If heaven is like a wedding banquet, then purgatory may be understood as preparation for a great celebration. It is not a dreary waiting room at the D.M.V., but a place of lively hope.

Enforcement tactics do not in the end deter asylum seekers, who are typically fleeing life-threatening circumstances, but stricter enforcement does push border crossers to more dangerous paths.

In “a note of accompaniment” to the final document, the pope made clear that Catholic bishops throughout the world are to lead their churches in building a synodal and missionary church in the 21st century.

Sam Sawyer, S.J., editor-in-chief of America Media, returns to “Preach” to discuss his Advent homily series, designed to be more cohesive than the usual week-to-week, stand-alone Sunday homilies that preachers typically prepare.

If foster care works as it is designed to, that sacrifice will lead to goodbyes. The tension can be brutal. It’s also profoundly Christlike.

“What I’d like to see is the breaking down of this notion that there are the professional Christians—who are the priests, the bishops, the religious and many lay people—and the recognition that we’re all part of this together.”

Aquinas’ embrace of insights from Greek, Muslim and Jewish thinkers stems from his passionate pursuit of the truth about God and creatures—a pursuit that demands an open heart.

What looks like a half empty pint glass would overflow a teacup. And we can actually control the size of our glass.

A Reflection for Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time, by Jackson Goodman