Civilized Reader:
“If youth knew;
if age could”
by Paul Connell
In times of cultural transition such as our own, we would do well to heed the words of the great…
Remembering the day when lightning struck at the Vatican
by Phil Lawler
Eight years ago today, lightning struck the dome of St. Peter’s basilica—twice! The building was not significantly damaged by that…
Coming soon: a necessary showdown in the US bishops’ conference
by Phil Lawler
There’s a battle brewing within the US bishops’ conference, and it could be a boon to the faithful. As our…
Fear: the ultimate enemy of faith
by Phil Lawler
Every morning, for the better part of a year now, a headline in the local newspaper has called attention to…
What if everyone will eventually be Covid-positive?
by Phil Lawler
Just to help clarify our thinking, let’s imagine an unpleasant possibility: that sooner or later, we’ll all be infected with…
Oedipus the Detective
The murder mystery is as old as murder. When the blood of Abel cried out for justice, the all-seeing Judge took…
10 Christmas Stories Every Father Should Read to His Children
When St. Nick drives his miniature sleigh full of toys drawn by eight tiny reindeer to the snowy housetop, and drops…
Why The Worst Christmas Story is Worth Reading
There are few Christmas stories that begin with a scene so ragged and rich as a threadbare, moth-gnawed Santa Claus who,…
Christmas
One Christmas was so much like the other, in those years around the sea-town corner now, out of all sound…
Gravediggers, Goblins, and How Dickens Discovered Christmas
Christmas has become a humbug. Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge was a sour soothsayer for our times. By and large, Christmas is a humbug these…
