By Cynthia Kaan Many families experience divisions at one time or another — disagreements about holidays, inheritance, perceived parental favoritism and more can lead to periods where someone in the family is not speaking to someone else. Especially as we approach the holidays, how can we move beyond those divides and press the reset button? [...]
By Jim Berlucchi When we started working from home during the pandemic, I thought it was going to be short-term. Now, it’s clear that I’m going to be working from home for quite a while, possibly permanently. What are some strategies I can employ to work effectively and not feel completely isolated? Imitate the former. [...]
I love him, but I am tired of listening to his constant whining – is there something I can say or do to help him? Or to change the direction of our conversations? Complaining is an integral and inevitable part of relationships. It is a way for people to vent their dissatisfaction with their life [...]
(Credit: Brooklyn Museum The Pharisees And The Saduccees) By Doug Culp Theology 101 is taking a peek behind the scenes of some of the prominent figures, groups and events referenced in the New Testament. The goal is to provide greater context for the drama of salvation, which the Scripture communicates to us. Some Sadducees, who [...]
By Cynthia Kaan If you find yourself house-hunting, you may be shocked by what an accepted offer currently includes. Thousands over list price, appraisal gaps (agreeing to pay a certain amount over what the bank appraises the value to be) and waived inspections are almost expected these days. So what do you do? Pray [...]
By Cynthia Kaan For many of us, social media is a huge part of our lives. It seems like new platforms are popping up all the time, and we may feel pressure to participate. But how do we make sure our online presence is positive? Keep it real. Take some time to review what your typical [...]
By Joe Pisani A friend I haven’t seen in 20 years sent me a card that said, “Put God first.” It was a lesson I needed to hear because I suspect I’ve been putting God second or third or even lower on the list. Of course, it’s deceptively easy to put ourselves first and forget [...]
(Credit: Getty Images/merfin) By Pete Burak I find the English language to be frustrating. For instance, unlike Greek, which has several words for love, English has one. This can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings, misinterpretations and false equivalencies. It doesn’t make sense that the statements of “I love donuts,” “I love my wife” and [...]
(Credit: Jim Luning) By Nancy Rosebush Schertzing Balthazar Matakara looks calmly across the table in the St. Vincent Catholic Charities conference room. His voice never wavers, his demeanor never changes, even as he recounts the terror of his life in Africa and his journey to the U.S. “Life is easy if you put it in [...]
Feast day: September 23 Devoted to Christ from his childhood in Italy, where he was baptized Francesco Forgione, St. Padre Pio became a Capuchin friar at age 15. Five years after he entered the priesthood, shortly after the dawn of World War I, Padre Pio was called into military service. His service was short-lived, [...]