Papal Wisdom

by Ginny Seuffert | Master educator, John Taylor Gatto, abandoned the New York City government school system in the early 1990’s stating that he was not longer willing to “hurt children.” He has devoted his life since then to articulating a different vision of education that turns children into lifetime learners.

by Mitchell Kalpakgian | According to Chauntecleer, books are the final authority of truth. Pertelote, who stays below in the farmyard, views the subject of dreams exclusively in terms of personal experience. Never in her life does she remember a dream that came true.

by Kevin Clark | The legislature of Arizona recently passed a law which allows a business to assert a free exercise defense if it is accused of discrimination for refusing to provide a service to a customer. The Arizona law, which has gone to Governor Jan Brewer to sign or veto, closely tracks the wording of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Kids' Corner | Download this 'Catholic Saints’ Word Puzzle! A fun activity to for all ages! Search for these words: Agatha, Bakhita, Bernadette, Blaise, Cyril, Lourdes, Marto, Miki, Scholastica, Slavs, throat, Valentine

by John Clark | As I have written previously, on the nights when I’m able, I like to watch the show Jeopardy and try to amaze my kids with my knowledge. (These are the kinds of things you do when you’re old—you get exhausted by failing to impress the world, so you spend your evenings in front of a television set in the hopes of dazzling your offspring.)

by Marc Postiglione | The next World Youth Day will be held in Krakow in 2016 and Pope Francis has written a short message to the youth of the world to help prepare for this momentous occasion. Each year, Pope Francis will reflect on a different Beatitude in anticipation of Krakow 2016. The first Beatitude that the Pope reflects on: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

by Dave Armstrong | Sometimes people say that the Bible and tradition are against each other (with tradition being the “bad” thing). But the Bible itself teaches that tradition was already around before the Bible was put together. In fact, the Bible itself is part of the Christian tradition, just as the Catholic Church also is.

by Mitchell Kalpakgian | Listening to the talk shows on television every night, watching athletic events all day Saturday and Sunday, and spending hours on the Internet do not organize the day, deserve priority, or require the discipline of will power. They do not breathe life, nourish the mind, or lift the soul. A person does not need more time to do these essential things but a greater desire to do first things first.

by John Clark | This Christmas, I prayed to God: “I know that there are certain and special ways in which you want me to spiritually advance this Christmas. Please show me what they are.” During late December of last year, I read John Janaro’s book, Never Give Up: My Life and God’s Mercy, and I believe that this book was part of the answer to my prayer.

by CCC | It seemed like an ordinary lunch hour for a Legal Clerk in her mid-twenties, even working for a Supreme Court Justice. Yet the normal lunchtime banter with her Boss somehow took a turn for the extraordinary. Soon, they were engaged in a discussion on the Catholic Dogma of Mary as the Immaculate Conception.

by Mitchell Kalpakgian | The whole episode made no sense to him, and he was at a loss for some possible explanation for his great frustration. The only comfort his mind offers is the knowledge that the accident was not a great tragedy. He acknowledges with gratitude the escape from other “torments and evils to which even this wasted wine would have seemed a wretched jest.”

by Marc Postiglione | One of my fondest and earliest memories of childhood is the way we as a family celebrated Sunday. Sunday always started with morning Mass. We were not a sleep late family and were out the door for 9:00am Mass.

by Bl. Pope John Paul II | If it is true that by giving life parents share in God’s creative work, it is also true that by raising their children they become sharers in his paternal and at the same time maternal way of teaching. According to Saint Paul, God’s fatherhood is the primordial model of all fatherhood and motherhood in the universe (cf. Eph 3:14-15), and of human motherhood and fatherhood in particular.

by Mary Kay Clark | The most important subject is religion. We are homeschooling because we want to teach Catholic values and the Catholic Faith to our children. Most homeschooling families in this country are Christian families who see that the public schools have completely eliminated religion from their classrooms.

Let it be repeated as an immutable and inviolable fundamental doctrine that matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God. Not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate marriage, but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed; and hence these [marriage] laws cannot be subject to any human decrees or to any contrary pact, even of the spouses themselves.

Download this ‘The 4 Marks of the Church’ Crossword! A fun activity to challenge your knowledge of facts and trivia. For all ages! Answer these questions: There are four ___ of the Catholic Church by which all men can recognize it as the true Church. This saint was martyred in the third century; many people give cards to their loved ones on his feast day. This saint was the brother of St. Methodius.

by Thomas J. Centrella | The foundation of this country is the Constitution. It is the mind of the nation. The cornerstone of this foundation is the Declaration of Independence.

Every St. Valentine’s Day leaves men at a loss for telling their girlfriends or wives how much they love them. Very often, whether a dozen red roses, a box of chocolates, or a hand-written poem, nothing seems to suffice. If you homeschool husbands find yourself in this predicament, don’t feel too bad. We’ve all been there.

So often in human life we wonder if someone is going to call, coming to visit, or going to write us a letter. We assume that we are to expect, ...

Recently in a class to our Confirmation students, I was attempting to explain that much of morality can be traced to Genesis 1:26-27 and the creation of man in the ‘image and likeness of God.’ As I was preparing for the lesson, I thought back to three works that have inspired me and have always been faithful companions in my teaching experiences