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God gave us cloistered nuns to remind us that, despite appearances, the purpose of our lives is not to be useful…
The problem with the cloistered nun is that to describe her in terms of her “usefulness” is to have fundamentally misunderstood her. Her life was already obscure; now it is hidden nearly in full. To think of a “useful nun” renders her true meaning invisible, decrowns her vocation of its glory. Yet, this seems to be the only category by which contemporary Americans are able to entertain the idea of monastic life. Throw away the concept of “usefulness” and being a nun ceases to be a legitimate “lifestyle” altogether. Even so, the attempt is made to fit her into contemporary categories. 1. An Honest But Failed Attempt to Understand the Nun Most people are simply surprised to learn that the antiquated religious sister is still around at all. Could there really be young women today (in 21st-cen...
Share the Vision: A School Choice Testimony From a Father of Seven Kids…
My wife, Nancy, and I have been blessed with seven kids…so far. It’s not very likely God will send us any more, but he’s known for doing weird things, and we’re always open to the prospect, so who knows? If he does decide the world needs more Beckers in it, then you can bet they’ll end up in Catholic schools, although we didn’t begin there. Back in the day, we started off homeschooling – rather, Nancy started off homeschooling – but for a variety of reasons, we decided to transition to more traditional educational venues along the way. My older kids put in some time at a private Montessori school, and my oldest son did junior high at Trinity on Greenlawn, but, eventually we opted for Catholic schools for everybody – St. Matthew Cathedral for grade school, and then Marian for high school. W...
How to protect your kids from the dark side of technology…
A frightening trend emerged when I was working in Catholic school administration. The acceleration of problems related to sexuality for young kids was startling, beginning even as early as kindergarten. There was one common source: technology. Without a doubt, the fact that young children regularly use smartphones has led to frequent exposure to sexual images and messages that have made some kids question their own God-given identity. After hearing of problem week after week, I wanted to shout an SOS to every parent: “Please, take away devices from your children, because it’s really wounding them.” We must exercise greater vigilance. This is not just the overreaction of one Catholic educator. Even Denver Public Schools offered a workshop I attended on “Teens and Screens,” spea...
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You can’t cancel me, because I quit [WSJ paywall]…
I was scheduled to give a speech on Monday at Furman University about my recent book, “Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics.” I canceled it. Here’s why. In the spring of 2014—in retrospect, the dress rehearsal for cancel culture—some commencement speakers around the country were disinvited or withdrew themselves from consideration owing to left-wing protests. I wasn’t among them. A few faculty members at Seton Hall University tried to have my invitation rescinded on the grounds that I wasn’t what they meant by “Catholic”—progressive. They failed. I delivered my address as scheduled at New Jersey’s Meadowlands Arena to some 6,000 graduates, families and friends, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters. It was a thrilling event. I enjoy talking ...
From Eden to the Temple: Signs of Things to Come…
Editor’s note: Part I of Dr. Tsakanikas’s entry, “Sinai as Interpretive Key to Genesis: Entering the Cult to Enter the Mind of the Author,” appeared in the January 2023 Bulletin. The greatest Father and Doctor of the East, St. Gregory Nazianzen, is clear that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a boundary that the immature were not to cross until they had been properly prepared: purified and enlightened as on the slopes of Mount Sinai. St. Gregory is in agreement with the Father and Doctor, St. Ephrem the Syrian, who observes that the Tree of Knowledge was the part of creation that participated in God’s presence. By shrouding the Tree of Life like a veil, the Tree of Knowledge enabled immature man to be in God’s presence and take on God’s likeness in the gift of self that the tr...
Nicaraguans Respond to ‘Repugnant and Cynical’ Staged Prison Interview With Bishop Rolando Álvarez…
In the room there are also three blue armchairs with a coffee table and several potted plants. “I was very happy to see the photos of my brother, Bishop Rolando. I thank God he’s alive! The scenography of the dictatorship was repugnant and cynical and does not expunge its crime,” Báez tweeted. “The power of the prayer of the people and international pressure have been revealed. Release him now!” the prelate added. In October 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights published a report that cited a number of human rights violations committed in that prison, such as overcrowding of prisoners, lack of medical care, prison staff assaulting inmates, detention of visiting relatives, and food mixed with detergent. Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer and researcher, told ACI Pre...
Your friend Jesus will weep when you die…
On Sunday, the Fifth Week of Lent Year A, we get a beautiful glimpse of what it is like for Jesus when one of his close friends dies. That means it is a glimpse of what it will be like when you and I die — if we allow him to be our close friend. It is not only possible for us to be friends with Jesus, it is the whole point of our life. Friendship with Jesus was a favorite theme of Pope Benedict XVI, one he returned to many times. “Friendship means sharing in thought and will,” he said. It is never “a purely intellectual thing, but a sharing of sentiments and will, hence, also of actions … in an increasingly personal way, listening to him, living together with him, staying with him.” This is exactly what Lazarus and his sisters did. They invited Jesus into their home for an honest and intim...
‘The Nuns Who Left Brooklyn’ — How many religious details did this NYTimes story need?
The headline of this New York Times story was totally “religion story” — “The Nuns Who Left Brooklyn.” Thus, I heard from people who wanted to know what your GetReligionistas thought of this religion story. The content of this news feature was, quite frankly, totally “metro desk” (people who have worked in newsrooms will understand that term). This is, let me stress, not a complaint. The Times story is packed with relevant, even colorful local news details about a sad situation that developed in Brooklyn. Also, religion-beat pros will not that it is hard to do a story about the details in the lives of cloistered Catholic women religious, since they are not going to sit down for interviews and talk about the details of their lives and beliefs. The story has some crucial details provided by ...
‘Suddenly There Were More Hosts in the Ciborium’: Archdiocese of Hartford Investigating Possible Eucharistic Miracle at Connecticut Church…
“Very powerful, very awesome, very real, very shocking. But also, it happens, and today it happened,” he said. “They were running out of hosts and all of a sudden more hosts were there. So today not only did we have the miracle of the Eucharist, we also had a bigger miracle. It’s pretty cool,” the priest said. Watch Crowley describe the possible miracle in the video below: [embedded content] WFSB Eyewitness News reported Friday that “the Archdiocese of Hartford is looking into this possible miracle.” A Vatican-endorsed exhibit “Eucharistic Miracles of the World,” featuring documentary evidence of 152 such miracles, has visited over 3,000 churches on its international tour. In the 21st century, there have been four eucharistic miracles recognized by the Catholic Church, the Magis...
It’s World Down Syndrome Day, and I’d like you to meet my brother Gabriel…
Words cannot express the blessing that Gabriel is to his family and friends. March 21 marks the observance of World Down Syndrome Day — a celebration of the countless individuals who bless our world with this condition. But the fight to recognize the value of all life continues, and the statistics are staggering. In Ireland, 95% of babies with Down syndrome are reportedly aborted. Iceland claims to have “eliminated” Down syndrome by killing 100% of babies with Down syndrome by abortion. In the U.S., approximately 74% of expectant parents abort a child with Down syndrome. This brutal landscape is in stark opposition to the beautiful experiences of families who choose to give life to babies with Down syndrome. Trisomy 21 is not a death sentence — it’s a blessing. I believe that we are at a m...
Should the Moon have its own time zone?
Pacific Time, Eastern Time, Greenwich Mean Time — and one day, perhaps, Moon Time? With dozens of lunar missions planned for the years ahead — including ones to build bases and other habitats on the moon — it may be time for some synchronicity, according to the European Space Agency. Time in space is usually calculated based on the time on Earth, but as different nations plan to operate on and around the moon, it may require a universal method for lunar timekeeping. A standard, agreed-upon time zone for the moon will not only ease collaboration between space agencies around the world, but could ensure more precise guidance and navigation on the lunar surface. There are, however, some significant hurdles, according to European space officials. For one, it’s not yet clear if a single space a...
I’m breaking up with Barnes and Noble…
I can’t remember the first time I stepped into a Barnes and Noble, but it must have been when I was in college decades ago. I was charmed by the rows and rows of books, the coffee bar, and the comfortable chairs and tables situated around the store. Growing up in the very liberal Eugene, Oregon, I was used to bookstores that featured crystals, metaphysics sections, astrology chart reading, and instructions about witchcraft, punctuated by the pungent smell of patchouli incense. Barnes and Noble was a welcome relief to that crunchy Oregon vibe. When I entered graduate school, Barnes and Noble became an oasis. Its coffee and cinnamon scones beckoned me from the 38 miles between it and my rural university. I spent entire days there, writing papers, buying and reading books, and I even had my c...
