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Young People of the World Unite! You Have Nothing to Lose Except your Chains: Call to Destiny and Mystery of the Gospel

Two ND Grads When we were on retreat recently talking with two young graduates from Notre Dame, they kept raising questions. It was almost like Emmaus! “Where are the ways of living out the Gospels and our Catholic faith in today’s world?” The young people asked. “We’re afraid of getting into the rat race of… continue reading

In Incarnation Mary’s Spiritual Rapture joined to Option for the Poor

I am the Handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Advent and Christmas offer us a time to reaffirm and strengthen our faith. Contemplation of our Most Blessed Virgin Mary leads us to reflections of what our faith should look like. In celebrating the mystery of… continue reading

Sunday Liturgy Call to Self-Giving: Dies Domini, John Paul II and Virgil Michel, O.S.B.

In an apostolic letter on Sunday observance (July 30, 1998), Dies Domini, Pope John Paul II encourages Christians “to rediscover the meaning of Sunday: its mystery, its celebration, its significance for Christian and human life.” Fundamentally a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, Sunday observance invites believers to relive “the experience of the two disciples at Emmaus,… continue reading

How can Husband and Wife work Together – How Dare you talk about Complementarity?

Our last issue was controversial in presenting complementarity as the choice of Dorothy Day, Sr. Prudence Allen, St. Hildegard of Bingen and Louise Yarian Zwick. It has raised further questions about the marriage relationship of the Editors of the Houston Catholic Worker. Who is in charge? Who writes the articles? The authors have known each other for… continue reading

Is Marriage Un-American? Secret of Good Sexuality

When the American Institute of Health insisted that the words “husband and wife” could no longer be used in their offices, little did they realize how prophetic was their action in commenting on the state of affairs of love and marriage in the United States. By suppressing the use of the words “husband and wife,”… continue reading

How to be a Christian in a Non-Christian World: Is there a Lay Theology?

It happened again, and as usual we had become upset and angry. An immigrant just asked us for the upteenth time, “Marcos, usted es un sacerdote y Luisa una monja?” (Mark, are you a priest and Louise a nun?) “No! No!” We say for the upteenth time. “Somos laicos.” We are lay people. And if they insist, we say… continue reading

Why Argue About Fr. Michael J. Baxter and Notre Dame?

The last issue of the Houston Catholic Worker featured several articles in defense of the appointment of Fr. Michael Baxter, C.S.C., a Catholic Worker theologian, to the theology department at the University of Notre Dame and in defense of Notre Dame President, Holy Cross Fr. Edward Malloy, who was denounced by the Faculty Senate for this action. We apologize, especially… continue reading

Is Dorothy Day’s Laetare Medal in Jeopardy?

If the faculty senate of the University of Notre Dame voted today, it would vote against Dorothy Day and her theology. It is hoped that they won’t posthumously invalidate her medal. Catholic Workers are highly incensed that liberal theologians have the gall to call into question one of America’s greatest women and attempt to marginalize her thought because it… continue reading

No Federal Funds – What Now?

Yesterday a staff member from the United States Catholic Conference was almost in tears as she lamented the tremendous loss of welfare funds to Catholic agencies and to the poor because of the new anti-immigration bill which eliminates assistance to legal immigrants not yet citizens. “What are we going to do?” she cried. “Where are… continue reading

Heart of the World, Center of the Church: Can CEO’s and Stockholders be Saved?

Who then devised the torment? Love. Love is the unfamiliar Name Behind the hands that wove The intolerable shirt of flame Which human power cannot remove. We only live, only suspire Consumed either by fire or fire. (T. S. Eliot) How different our world looks today from the Civilization of Love called for by recent… continue reading