Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig has a new article on “eternity disrupting time itself” and the revolutionary nature of Christianity, which is rooted in the astonishing event we celebrate each Christmas. She writes:

Christianity is at all times concerned with the poorest, the most vulnerable, the most oppressed; it is permanently interested in reversing this order, in aiming at and accomplishing the unexpected. Christmas, the moment when time is invaded by eternity, is the moment when the reversal of all oppression becomes not possible but necessary. The unlikeliest upsets of order become, in the moment of Christmas, the beginning of Christianity itself, and remain essential to its character.

The full article can be read here.

Oi this woman. I wanna smack her and give her a hug at the same time. People are so messed up when it comes to sex!!

So many red flags here to address, we’ll just have to list them all:

There is a difference between abstinence and chastity. Abstinence is saying no to sex. Chastity is saying YES to God’s plan for sex. Teaching kids to say no to sex without adequate explanation or guidance is the same thing as saying “Don’t Smoke, Because I Said So”. Why would any child take you seriously?

The only way abstinence pledges will work is if the person making the pledge “gets” the whole picture. A ten-year-old especially today would be unlikely to “get it” because of Comprehensive Sexual Education (from here on out referred to as CSE) which is so far removed from chastity education it ain’t funny. That’s why we…

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life of Georgetown University had its second event for young Catholic professionals, Resisting the Throwaway Culture: Pope Francis’ Message on Human Life and Dignity. This Salt and Light Gathering featured the anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J. (who was famously played by Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking) and Kim Daniels, a founder and director of Catholic Voices USA, who recently was a spokesperson for the president of the USCCB. John Carr, the director of the Initiative, provided the opening remarks and led the discussion. Here are the highlights (in the easily digestible form of tweets):

Pope Francis: “We must not be a Church closed in on itself, which looks at its navel, a self-referential Church, who looks at itself and is not able to transcend. Twofold transcendence is important: toward God and toward one’s neighbor.”

“She’s so cute. I mean, all babies are cute, but she is seriously, like, the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.” People tell me how cute or beautiful or totes presh my 16-month old daughter is basically every day we are out and about, and I’ve heard some version of that initial quote about a dozen times. Despite my rather strong feelings on the objectification of human persons, particularly young girls, this doesn’t really bug me.

How can I complain? I love pointing out babies to my daughter and seeing her react excitedly, as I say, “Look at that cute little baby!” Seeing a baby or toddler, especially when they are playing or laughing or smiling, is wonderful. They each bring so much joy and hope into the world by their little presence. I love seeing babies and kids on my social media feeds. And while I only comment on…

Like so many others, I was stunned and saddened by the news of James Foley, Marquette University ‘94, who was apparently beheaded by ISIS insurgents as retribution for US airstrikes in Iraq against the group. I did not know James Foley personally, but as a Catholic educator, I feel like I know a lot of students like him: smart, idealistic, committed, and brave. In his story, I see the stories of so many of my students. The gravity of his life and untimely death offers occasion to think about the values that make uncommon virtue so common among students like James Foley. In short, what is it about Catholic education that prepares students to pay the cost of discipleship?

Upon the news of Foley’s death, Marquette Magazine reposted a 2011 piece, “Phone call home,” where Foley reflects on the role his Marquette education played in his experience of political imprisonment…

Pope Francis: “If everyone does his part, if we all put the human person and his dignity at the center, and if we consolidate an attitude of solidarity and fraternal sharing, inspired by the Gospel, we can emerge from the swamp of this difficult and burdensome period of economic turmoil.”