Postmodern man — and postmodern woman — don’t know how to give a good party. It’s up to Catholics to reclaim this lost art and share it with the world. Why? Because good parties are intrinsic to our Catholic faith. The liturgical year is punctuated with a wide array of feast days and celebrations, many … Read more
At a party back around Christmas, a man I hadn’t met before asked me what I do. I said I was a writer who, among other things, wrote fairly often about the situation of the Catholic laity in the Church. “Oh,” my new acquaintance responded innocently, “so are you a eucharistic minister in your parish?” … Read more
Last year, my Constitutional Law class was discussing the so-called war on Christmas, part of the effort to remove all things religious (or at least all things Christian) from the public square. One of my students argued that holidays did not need to have a religious basis. As an example, she mentioned Valentine’s Day. I … Read more
Matt DRUDGE really likes to write about the cold. In particular, DRUDGE — Does anyone know if he has legally changed his last name to ALL-CAPS yet? That would seem fitting, somehow. — enjoys combining stories of extreme weather with those detailing the effects extreme weather have upon the activities and organization efforts of global … Read more
BBC News published a heart-breaking piece just before Christmas about what has become of Romania’s orphans. You may remember reports from the early 1990s detailing the horrific orphanage conditions there. (Deal and his family can attest to this first-hand, from the experience of adopting their son.) Tragically, most of the children from that period went … Read more
Eleanor Clift’s interview with Nancy Pelosi in the latest issue of Newsweek has been making the rounds, predictably, because of the Speaker’s comments on abortion. From the Boston Examiner: “I have some concerns about the church’s position respecting a woman’s right to choose. I have some concerns about the church’s position on gay rights. I … Read more
Every year at this time, I enjoy reading through the various lists of “Best Books of 2009.” I usually end of up with a stack of books, most of which I would never have read except for these lists. The list below contains some of the best of the best of 2009. My personal favorites … Read more
Erin Manning has some interesting reflections over at Rod Dreher’s blog on Christmas and “the struggle to live as a serious Christian in modern America.” Terry Mattingly’s review of the book Tinsel reminded her that, annual stories about the “War on Christmas” aside, the real battle against Christmas is waged within each of us: What … Read more
Erin Manning has some interesting reflections over at Rod Dreher’s blog on Christmas and “the struggle to live as a serious Christian in modern America.” Terry Mattingly’s review of the book Tinsel reminded her that, annual stories about the “War on Christmas” aside, the real battle against Christmas is waged within each of us: What … Read more
I finally got around to reading Pope Benedict’s Christmas message — it’s both concise and rich, just like everything he writes. Unfortunately, it also seems to have gotten lost in the media coverage of that mentally ill woman who attacked him. Here’s a passage I found particularly striking: The first thing we are told about … Read more
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas, and all the blessings of the day, from all of us at InsideCatholic!
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Divine Child, we face some sobering numbers: There are an estimated 145 million orphans worldwide — more than enough little ones to go three times around the planet at the equator. A few years ago, the United Nations put the number of child victims of trafficking … Read more
It’s Christmas time again, and that means, among other things, that revelers around the world are quaffing nog, getting figgy with their pudding, and lifting their voices in song. “Christmas carols are the creed of Christendom,” wrote Frederick Wilhelmsen, and I don’t think he’s half wrong. It’s a pleasure to sing the ancient songs, as … Read more
Netflix and The Criterion Collection, two of my my very favorite “people” in the whole world, have teamed up to bring me a surprise Christmas present a few days early: For years, the Criterion Collection has been around to provide one of the best film educations a casual viewer can receive. Just by checking out … Read more
My wife and I began a new Christmas tradition a couple years ago, and we’re trying to spread it. There is a beer – a very remarkable beer – that’s named after the season’s favorite saint: Samichlaus . Every year on December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas, the good beer brewers of of Austria begin … Read more