commeNTARY
Work assignment on Sunday/ Mass card for non-Catholic wedding ceremony?
Father Doyle fields questions on work assignment on Sunday and giving a Mass card to a couple married in a non-Catholic ceremony.
Stories from Christmas, a Star Wars birthday cake, a new flyswatter, and more (7 Quick Takes)
Stories from Christmas, including how an Old Bay ornament made its way to our tree
There’s something special about a baby
God knows how the Infant Jesus will capture our attention—if we just let Him.
Christmas, freedom and obedience
The Christmas story is a lengthy meditation on a counterintuitive but essential truth: true freedom, genuine liberation, comes through freely chosen obedience to God’s purposes.
Advent: It’s not over ’til it’s over
We’ve made it this far. Ready or not, Christmas is coming. But this last little stretch offers a sliver of time.
Camping out at the dollar store
Little gifts. Tiny blessings. This Christmas season, give away a compliment and your smile.
First snow day of the season, candy cane caprese, paper-towel penguins, school concerts, and more (7 Quick Takes)
Unexpected snow days are always a hit.
’Tis the season to make a photo calendar
Every Christmas our family presents my parents with a beautiful calendar full of grandchildren pictures. Everyone loves the calendar. Everyone except, well, maybe the person who knows the calendar is going to be her responsibility the next year.
The well-fought fight
Alas, like many other hymns, “For All the Saints” is an endangered species today, gutted by parish music directors and pastors who commit the grave sin of not singing a hymn in its entirety — or worse, who bowdlerize the lyrics to coddle the sensibilities of the Church of Nice.
Letter to a failing heroin addict
In 40 years of working with the addicted, I have learned that these negative behaviors block the positive power of grace.