Modern historian and commentator Kenneth Clark said in his popular BBC show Civilization, “Western Christianity survived by clinging to places like Skellig Michael, a pinnacle of rock [seven] miles from the Irish coast, rising seven hundred feet out of the sea.” It’s an intriguing claim, crediting the solitary monastery on Skellig Michael with a role in the […]

“Let us always keep before our eyes the fact that here on earth we are on a battlefield and that in paradise we shall receive the crown of victory.” – Padre Pio All great saints and holy teachers of the faith testify that the spiritual life is a continual warfare against three enemies: the world, the […]

I recently visited the website of a popular company that sells products like deodorant and toothpaste with natural ingredients. Curious to learn more about the business, I visited their blog which was purportedly about the latest trends in health and wellness. What greeted me was not what I expected. Rather than tips on exercise or […]

One of the most paradoxical aspects of the spiritual life is the tension between human effort and Divine generosity. That is, the question of whether we are saved by what we do or by what God does. Confusion arises because we are quite clearly told in scripture that we must do certain things. We must forgive or […]

Recently, an unlikely thinker has exploded on the world stage. His name is Jordan Peterson. A Canadian clinical psychologist and professor, he is an unlikely candidate for a global intellectual superstar. Yet, his YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, his recent book has risen to a global bestseller, and his current lecture tour is […]

The late 1960s were a time of social, political, and religious upheaval. Revolution was in the air and threatening all the most time-honored traditions and institutions. Then, as now, many were uncertain about the future of the Church. How could the Catholic faith hope to survive in an increasingly secularized world? What would the future […]

My school was recently visited by two monks from the Benedictine Monastery in Norcia, Italy. After talking to our students joyfully about the monastic life, they told the faculty gravely that one of the main reasons they turn down their many applicants is the problem of pornography. They gave us their opinion that there is no […]

In older days, a young woman was assigned her first teaching post in a rural Irish schoolhouse. Though a diligent and disciplined person, she had difficulty capturing the attention of her rowdy students. Then one day, unruly as usual, she happened to say something about Cuchulain. “Who’s Cuchulain?” one boy asked. The teacher began to […]