Columns
Victory Through Suffering – The Catholic Thing
Nike, the shoe company, not the ancient Greek goddess, famously said, “Just Do It.” But why is the company called “Nike,” and what does the word mean? Nikê is the Greek goddess of victory in war – and life. Battles bring victory, and she brought…
What is a Cat? – The Catholic Thing
When I ask my classes, “What is a cat?” inevitably the answer is, “Whatever someone says it is.” Not so long ago, every seventh grader knew what a cat was. Now, that certainty has evaporated into subjectivity. But after a few months of…
What is a Cat? – The Catholic Thing
When I ask my classes, “What is a cat?” inevitably the answer is, “Whatever someone says it is.” Not so long ago, every seventh grader knew what a cat was. Now, that certainty has evaporated into subjectivity. But after a few months of…
An EZ Guide to Modern Politics
Yes, alas, it’s another election year. You know what that means. The free-fire zone, formerly known as our public square, demands that we steal a break from our screens – and think. We think in order to understand. And we best understand the…
That Old-Time Religion – The Catholic Thing
I wonder if a certain greater sobriety is not asked of us as regards our use of social media. And if so, who is going to tell us so? So much that is stern and chastising has been removed from the public acceptance of our faith today. This is…
A Royal Saint for Every Age
Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland recently made news not for his playing or pseudo-Viking antics, but for his record-breaking purchase of a 1594 printed edition of the Heimskringla – the lives of the Norwegian kings from legendary beginnings…
A Royal Saint for Every Age
Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland recently made news not for his playing or pseudo-Viking antics, but for his record-breaking purchase of a 1594 printed edition of the Heimskringla – the lives of the Norwegian kings from legendary beginnings…
‘Joan of Arc’: My Favorite Painting
Many readers know of my passion for art, especially painting. I’m particularly fond of the work of the great Catholic artists Caravaggio, Rubens, and Vermeer, and some examples of their work are in the collection of my favorite museum, the…
My Hope for Christian Europe
French existentialist Gabriel Marcel called hope “the stuff of which the soul is made.” Dante marked the entrance to Hell by its absence: Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate (“Abandon all hope, you who enter here.”) Civilizations are not…
My Hope for Christian Europe
French existentialist Gabriel Marcel called hope “the stuff of which the soul is made.” Dante marked the entrance to Hell by its absence: Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate (“Abandon all hope, you who enter here.”) Civilizations are not…