VIEWS

The Catholic standard for discerning the viability and wisdom of when to assimilate to a culture, or when to resist assimilation, must be the Gospel of Jesus as handed down to us within the Church, and as celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy.

Christmas wishes for many children frequently involve things that are fun and flashy, cool and hip, or maybe loud and fast. And for adults, often the impractical (or what some might also call “re-gifts”).

At the end of the day when I put my hands together to pray, I not only give thanks for all the blessings God sent my way, but I also take a moment to reflect on all the bad things that did not occur.

Would you prefer your state taxes go to serving needy individuals in our community? Why not take a “rebate” of up to $400 for our diocesan Catholic charitable organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, and Foundation for Senior Living?

Last month when the heat threatened the 120-degree mark, and I was cursing the sidewalk for reflecting it onto my sweated brow, I came upon a homeless man looking for a handout.

The Holy Father has allowed the granting of Plenary indulgences for the faithful during the Year of Faith at places and dates determined by the local bishop. An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain conditions.

Contraception has been readily available for some 53 years. In 1960, there were about 800 legal abortions a year; today there's more than 1.2 million. The only rational conclusion is that contraception somehow fuels abortion.

Do not see those with homosexual inclinations as problems but as persons, persons whom Jesus redeemed by His Cross, persons called to holiness, persons with an inviolable dignity and an eternal destiny bestowed on them by God, persons like you and me, persons who have a welcome place in our Church.

If beauty has the power to lead us to God, then, why have so many people stopped believing in it?

America’s got a weight problem. It’s only getting worse. Today more than a third of U.S. adults are considered obese, according to studies from the...