own.

Robert P. George, McCormick professor of jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, recently spoke with OSV News’ Charlie Camosy about how St. John Paul II’s encyclical “Evangelium Vitae,” released 30 years ago, provided a pro-life vision that remains relevant today.

As the lunch came to a close, she brought out the gender reveal cake. I have never been to a gender reveal party, but I love any reason to celebrate a new little one.

George Matysek Jr. remembers the late Elizabeth Ann Murphy, a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse and a fierce advocate for justice. She dedicated her life to ensuring survivors’ voices were heard, challenging fellow Catholics to listen and take action.

I smiled the whole way back to my seat. After Mass, we chatted about how wonderful it was that I had been able to receive the Eucharist from him. What an unexpected surprise and delight.

We stand before Christ, transcending time, awaiting the moment when the energy of light and life — unleashed at creation, and subsumed (just once) into the quiescence of a grace-filled womb — flares through that enshrouded body, reanimating, resurrecting.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lays out a very different understanding of hope for the Christian, not merely as an expectation, but as a supernatural virtue:

Pope St. John Paul II could well be called the “apostle of life.” He spent his entire pontificate boldly proclaiming the inviolability of innocent human life.

While a vegan or vegetarian already fulfills the law of abstinence by just sticking to their usual meat-free eating habits, it might make sense for them to consider adopting an additional penance for Lent.

These sacred years remind us that humanity, history and time do not merely belong to God; they have been taken up into God in the person of Jesus Christ.