Election year 2004 is upon us. As the news media starts to drop other stories and the frenzy begins, the idea of what important news we may miss due to this political preoccupation gives me ...

When I was in college my friend Mike often said that his goal in life was simply "to be fat and happy." He may have been onto something. Give the gift ...

Lynn Cassella's profound experience as a child of divorce shines through in this small and practical guide for all those whose lives have been touched by divorce. Divorce journeyCassella speaks of her own journey as a ...

Stalking the Divine: Contemplating Faith with the Poor Clares by Kristin Ohlson, Hyperion Books (2003), 272 pages. "During most of my life I ...

A friend of mine who teaches ethics and spirituality to MBA and law students often engages his students in this exercise. List the names of people you really admire. Next, list the names of people ...

For years, self-help books have asserted that your thoughts influence your reality?that if you schlep through life feeling like a loser, the energies of the universe will make you a loser. In ...

But I'll only know that once they get them the hell outta here.My office is only two blocks from New York's Central Park and yet, I hadn't been able ...

Last week I returned to the high school from where I graduated. The occasion that drew me to my alma mater for the first time in several years was a ...

Do you think same-sex marriages will be made legal in your lifetime?

Martyrs: Contemporary Writers on Modern Lives of Faith Edited by Susan Bergman, HarperSanFrancisco (1998), 333 pages. Bad ...

A few months back, I had a disturbing conversation with my mother. It went something like this: Mom: You mean to tell me you're going to marry someone you haven't had sex with? Me: Yes. ...

In "Consuming Faith: Integrating Who We Are With What We Buy," Tom Beaudoin focuses on what he calls "economic spirituality." Branding ourselvesBeaudoin, who explored "the irreverent spiritual quest of Generation X" ...

Everyone expects black balloons and wise-cracking cards once your birthdays celebrate passing the age of 30. No one, however, mentions an unexpected perk: kissing those carefree, post-college days goodbye. Contentment ...

"Do you ever think about your own mortality and about what happens after death?"

Surprise! There are perks to adding on a few years. Really. Like, for instance, discovering that you can enjoy your own company without having to rely on someone else to make you happy. That's why I ...

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world. Until recently, I always thought of that fact as a neat bit of trivia and nothing more—kind of a, ...

I remember building a snowman in my backyard with my older sister when I was about 5 years old. It was there that snow became the great equalizer. While she piled ...

It's not Mary giving birth or the baby Jesus Himself that brings it to mind, but standing in the window watching for the first star to appear in the ...

In my family, we have a tradition of eating my Mom's excellent fruitcake after Midnight Mass. It's a sweet end to the wonderful experience of the evening. I'm sure Masses in other places ...

I hope I don't get in trouble for telling you that my family is a bunch of big cheaters. We love to play games, but we watch very carefully to ...