Story by Joe Pisani Let me be honest. I miss the good ole days. The days when Sister would walk up and down the aisles of our catechism class and interrogate each of us with the query: “What are you giving up for Lent?” I suspect that many of my classmates did some quick thinking, [...]
By Joe Pisani I recently learned about a popular trend in America called “virtue signaling,” which is described as “the habit of indicating that one is virtuous merely by expressing disgust or favor for certain political ideas. It is acting morally superior and claiming the moral high ground.” Virtue signaling is everywhere. People go to [...]
A friend of mine in a 12-step program wears a bracelet that says, “Watch for God!” I wondered what it meant, and he told me that as part of his recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, he has learned that God is always with you, every minute of the day, interjecting himself into your life in wonderful [...]
By Joe Pisani It’s that family time of year. I don’t mean the time for celebration, revelry and festive get-togethers. I mean the time when we all gather around the Thanksgiving table or Christmas tree with the appropriate protective masks and gear, trying to savor the mood of the season ... and arguments erupt. This [...]
By Joe Pisani Christine Paine still remembers the Easter Vigil Mass more than 25 years ago, when her life changed forever. For the first time, she received the Body and Blood of Christ and was accepted into full communion with the Catholic Church...after years of searching. “I was so touched by all the people in [...]
By Joseph Pisani I recently decided to take a course in public speaking. There’s a lot of bloviating in America today, so it’s a necessary skill to have. Who knows? Someday, I may have to testify before Congress ... or my grandson’s pre-school class. Public speaking is something that has scared me since I was [...]
by Joe Pisani Several years ago when I was rushing to work, weaving in and out of commuters leaving Grand Central, I raced across Lexington Avenue and almost plowed into a young woman with a cellphone pressed to her ear, who was stumbling in a daze around the corner. Just as I was about to [...]
by Joe Pisani I’ve often believed — please forgive this absolutely despicable thought — that the holiday season brings out the worst in us. Now that I got that out, let me explain what I’m talking about.For me, it has always seemed that the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s is sort of [...]
By Joe Pisani Mark was on a roll. He had a captive audience, and he wanted to tell everyone about everything that was wrong with the Catholic Church since the Council of Jerusalem, circa 48 AD, until September 29, 2019, when his pastor said something from the pulpit that he disagreed with. He also felt [...]
By Joe Pisani When my father got into Alcoholics Anonymous after 40 years of drinking, one of the first things they told him was to stop living a 72-hour day. One day at a time. Just for today. Otherwise, before he knew it, he’d be right back on the path to self-destruction. When you’re living [...]