The Word Among Us

Resource Articles

Who can forget the events of September 11, 2001? They are stamped into our memories, and like other major events, they have played a part in shaping the way we view the world today. The anniversary of these terrorist attacks—and of the many others that have taken place around the world since then—is an opportunity to reflect on our reactions and response to any kind of threat or danger that seems to loom large. More »

The events surrounding our trip home on that hot, humid August morning have become blurred over time. But while so many of the particulars have faded, our conversation during that thirty-minute car ride remains fixed in my mind and my heart. More »

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died on September 5, 1997, was one of the greatest spiritual “overachievers” of our time. She accomplished so much, that we might think she rarely took a break from tending to the human misery that surrounded her. More »

By any account, 590 was a disastrous year in Rome. Plague had struck, sweeping through the homes of poor and wealthy alike. Even the pope was carried away by the fearsome disease. The spring floods were the worst in memory; the Tiber broke through its retaining walls, causing enormous damage. More »

Let us join with Christians around the world in praying for these special intentions: More »

It was an adolescent prank—pears stolen from a neighbor’s tree. But as Augustine looked back on the incident many years later, it seemed reprehensible to him. More »

Several years back, I was in a garden and admired the huge leaf of an elephant leaf plant. It just sat there absorbing the sun’s energy. I took a photo of that magnificent leaf because it was doing what I want to do: absorbing sunlight the way I should absorb God’s love. More »

Mystics have a way of placing ancient truths in a new light. They present for us what we already believe but in a way that fills us with wonder and awe, as if we were seeing it for the first time. St. John of the Cross is one example, as he introduces us to what may be possible if we are truly in love with God. More »