It was Dec. 9, 1886, and the news from Bowlan Township in Shannon County in southern Missouri, as reported in the Current Wave county newspaper, was simple and straightforward: "Plenty of snow. Hunters plenty and game scarce."
And then came this word: "James W. Russell, son of J. N. Russell, is very low with typhoid-pneumonia. He has been prostrated for 22 days. That worthy and skillful doctor, W.A. Allen, has been in close attendance on the young man night and day for about two weeks...
My friend said "You should write about the Winter Olympics." My reply: "But I'm not a sports writer."
"I don't mean you should write about sports. Write about the discipline and sacrifices made by the athletes and their families. That's stewardship of talent in a big way!"
"I agree," I said. "In order to develop our talents and reach the potential that God gave each of us, we have to practice and make sacrifices. We see this forcefully with athletes, but it's also true for all o...
Baseball spring training -- an annual rite that is unique to America and a harbinger of some of our greatest hopes.
During my years as a baseball writer it was my favorite time of year, a chance to work on my tan and watch a sport I loved.
As professional ballplayers gather in Florida and Arizona, all seems right with the world. Most people don't talk as much about players' astronomical salaries or what happened last season. Instead, conversation focuses on which team seems to...
My favorite blog widget is a live feed. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have known what a widget is -- or a blog or a live feed for that matter. Today, these things are part of everyday life.
The live feed is a great tool. With a click of a button I can see where online readers live and what topic brought them to my blog. The most popular articles include an article about Bathsheba and another titled "Farmtown Games and St. Teresa of Avila." I can guess why those two posts draw reade...
I was a coward recently at a gathering of friends. I wish I could frame this another way, but "coward" is the best word to describe me. While we were discussing a new book about slavery and human rights, one member of the group posed a question: Is man's inhumanity to man present in today's world?
My mind immediately went to the fate of the 50 million children who have died from abortion, and how inhumane it is to purposely stop a tiny heart.
As they discussed human ri...
This month brings a milestone for my social circle: For the first time, a childhood friend will become a mother.
As Sara's belly swells, the rest of us are helping prepare for the baby who will catapult us into our next stage. It will provide the surest sign we have reached adulthood, which, up to this point, has felt far less established than it once appeared.
At 15, age 25 looked like an elixir to every adolescent woe, the perfect mix of freedom and purpose, objectives that no...
It is a certainty that God has put us here for a purpose. Jesus Christ sets the perfect example for us to follow. Realizing our gifts and our purpose is not always a quick process, but it can be realized if you keep your eyes on the Lord and your heart open to His wisdom.
Growing up in my parish, I started out very introverted and shy. As youth sometimes we feel like we don't have a place in our religion. We have the "sitting at the kids' table" syndrome.
In my parish...
Last summer at a prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI formally opened the Year for Priests. "The Church needs priests who are holy, ministers who help the faithful experience the merciful love of the Lord and who are convinced witnesses of that love," the Holy Father said.
The Year for Priests coincides with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. It is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings of pries...
At the beginning of holy season of Lent, Holy Mother Church reminds us of our mortality: "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."
Death is the consequence of sin. "Even though man's nature is mortal, God had destined him not to die. Death was therefore contrary to the plans of God the Creator and entered the world as a consequence of sin" (CCC 1008).
Through Baptism our death is transformed in Christ: "The obedience of Jesus...
NonCatholics don't always understand Catholic faith practices. One Catholic tradition that sometimes perplexes nonCatholics is our Lenten sacrifices.
Many years ago, I worked in a restaurant. The owner and all the waitresses were Catholic. My sister and I were the only nonCatholic employees, and we were both the daughters of a Protestant minister. For us, Lent was a time of watching Catholics -- and wondering.
We served a fair amount of fish during Lent, rather than our usual or...
Pray the Stations of the Cross with images photographed at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in South Saint Louis. The prayers accompanying each station are selections from...
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