|
February 1, 2012
Brian Williams took time from his nightly newscast earlier this month to announce that comedian Russell Brand had filed for divorce from singer Katy Perry, ending a marriage that had barely cleared the one-year mark. The news was part of a ping-pong pop-culture recap that ended with Williams describing the latest YouTube sensation: a golden retriever bobbing its head to the strumming of guitar. Broadcasters tout iPads to remind... |
February 1, 2012
On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, I heard a sermon -- a rather well-delivered one at that -- about the Magi as religious "seekers." The same note, I'll wager, was struck from pulpits and ambos across the country, perhaps across the world. But isn't there something a bit askew here? Isn't the point of Matthew's tale of the "wise men from the East" (Matthew 2:1) that they were finders, not just seekers? Moreover, isn't the further... |
January 26, 2012
Last week the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would not rescind its mandate that nearly all health plans provide, free of charge, contraceptives, sterilization procedures and abortifacients to "all women with reproductive capacity." The mandate provides for religious institutions an exemption so narrowly defined that nearly every Catholic organization — including dioceses, hospitals, schools and charitable... |
January 25, 2012
When he wrote the line, "I have been acquainted with the night," Robert Frost could have been describing the fearful experience of a man whose story I recently learned. Fearful, yet it left me filled with a strong sense of God's presence. This story of hope was sent by Sherry Powers. It is appropriate in this month of new beginnings, promises and expectations. "I would like to share with you ... a small, everyday miracle... |
|
January 25, 2012
We now find ourselves in what the Catholic liturgical calendar calls "ordinary time." The great Advent and Christmas seasons are behind us. With the feast of the Epiphany, the taking down of the holiday decorations began and came to an end. Even the New Year's celebrations, glamour and excitement are gone. What still linger in our minds are the New Year's resolutions. Many of us opted, once again, to engage the coming of the New Year... |
January 18, 2012
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s presence on the American scene was short and dramatic. It began in 1955 with the Montgomery bus boycott and ended with his assassination in Memphis in 1968. But through those brief 13 years, his Gospel-grounded voice moved our nation forward in the struggle against racism, poverty, violence and injustice. Working with other people of faith, Dr. King hastened the end of legal discrimination, fostered a... |
|
January 17, 2012
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... |
January 17, 2012
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... |
|
January 11, 2012
The soccer program at St. Louis University, which competes in the NCAA's top division, has a long and distinguished history. This year the men's team went 6-10-1. Mike Roach, a graduate of Chaminade, was third in scoring for the team, which featured seven players from Catholic schools in the archdiocese. The Billikens' women's team finished 5-10-3. A bright spot was freshman forward Abbey Stock, a St. Joseph's Academy graduate... |
January 11, 2012
My father was the product of a marriage that lasted about five minutes. According to family lore, the ink wasn't dry on the marriage license before the d-word came up. The breach in his parents' marriage had a lasting effect on dad. The healing came when he realized that God had called him into being despite the circumstances of his conception, despite the animosity that existed between his parents. Even though his parents' refusal to... |
St. Louis Review
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St Louis, MO 63119
314-792-7500
