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Although anarchism did not develop into a political philosophy until the 19th century, many Christian anarchists—including Tolstoy—found seeds of the modern political philosophy in the earliest Jewish and Christian traditions.
While some might associate modern anarchism with lawlessness and violence, its roots lie deep in early Christianity.
What if we resolve today to approach language as the sacrament of intention it is? We would keep our promises and say what we mean. We would speak into the world what we hope to find there: tenderness, compassion, healing, and peace.
Words aren’t just noise: They have the power to create reality.
At a time where a new, robust labor movement is emerging in the United States, the principles of a fair wage, the right to unionize, and safe working conditions found within "Rerum Novarum" can serve as a compass for American Catholics and workers to use as their guide.
Our society still hasn't implemented the just labor principles laid out in this encyclical from the 1800s.
Even with abortion bans, people are still seeking abortions. Over a million abortions were performed in 2023, which is the highest yearly abortion rate measured in a decade. According to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 170,000 patients seeking abortions traveled out of state in 2023 to receive one.
In the first post-Roe presidential election, Catholics face uncharted territory when it comes to issues around reproductive rights.
As Pope Francis notes, “We need to acknowledge that we are constantly tempted to ignore others, especially the weak.” In our deeply divided society, the reminder to be kind is really a reminder to love our neighbor.
An ethics of compassion can provide common ground for discussion in a polarized world. But it may take a little effort.
In its earliest incarnation, tarot, or tarocchi, was an Italian card game popular among the upper classes. The decks were often luxury objects, small works of art that wealthy patrons commissioned to give as gifts to their friends. Card games became popular among the masses when the printing press allowed for cheap mass production of card decks.
Tarot reading became popular because it promised to bring ancient knowledge and order to bear on contemporary chaos
The Christianity represented in these programs and textbooks is one in which patriarchal gender roles are celebrated, science is replaced with pseudoscience, and history is slanted in favor of white European colonialism. Parents who follow the church’s teachings on social justice, and who do not view science and faith as incompatible, may have difficulty finding a curriculum that aligns with their values.
Home education needs to be evaluated in the light of the common good.
The names and details of child martyrs could go on for many pages—countless stories of children who suffered agony with saintly smiles on their face. But are these really the stories we should use to teach children what it means to follow Jesus?
When we focus on pain and death in the stories of young saints, are we telling children that pain pleases God?
This week Zoe is joined by Erin Lothes for an exciting conversation on the hope within the Laudato Si’ Movement and what that means for Catholics in the pews. Erin a Catholic theologian and author of Inspired Sustainability: Planting Seeds for Action and The Paradox of Christian Sacrifice: The Loss of Self, The Gift of Self as well as many articles on faith-based environmentalism, divestment, and energy ethics.
In this episode of the podcast, theologian Erin Lothes discusses one of the most vital movements for ecological justice in the church today.
Like any other form of addiction, gambling can become an illness that takes over the victim’s life. The casualties of sports gambling addiction, of course, are not limited to the bettor alone. All a compulsive gambler’s loved ones are ensnared in their addiction and the suffering and financial ruin it engenders.
A broad acceptance of sports wagering opens a cultural Pandora's box without much thought to the potential risks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials have assured the public that it faces little risk from avian flu. There is, of course, a specific sub-group of the public that is acutely at risk: farmworkers exposed to the sick and dying animals and, just beyond them, a larger circle of vulnerability among their family members.
Farmworkers have been notoriously left behind. Are we ready to do what in justice is required to protect them?
We know from historical and biblical records that Mary was a peasant girl from Nazareth who likely belonged to a Jewish (and later Christian) circle called the anawim: a remnant of Israel’s economically poor who lived in pious dependence on God. Despite Mary’s poverty, the gospel writers, specifically Luke, present her as an active agent in Christian salvation.
God often chooses those who are most despised and marginalized to bear the gospel’s prophetic message.
We are invited to welcome the whole of people’s identities, to open our hearts and encounter the whole of their lives and identities. Today, we are invited to encounter the image of God alive in one another.
Kelly Adamson reflects on the readings for the twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Kelly Adamson reflects on the Sunday Mass gospel reading for September 8, 2024 (Year B), the twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Encounter the image of God.
While the climate crisis is a global issue that affects us all, other social justice challenges may seem more immediate to young people. The complex and often deeply personal impact of immigration policies and practices on families and communities is another source of concern for today’s youth.
Despite the threats of today’s world, young people are facing the future with courage, resilience, and faith.
When Jesus says in the gospels to forsake your family, Harper doesn’t think he was saying family isn’t important but that your biological family shouldn’t be the central priority of your life. “The more we can expand those margins, the safer and more taken care of we will all be,” Harper says.
The patriarchal, nuclear model of the family is a recent invention. For most of history, around the world, children were raised communally.
The core of a home altar is not about fancy decor, shiny new icons, or even thematic adornments that match the liturgical year. It is about making room for God and looking for God in the abundant blessings you may already have.
These devotional corners can be intimate physical spaces for remembering that God is present even in the smallest things.
Consider how Jesus is a master of the effective word that is profoundly true and beneficial. When Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” it’s not a suggestion, wish, or promise. It’s a bestowal. Peace is immediately radically unleashed over an anxious group of disciples, and they viscerally absorb it.
Words aren’t just noise: They have the power to create reality.
Like all sacraments, marriage requires our cooperation with God’s grace to bear the most fruit in our lives. I invite the Lord into the trying times so Christ might help me to continue to live out my wedding vows and be an instrument of love to my family and all those we impact each day.
To settle the stressful seasons of marriage, lean into your vows.
The Ten Commandments exhort us not to forsake our parents in their time of need. At the same time, Jesus is clearly asking us to become disciples, which we know often means something more radical than mere belief, since on several occasions Jesus anticipates people leaving their homes and family to follow him.
How do we balance such radical commands of discipleship with other biblical commands to honor your father and mother?
According to the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, an average of 43,375 people die of gun-related causes in the United States each year. Nearly 6 out of 10 gun deaths are suicides. And the U.S. gun homicide rate is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries.
While many in the church seem indifferent to gun violence, some Catholics are finding creative ways to counter this epidemic.
Pope Francis has declared 2025 the Jubilee Year of Hope, thus the theme of this season’s podcast being Pilgrims of Hope. Join Zoe this week as she talks with Jubilee expert Fr. Patrick Griffin. Fr. Pat will give listeners a fresh background on what a jubilee is and how exciting this is for our church this year and how we are all called to be pilgrims of hope.
On this episode of the podcast, Father Patrick Griffin gives background on the history of jubilees in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
What if we resolve today to approach language as the sacrament of intention it is? We would keep our promises and say what we mean. We would speak into the world what we hope to find there: tenderness, compassion, healing, and peace. We would bring to the places we go and the people we encounter the good news they sincerely need.
Words aren’t just noise: They have the power to create reality.
Anyone who follows Catholic figures on social media probably has examples of times when these people have forgotten the true purpose of social media, resulting in more broken relationships than deep and lasting ones.
U.S. Catholic readers weigh in on whether priests and other ministers should be active on social media.
Here’s the reality: If you refuse to make even the smallest sacrifice for the sake of safety, you’re not a hero, and you don’t really care about defending people. If your response to a mass shooting is to rush out and buy more guns, you’re not an advocate for life.
If facts showed that giving up gun privileges would help create a more just and life-affirming society, would you be willing to do that?
Out of the 29 schools that responded to FemCatholic's survey, 10 had a clear policy specific to pregnant and parenting students, five had a pregnancy support advocate, and five offered a pregnancy resource center.
Not all pregnant and parenting students have good experiences on Catholic campuses, but colleges run by religious sisters show a way forward.
Some people may not realize that injustice involving these two demographics—LGBTQ people and those who are neurodivergent—often intersects. According to a recent Cambridge University study, LGBTQ identity is much more common in neurodiverse populations than it is in the general population.
How Catholics respond to the needs of neurodivergent and LGBTQ young people can be a matter of life or death.
The Quran states that all human souls—no exceptions here—were gathered together in front of God in primordial time before their life on Earth. Humankind bore witness to God’s existence and entered into a sacred covenant with their Creator and with each other.
Engaging with one another across faith lines can enrich our personal lives and foster a greater sense of community and mutual respect.
While there are legitimate reasons for people to cut ties with family, including neglect and abuse, the kingdom of God invites us to compassion and pro-social behavior, which may require working to mend rifts in family life.
How do we balance such radical commands of discipleship with other biblical commands to honor your father and mother?
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See Colin's full reflection on the readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time at https://uscatholic.org/articles/202208/a-reflection-for-the-twentieth-sunday-in-ordinary-time/ Subscribe to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
See Sister Emily's full reflection on the readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time at https://uscatholic.org/articles/202208/a-reflection-for-the-nineteenth-sunday-in-ordinary-time-2/. Subscribe to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
Jessie Bazan reflects on the readings for January 16, 2022 (Year C), the second Sunday in Ordinary Time. See her full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Our baptism prepares us to get involved and to share in the work of God for the salvation of the world." See Father Ferdinand Okorie, C.M.F.'s full reflection for the Baptism of the Lord at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-baptism-of-the-lord-2. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Like the teachers in the synagogue with Jesus, we should take the time to listen to [children] and engage with them." See Kate's full reflection for the feast of the Holy Family at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-feast-of-the-holy-family-2 Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Will we grasp that by God’s presence in us we are made holy?" See Carolyn Woo's full reflection for the fourth Sunday of Advent at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-fourth-sunday-of-advent-2. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflection in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"In this time of Advent, the desert prophet is not calling us to a mere birthday party." Read Br. Ernest Miller, F.S.C.'s full reflection for the third Sunday of Advent at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-third-sunday-of-advent. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Like Jerusalem in Baruch’s time, there is no going back to what was before, but we let God’s motherly care enfold us with mercy and justice as our companions." Read Sr. Barbara's full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-second-sunday-of-advent. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Advent is a time to celebrate in a particular way the God present in each of us. Celebrating Christmas is also a reminder of God’s presence in each of us and in all of creation." See Claretian Father Rosendo Urrabazo's full reflection for the first Sunday of Advent at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-first-sunday-of-advent.
“'You say I am a king.' So Jesus admonishes Pilate, with this half-affirmation at best, because he knows what kind of king Pilate has in mind . . . He’s not Pilate’s kind of king at all." Matthew Gummess, O. Carm. reflects on the readings for the feast of Christ the King, November 21, 2021 (Year B). See his full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-feast-of-christ-the-king.
John Christman, S.S.S. reflects on the readings for November 14, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Read his full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-thirty-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"Joseph was born at the beginning of the pandemic. Named after St. Joseph, his name means “Jehovah increases.” Every single day since his birth, we have experienced God providing for our family’s daily needs." Sarah Hoyoung Ku reflects on the readings for November 7, the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Read her full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-thirty-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"The old song insists all we need is love. And the teachings of Moses and Jesus agree: Love with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength." Alice Camille reflects on the readings for October 31, 2021, the thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary time. See her full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-thirty-first-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"It may seem odd to us that Jesus would ask Bartimaeus what it was that he wanted. The man is blind, what else might he want but to have his blindness cured? What on earth could he ask for but that?" See Eric's full reflection on the Sunday readings for the thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-thirtieth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Subscribe to receive Sunday Reflecitons in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflection.
"We don’t act like a servant to become great. We serve because there is greatness in the service of the other." See Aires full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-ninth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"When people in power try to trick Jesus into mandating exclusion, he affirms the expansive inclusivity of a loving God who created a world and filled every inch of it with good things." Stephanie Cherpak Clary reflects on the readings for October 10, the twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. See her full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-eighth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"People contemplating marriage today may well be tempted to ask, 'Why get married at all?'" Claretian Father Mark Brummel reflects on the readings for October 3, the twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. See his full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-seventh-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"God can do—and regularly does do—whatever God wants." Ann M. Garrido reflects on the readings for September 26, the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. See her full reflection at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-sixth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"This day, what might we choose to serve our neighbors who may need the gifts we have to share?" See Lucianne Siers' full reflection for the twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-fifth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Sign up to receive Sunday Reflections in your inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
"To this day, I find myself more deeply drawn into the wondrous mystery of salvation, the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through the prophetic witness of those who serve those in greatest need." Read or watch Nicole's full reflection on this Sunday's readings at uscatholic.org/articles/a-reflection-for-the-twenty-fourth-sunday-in-ordinary-time. Subscribe to receive Sunday Reflections in your Inbox at uscatholic.org/sundayreflections.
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