A Life-Giving Tribute
On the day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday several years ago, I sat on my living-room sofa fuming at the television set. My wife entered the room and patiently asked me what news story had caused me such exasperation. I had just watched the national director for the American Red Cross urge
New Wine: Confessions of a Catholic Alcoholic
If the church that hosted my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting had been Catholic, I wouldn’t have gone near it. The religion I had been brought up in made me so angry in those days that I boycotted it in any way I could. But since the church was Presbyterian, I condescended to take a rear…
Reflections of a Catholic, Female Generation Xer
We sit at the kitchen table in our pajamas, the late morning sun filtering through the windows. The Washington Post lies untouched on the table, along with bagel crumbs and big mugs of tepid, strong coffee. It is New Year’s Eve day, and four of us, our college friendships eight years young now
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
Our Christmas gift to subscribers this year is our new Web site. We are very excited about it and believe you will find it informative and useful. Come visit us at: www.americamagazine.org. On our Web pages, you will find practically everything that is currently printed in the paper edition of Ameri
Letters
Letters
None Turned Away
I was delighted to read the column by George M. Anderson, S.J., about Paterson, N.J., and, in particular, Eva’s Village and Sheltering Program (11/12). The author was correct in pointing out the surging needs of the poor and afflicted in Paterson. Fortunately, Eva’s does not have to go it alone. While visiting Eva’s,…
Editorials
From Sept. 11 to Dec. 25
Our Christmas cover this year, painted by Ansgar Holmberg, C.S.J., depicts children from around the world adoring the infant Jesus. When Sister Ansgar first mailed us a rough draft of this painting, she wondered: Should Jesus be receiving the world from us, or should he be offering it to us?Christ d
Faith in Focus
Desiring Prayer
During the first few years I spent in the choir of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, I wrestled mightily with the intricacies of Byzantine chant. When I had a couple of other basses surrounding me I could follow along all right, but when I had to hold up the part on my own it was usually…
Books
A Major Leaguer
John Simon known for the pungency of his drama and film critiques in New York magazine and elsewhere here delivers himself on writers touched by the spirit of poetrydreamers of dreams in the words of the prophet Joel The principal essays in this collection have appeared from 1991 onwards in Th
Governing by God
The thesis of this book written by a professor of political science at Colgate University is that modern democracy needs God The author who identifies himself as a practicing Catholic asserts that Christianity is weakened by its close alliance with the contemporary version of democracy and huma
Pride After Prejudice
Reviewing Francisco Jim nez rsquo autobiographical treatment of his early years through high school was a movingeven spiritualexperience for me I say spiritual because the situations he relates reminded me of people and events in my own life that have shaped me at the deepest levels of my being
Film
Wild About Harry: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
Frantically searching for ways to postpone sitting down at the keyboard and trying to find something relatively new to say about the most over-analyzed film and social phenomenon of the year, I idly called up my favorite search engine and typed in harrypotter. The monitor blinked once and then came
Poetry
Lord Chemistry
The kingdom of God is within you. –Luke 17:21
The kingdom is inside somewhere all right.
The Word
Dream Visions and a Sign in the Heavens II
The Epiphany or Manifestation of Jesus is the Christmas feast among Eastern Christians both Orthodox and Catholic The same readings for all cycles emphasize a number of themes The first reading from the final post-exilic section of Isaiah envisions the nations streaming to a restored Jerusalem
Dream Visions and a Sign in the Heavens
The Holy Family could well be called the Refugee Family.
Columns
Dancing Through the Pearly Gates
I dreamt I was standing at the pearly gates, clutching a handful of coupons. What are those? St. Peter asked. My volunteering coupons, I replied, placing them in his hand. Then I explained how I had earned them: all the times I had pitched in at church answering phones, singing in the choir, volunte
Faith
Dream Visions and a Sign in the Heavens
The Holy Family could well be called the Refugee Family.
Christmas: A Feast of Love
A friend of mine who teaches homiletics recently examined and compared dozens of Christmas sermons published by seven major 20th-century theologians. She was happy to report that the divine love figured prominently in those sermons. The seven theologians all converged in proclaiming that the birth o
News
Signs of the Times
Pope Says Peace Must Include Justice as Well as ForgivenessIn his strongest statement since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Pope John Paul II said countries had a right to defend themselves against international terrorists. But he said true peace could not be achieved without justice and that for
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts