Oftentimes we find that the people on the other side of a hot-button issue are motivated by good reasoning and deeply held values. They are not the enemy.

From 1955: How wide should the concerns of the Catholic journalist be?

The church’s doctrine of the last things underscores the mystery we face as we ponder death.

God hears our cries. In our misery and pain, she hears us. And in answering us, she calls us. Calls us to move past the pain, past the misery, to her warm embrace, to the peace that surpasses all understanding.

As I approach 90, I am less concerned with outward appearances—things like what I wear, how my hair looks, what others think of me—and more concerned with my inner life and how I relate to the world around me.

The practice of remembering death may sound grim, but not so long ago, it was considered an essential part of the Christian tradition.