It is easy to dismiss adult toy-buying as a craze of little significance. But the appearance of the "kidult" is troubling from several perspectives, for it speaks of the state of a decadent culture that embraces childish and immature things. The kidult idea also participates in the postmodern desire to be what one is not. [...]
We spend much of our time concerning ourselves with places and people far removed from us. The things closest to us, by contrast, often become negligible and disposable. If you make an effort to reconnect with your neighborhood, town, and community, you may come to see your home in a new light—hallowed by time and [...]
Whisky is not a product of savvy entrepreneurs. It is a product of Scottish culture that, like the drink, should be savored and appreciated. The primary consumers should be the local populations that imagined whisky. When operations go big to satisfy cosmopolitan demand, they lose something of that human touch and local flavor that give [...]
A single American priest, Fr. Dan Leary, has worked seventeen-hour days the past several weeks in Chalco, Mexico, to spiritually and mentally prepare teenage girls for what might await them in some of the most dangerous towns in the world. In Chalco, Mexico, on the other side of the high walls that guard this valley [...]
The ideals upon which America was founded are now forgotten by many. Yet these same ideals are buried in these songs of patriotism and faith. By singing these songs, we instill the truths contained in their words in our hearts. We learn once again to have faith in God, to gather and build community within [...]
A greeting is an act of humility and a gesture of justice, in which we give respect and honor due to others for who they are. Indeed, greetings constitute the fragrant perfume of a Christian civilization in which these things are valued. We live in brutal times without transitions. Everything must be instant and rushed, [...]
In almost every single shooter case, a true Christian father is missing. By his example and counsel, the Christian father directs the boy to channel his energies and emotions into manly pursuits and virtuous action. Indeed, the devoted father provides society with a balanced young man who will defend society from attacks. Across the country, [...]
What I find so hard and why Houston is so much like Heaven is that I know there will be many great things in my new place. Things I will not be able to imagine. New friends unasked for and unlooked for whom God will put in my path. New opportunities that I would never [...]
Tradition! Tradition! Sing it like Tevye. We all know that not all traditions are healthy or good or right. Fiddler on the Roof, much as I find it entertaining, strikes me on every viewing as just a bit too much in the spirit of the 1960s in its glee at razing traditions sensible or no. [...]
My mother’s unrelenting message to me was: Keep your head, keep your feet planted on the ground, muster courage in the face of the ambiguous and the unknown, do what is in front of you, and by all means possible take care of your responsibilities. I’ve had more vaccinations for more virulent diseases than most [...]
With so much buying happening online or through self-service kiosks, the art of shopping has lost much of its attraction. Some market-savvy executives have noticed this shortcoming and have recently introduced slow checkouts, which turn the routine chore into a meaningful experience. With so much buying happening online or through self-service kiosks, the art of [...]
I am increasingly persuaded that the great divide in this country between right and left comes down to a divide between those on the right who think that the United States has essentially been a force for good in the world and those on the left who think this country has essentially been a force [...]
If you want to understand 98% of the unhappiness in the world — whether it is on the stage of international politics or the stage of your kitchen or bedroom, or wherever your arguments happen—consider the roots of resentment. By resentment I mean something quite dark within the human heart. This heart of darkness is [...]
In a season of disharmony, discord, distrust, and disorder, it is often painful to stop, to pause, and to give oneself distance enough to consider what must be recognized as good, and true, and beautiful, even in what seems a cesspool of existence. To give thanks, though, is not only necessary, it is salubrious! In [...]