St. Francis's Extreme Embrace of Poverty

Among his many virtues, [St. Francis of Assisi] is known for his passionate embrace of poverty. Not only did he forbid his emerging Order to own property, ...

Our Preposterous Fantasies

God has made [our] fantasies … so preposterously unrewarding that we are forced to turn to him for help and for mercy. We seek wealth and find ...

Desiring Less Than What God Can Give

In his book The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani shares a story from a trip he took to India with his father. While walking the streets of New Delhi, a ...

Experiences of Beauty Serve as Signposts

What is the most beautiful thing you have experienced this week?

Maybe something you heard. Maybe some beautiful music—perhaps in church, or in the ...

A Christmas Memory from Author Walter Wangerin Jr.

In The Manger Is Empty, Walter Wangerin Jr. shares personal memories from past Christmases. In a chapter entitled "A Quiet Chamber," he recalls ...

Darrell Waltrip on Track Instincts

Racing driver Darrell Waltrip writes:

Racing drivers must use all their senses. When you're in tune with the car, it speaks to you with a small voice. ...

Different Attitudes Among Silver and Bronze Medalists

A fascinating study done by Professor Vicki Medvec reveals the relative importance of subjective attitudes over and above objective circumstances. Medvec ...

Life's Great Disaster

Being frustrated is disagreeable, but the real disasters of life begin when you get what you want."

—Irving Kristol (1920—2009), U.S. ...

Most Bypass Patients Don't Change Lifestyles

A [2006] medical study reveals just how difficult change is for people. Roughly 600,000 people have heart bypasses a year in America. These people are ...

Biker Covers Up Dirty Tattoo

Parishioners of a conservative, small-town church in rural Indiana were surprised one Sunday when a biker came to visit. He stuck out like a sore thumb—pony-tailed, ...