Our Guest Columnists Columns
Our Guest Columnists
“The refugee crisis in Europe from an eyewitness perspective”
BY DEACON STEVE SWOPE, CommentaryEnglish
During the past year we have heard from politicians, church leaders and many others regarding the Syrian refugee crisis in the Balkans and Western Europe. Unfortunately, much of the discussion has been based upon murky facts or fiction and, in some cases, outright fear. Numerous questions remain. Are the Syrian refugees really just people fleeing […] English
Previous Columns by Our Guest Columnists
Jesus’ mercy calls us to encourage others
Seventh in a 13-part series The Gospel of Mark tells us of a blind man named Bartimaeus, who would sit at the roadside, begging for his livelihood outside the ancient city of Jericho (Mark 10:46-52). He hears voices from a sizeable crowd that tell him the man known as Jesus of Nazareth was approaching on […] English | En Español
By CLIFFORD YEARY, Associate Director, Little Rock Scripture StudyThe Lord hears the cry of the poor
This is the sixth column in a 13-part series. When Father James Brockman, SJ, died in 1999, his funeral Mass was here in the Diocese of Little Rock. At the time, he had been serving as director for the Office of Hispanic Ministry. He had previously served in Central America and was considered an expert […] English | En Español
By CACKIE UPCHURCH, Director of Little Rock Scripture StudyDaniel Berrigan and non-violence
Last week Father Daniel Berrigan, SJ, passed away at the age of 94. Though many younger Catholics might not remember him, Father Berrigan was one of the most provocative and controversial religious figures of his time. Standing in the tradition of principled non-violence proposed by Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and others, Father Berrigan […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: May 12, 2016
All the universe shares in God’s merciful love
Fifth column in a 13-part series “Indeed, before you the whole universe is like a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance. For you love all […] English | En Español
By CLIFFORD YEARY, Associate Director, Little Rock Scripture StudyFirst thoughts on ‘Amoris Laetitia’
On a spring day about five years ago, when I was rector of Mundelein Seminary, Francis Cardinal George spoke to the assembled student body. He congratulated those proudly orthodox seminarians for their devotion to the dogmatic and moral truths proposed by the Church, but he also offered some pointed pastoral advice. He said that it […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: April 15, 2016
God’s intimate love gives Jesus to us
This is the fourth column in a 13-part series. If not for sin, would God have sent his only Son into the world? Did Jesus come primarily to save us from our sinfulness, to offer atonement for the evil we have done? What if the pristine conditions of God’s original creation had endured? What if […] English | En Español
By CACKIE UPCHURCH, Director, Little Rock Scripture StudyThe light of St. Patrick
A few miles from where I grew up there is a distinguished hilltop called the Hill of Slane. Legend holds St. Patrick lit a great Easter fire on the hilltop at Slane. Back then the High King of Ireland reserved the right to personally kindle the first outdoor fire after the spring equinox. Patrick knowingly […] English
By FATHER JOHN KIERAN, CommentaryPublished: March 18, 2016
God’s mercy extends beyond forgiveness
This is the third column in a 13-part series. There is a canticle, the Exsultet, which is sung near the beginning of the Easter Vigil Mass. It contains verses that seem to rejoice in sin, and in particular, original sin. There is irony in this on several levels, not least of which is that it […] English | En Español
By CLIFFORD YEARY, Associate Director, Little Rock Scripture StudyGod puts mercy, faithfulness into action
Second column in a 13-part series Many spiritual leaders have observed that the experience of loss and being overwhelmed with misery brings us to the edge of what it means to be human, and ironically makes us most open to an experience of the mystery that we know as God. Perhaps these raw moments in life […] English | En Español
By CACKIE UPCHURCH, Director, Little Rock Scripture StudyJesus proclaims a year of God’s favor
This is the first column in a 13-part series. Pope Francis has proclaimed a Holy Year of Mercy that began in Advent and extends through November 2016. This coincides with the new liturgical year that features the Gospel of Luke in our Sunday readings. God is always merciful, but this is a year to contemplate […] English | En Español
By CLIFFORD YEARY, Associate director, Little Rock Scripture Study‘The Revenant’ and the search for a higher justice
Alejandro Iñárritu’s film “The Revenant” is one of the most talked about movies, and for good reason. The opening 20 minutes, which feature a frighteningly realistic Indian attack and a horrifically vivid mauling by a grizzly bear, are absolutely compelling viewing. And the remainder of the film is so involving that this viewer at least […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: February 5, 2016
‘What precisely is the Gospel?’
Some years ago, I was involved in a Catholic-Evangelical dialogue. One of our Protestant brothers challenged the Catholics in the group to articulate clearly what the Gospel is. I knew what he was getting at: many evangelicals pride themselves on the fact that they can succinctly sum up the Good News in a way that […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: January 21, 2016
The ‘Waze’ of providence
Just after I was named auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop José Gomez, my new boss, told me to get the Waze app for my iPhone. He explained that it was a splendid way to navigate the often impossible LA traffic. I followed his instructions and have indeed used the app on practically a daily […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: January 7, 2016
A reflection on the virtues of Mary
Mary, our Blessed Mother, can be called the Quiet Woman of Scripture. Mary speaks only a few times in the sacred pages. But through these texts we can enter the mind and spirituality of Mary, our mother and model. St. Luke states that Mary, the quiet one, retained a record of all God’s doings, by […] English
By FATHER JOHN KIERAN, CommentaryPublished: January 7, 2016
Christmas time of mercy
A few days ago, during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis inaugurated the Holy Year of Mercy, which started with the opening of the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica. That day, Holy Doors were opened all over the world and in our Archdiocese. This Jubilee Year and the opening of these doors […] English | En Español
By BISHOP LUIS R. ZARAMA, CommentaryGrace, nature and what Advent is finally about
The readings for the third Sunday of Advent put me in mind of one of the most significant themes in Catholic theology, namely, the play between nature and grace. St. Luke tells us that people came to John the Baptist, asking what they should do to reform their lives. John responds with good and very […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: January 1, 2016
‘Bridge of Spies’ and the path to virtue
My great mentor, Msgr. Robert Sokolowski, told a class of eager philosophy students many years ago that we should read Aristotle’s “Nichomachean Ethics” every year of our lives. As we grew older, he explained, new dimensions of the book would continually present themselves. I can’t say that I’ve followed Msgr. Sokolowski’s advice perfectly, but I […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: November 26, 2015
René Girard, church father
René Girard, one of the most influential Catholic philosophers in the world, died last week at the age of 91. Born in Avignon and a member of the illustrious Académie Française, Girard nevertheless made his academic reputation in the United States, as a professor at Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University. There are […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: November 12, 2015
Pope Francis and true mercy
Having just returned from a week covering Pope Francis’ triumphant journey to the United States, I can confidently tell you that the news media are in love with the Vicar of Christ. Time and again, commentators, pundits, anchorpersons and editorialists opined that Pope Francis is the bomb. They approved, of course, of his gentle way […] English
By BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, CommentaryPublished: October 29, 2015