The immediate problems with 50 Shades of Gray are obvious. As a Catholic Psychologist, I wholeheartedly agree with everything being said regarding pornography and BDSM and unhealthy relationships. There are also some interesting points I’ve read regarding why women are so drawn to the books and movie relating to their unsatisfying sex lives. There’s a lot there to comment on and draw out, especially to explore the true meaning of sexuality and how to find fulfillment in...

Following the Synod on the Family, I’m really disappointed by how quickly the Catholic media went the way of the secular media and amplified the polarization between the two – a polarization that only feeds page clicks for advertising revenue-driven blog sites and not much more. My blog does not exist for page-clicks, and so even if no one reads this, I’d like to contribute (in my opinion) something positive and helpful to the conversation on homosexuality and the Catholic...

Not many married men can say they lived the religious life for a time. I had the very unique blessing of spending 3 and a half years as a Franciscan Friar. I could fill volumes on what I learned during that time in religious life in general, but I want to give a brief reflection here on what I learned specifically from Fr. Benedict Groeschel.

HUMILITY AND CHARITY

As a “postulant” in the community, I had the privilege of accompanying Fr. Benedict for a week as he taught a course on...

THIS POST IS FROM OUR GUEST-AUTHOR JENNY UEBBING

“Mommy, make a happy face at me.”

I look up from the glow of my laptop, irritated, hearing for perhaps the 10th time that day my three-year-old son’s persistent request.

“Mommy’s working, honey. Please go downstairs and play legos.”

Tantrum, flailing, stomping, sibling pinching ensue. Consequences are meted out. Justice is served. Repeat cycle.

It has, of course, occurred to me that I spend too much time...

Cardinal Dolan has certainly been taking a beating lately with the issues of Fulton Sheen and the St. Patrick’s Day parade at the same time. In his response to the criticisms he has received for accepting the position of Grand Marshal for the parade, he voiced how much of a beating he has been taking, and I’m sure it’s not easy to be dealing with what he is going through as a public figure and leader in the Church. As one of his flock in the Archdiocese of New...

Robin Williams has become more than a suicide victim, he has become a spokesman for depression and suicide. Opinions have been thrown across the interwebs and lots of conflict has emerged. This is what happens when evil happens. Suicide is an evil, as is all disease and every manifestation of it. In the wake of this horrible event, an event that occurs with alarming frequency in our world especially among young people, it makes sense that those left to mourn such a loss are confused and...

What a wonderful victory today for the pro-life cultural movement. With the news constantly inundated with depressing stories of losses, and the sense that stemming the tide of extreme dehumanization rampant in our culture will never be possible, the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby is a welcome breath of fresh air.

As a Catholic healthcare provider, I am reminded daily of the culture war raging between pro-life values and values that go against the good of the human person. I...

There are so many lists of tips and tricks for dating, and so many opinions on what to look for in a spouse that I decided to boil everything down to one very simple idea. This comes after my many, many, um, months of living the married vocation, so it is clearly based on deep wisdom and experience. Actually it is based on philosophy, theology, and the hundreds of combined years of patients’ lives that have been shared with me in the therapy office, but my (18 months) of married life...

During my time as a Franciscan Friar, a priest named Fr. Stan Fortuna wrote a song called “Everybody Gotta Suffer.” Fr. Stan is very talented in his music and his ministry. The song is catchy and I often think of how he sings the word, “Everybody.” It reminds me that rich and poor alike are all on the same journey to Heaven. The song reminds us that this journey is one that passes through the gate of suffering, and no one escapes this necessary way of getting to...

This month brings with it one of the most loved and hated days of the whole year- Valentine’s Day. Of course it is a Hallmark creation that most of society eats up hook, line, and sinker, but it is a real part of our society nonetheless. There are bound to be as many sales on roses and chocolates as lists of things to do for singles and reasons to not want a relationship. Valentine’s day can draw a stark dividing line between those in love and those in want.

While it is sad that...