Anna Caruso

          In 2015, at the Synod on the Family, Rick Warren summarized the present condition of our 21st century this way:          “In today’s society, materialism is idolized; immorality is glamorized; truth is minimized; sin is normalized; divorce is rationalized; abortion is legalized.  In T.V. and movies, crime is legitimized; drug use is minimized; comedy is vulgarized; and sex is trivialized.  Again, in movies, the Bible is fictionalized; churches are satirized; God is marginalized; and Christians are demonized.  The elderly are dehumanized; the sick are euthanized; the poor are victimized; the mentally ill […]

           Several years ago, the newspaper reported the murder of a young Jewish boy of sixteen and two of his friends who were seriously wounded as they were traveling home in a van in Manhattan.  This unprovoked act of violence filled the hearts of many people with great anger and  frustration.  Everyone recoiled at this senseless violence and injustice.  And yet we all know that violence and injustice must be rejected in favor of justice, understanding, and peace.           Jesus’ message in the Gospel is truly clear: there is no room for […]

         Do you recall several years ago reading about an 18-month-old girl, Jessica McClure, who had tumbled down an abandoned well shaft?  Nobody knew how she managed to fall through  an 8-inch, coffee-can size opening  into the 22-foot shaft in the hard rock.  For 58 desperate hours people rallied around and literally clawed their way to rescue her while the eyes of the nation prayerfully watched the effort.  When, finally, a paramedic emerged with the child, there were shouts of joy and thanksgiving.  Someone held a banner and the cameras relayed its message to the nation: “Stop […]

           Holy Week 2026 is here.  This week starts with Jesus’  Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and ended with His tragic death on Calvary.            In a sense, it is very strange that this week should be called holy.  As we walked through it, unfolding before our eyes was a scene of deception and  dishonor, betrayal and denial, political expedience, and religious  corruption, all of which culminated in the greatest crime of history.  Judged by the scenery, this could easily be called Hell Week.  But the strength and courage of one man took those seven days of […]

           In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle St. Paul talked about a personal problem, which he describes as a “thorn in the flesh.”  No one knows exactly what that was.  It is generally assumed that St. Paul was suffering from some sort of physical malady.  But the only thing we know for sure is that St. Paul had some sort of personal limitation, which he prayed to be rid of, but to no avail; and finally, he had to settle down and learn to live with it.          I think that […]