Commentary Archives - TheCatholicSpirit.com

Going buggy with Brood X

June 7, 2021

When I first learned of the imminent arrival of the 17-year cicadas, Brood X according to those who name such things, it brought to mind my years in the Midwest. There the whir that accompanied their annual appearance was comforting. It was nature's Muzak, soothing background noise as summer drew to a close.

Catholic Hotdish

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

June 4, 2021

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated every year on the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The traditional name for the feast is Corpus Christi. It is one of the three doctrinal feasts celebrated during Ordinary Time.

Twenty Something

Finding God in the wilderness

June 3, 2021

The sense of place and pull to the wild that inspired Nick Ripatrozone’s new book are tucked in his very name. The rip-roaring surname is the name of a mountain town in central Italy, which the 40-year-old writer has visited.

Faith at Home

Seven surprising places to find God this summer

June 2, 2021

School is done and summer has begun. But between registering kids for sports and mapping family road trips, I've had to catch myself. Where could we seek and find God in this new season, too?

Amid the Fray

Making sense of the Communion debate

May 31, 2021

The famous Catholic writer Flannery O'Connor recounted in a letter the time she got in an argument with another famous writer, Mary McCarthy, over the Eucharist. McCarthy described the Eucharist as a symbol.

Catholic Hotdish

The Trinitarian Councils – Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus

May 28, 2021

During the Fourth and Fifth Centuries, the Church was beset by conflict over different understandings of the God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, who they are and their relationship to each other. A series of three major ecumenical councils addressed these questions and progressively defined the Church’s doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity.

From Readers

From readers – May 27, 2020

May 27, 2021

Vaccines shouldn’t have abortion ties

Catholic Watchmen

Lift up your heads, hearts and heels

May 27, 2021

Say what you want about some of the creative dialogue produced in “The Chosen,” if indeed you have viewed any parts of the popular series, but there is a compelling visual and verbal exchange in an early episode that truly moves the heart.

Your Heart His Home

A mother, a Father and the thoughts of God

May 27, 2021

There was a woman who, at nearly 40 years old, after having had six children and one miscarriage, learned she was about to have another child. Though she loved being a mother, the weight of this reality did not fill her with joy.

Food from Scripture

Bread: Sign of God’s love for humankind

May 27, 2021

Bread is among the earliest prepared foods, with archeological evidence of it dating back more than 10,000 years. A primary source of nourishment for humankind, bread is replete with mythology, tradition and ritual. Scripture offers some fine examples.

Faith at Home

Start small like God loves to do

May 24, 2021

How often do you think about how small you are?

Inside the Capitol

Vigilant advocacy ahead of special session

May 21, 2021

The Legislature’s regular session came to its constitutionally mandated end May 17 and it is officially in recess. However, this “recess” is not a time for rest and relaxation. In fact, the clock is ticking again.

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