I wait for themthis dark spun dawn,kinglet, titmouse, nuthatch, wren,names so sweet on winter’s frozen tongue,such feathered dancingin this hard-edged timedelights the eye, and, yes, the heart;where shadows silenceshattered... The…
First Things ↗In the twentieth century the messengers shot themselves. Most did so metaphorically, of course, though a few machos—Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson come to mind—did literally blow their... The…
First Things ↗I wish someone had told me ten years ago that time would be the thing most needed for the rhythms of the church calendar to “get into my bones”, and…
Mere Orthodoxy ↗It’s a truism that American trust in institutions is at a low ebb. As we look at the institutions that serve us, we tell stories of scandal, corruption, cover-up, overreach,…
Mere Orthodoxy ↗There is a scene in The Devil Wears Prada 2 in which Miranda Priestly, the eminent editor of Runway magazine, is forced to fly economy because of budget cuts... The…
First Things ↗Not since the 2018 Vatican-themed Met Gala had Catholics paid such close attention to fashion. When the white smoke wafted out of the Sistine Chapel a year ago, there... The…
First Things ↗Every now and then you come across a quote so profound that you’re forced to reframe your thinking on an issue. This one initiated a renovation of my thinking on…
Mere Orthodoxy ↗I have often remarked upon an odd occurrence. Frequently, in the Catholic press and even in scholarly journals, commentators and theologians will solemnly invoke chapter one of Lumen Gentium,... The…
First Things ↗Ascension Day, celebrated by the Western Church on May 14 this year, is the neglected stepchild of the Christian year. Advent has its calendars and its wreaths; Christmas its... The…
First Things ↗Two judicial rulings over mifepristone this month have set the stage for the most important legal battle over abortion since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022—and the... The…
First Things ↗