Columns

In a recent speech to bishops from the state of New York who were making the visit to Rome required of each bishop every five years, Pope Benedict XVI returned to two of the themes that dominated his visit to the United States in 2008: the sexual abuse crisis and the new evangelization. The pope's speech was the first of five major addresses that he will give as the U.S. bishops journey in 15 regional groups to Rome ad limina apostolorum (to the threshold of the apostles).

I have tinnitus.

The more common term for it is "ringing in the ears." It's not a disease but rather a symptom of many, many things.

There's no easy way for me to trace what it is that is causing the persistent, high-pitched sound inside my head. It could be my depression and anxiety; it could be the anti-depressant drugs I take to fight those things. It could be because of my caffeine intake, though an absence of caffeine is on the list of possible causes.

I've been shopping for the perfect Christmas card, sifting through Nativity scenes framed in holly berries and bows.

None of the Marys feel right. The lips are taut. The face, unblemished. We see none of the bliss and bewilderment that must have surged after birthing the son of God. We see no emotion at all -- serenity as vacancy, sainthood as sedation.

During the baseball playoffs last month, one of my co-workers greeted another by asking, "Did you see the Cardinals' game last night?

She replied: "Why would I watch other people play a game?"

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that some people aren't baseball fans. I must confess, though, that I don't understand. I mean, really, it's baseball -- especially Cardinals baseball! What's not to love?

When Mary Chilton first spotted the New World in November 1620, the 13-year-old had been aboard the Mayflower for 10 weeks, stuck in the same clothes and cramped in dark, damp quarters among seasick passengers and dying goats. Each family was allotted one storage trunk for all their possessions.

Imagine the terror and thrill of squinting at Cape Cod's thickets.

Mary earned the distinction of being the first European woman to set foot on Plymouth Rock.

Major League baseball managers must have the patience of Job to survive a 162-game season. A team and individual players will go on streaks, both productive and -- unfortunately for us fans -- unproductive.

Job, as summarized in the Catholic Encyclopedia, was tried by Satan with severe afflictions in order to test his virtue. Job faced six great temptations with heroic patience and without the slightest murmuring against God or wavering in loyalty to Him.