In the last fifty years, the modern landscape of sexual mores has shifted in dramatic ways. In today’s struggle between a secularist morality and a morality based on human reason, the sacred institution of marriage is the battlefield.

In the early Middle Ages, artists would represent Mary in a way that many of us are unfamiliar with today. It was a tender representation of Mary and the Child, but with a distinct emphasis on theology.

Again and again, the news alerts us to the presence of evil in our world. Shortly after the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers, Pope John Paul II was asked to explain the presence of evil in the world. He responded by stating the stark reality that it represented “mysterium iniquitatis.” Evil exists. Sin exists.

The Holy Father tackled the issues facing the Church in America with honesty, compassion and hope. At a time when the country is so divided over how to treat the stranger among us, he had the courage to recall our own history. “From the beginning, [Americans] have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free”

In 1920, during the aftermath of World War I, a soldier was digging a trench near the modern town of Salhiyé in Syria. Accidentally, he discovered the site of the ancient town of Dura-Europos. From under the dust of history, there came to light one of the earliest Christian house churches...

On March 19, 2008, extremist Osama bin Laden released a tape on a militant website that carries al-Qaida statements. Bin Laden was pictured with an assault rifle as he announced his latest denunciation of the West.

Two generations ago, Sunday was a special day in most families. No work. No shopping. A special meal. Some recreation. Sunday worship was part of a rhythm of life. Yet, there have been many changes that have altered this pattern of life.

Every once in a while someone stands up for a principle and the story makes the news. Eli Herring from Utah’s Brigham Young University walked away from a pro career with the Oakland Raiders. He turned down an annual six- or seven- figure salary. The reason: the NFL plays on Sundays. Herring would not. Sunday belongs to the Lord.

In the last 45 years, America has watched the gradual erosion of blue laws. The Rev. Samuel Peters of Connecticut was the first to use the term “blue laws” in the 18th century. In his day, the term “blue” was used disparagingly for anything rigidly moral.

Recently, British Airways found itself in a legal battle over the Jewish Sabbath. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening and ends at sundown on Saturday evening. This day of rest is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments

Just two weeks ago, a small group of radical students joined together with sixty-seven professors to protest Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to their university. The Pope was scheduled to give the inaugural address for La Sapienza University on January 17.

This past week, the International Committee on English in the Liturgy met in Mumbai (Bombay), India. Twice a year, the committee’s eleven bishops from English-speaking countries around the world meet with various experts. It is always a week of intense work as we prepare more accurate and richer translations for our Catholic worship.

During the first week of December, representatives from the Baptist World Alliance and the Catholic Church met to continue a five-year conversation. I am privileged to chair the Catholic delegation.

Today, marriage has lost its attraction for many Americans. Fewer people are taking the walk down the aisle. In the last thirty years, the number of men and women exchanging marriage vows has fallen by 50%.

In 1904, Adolph Ochs, the owner and publisher of The New York Times, celebrated the beginning of the New Year on the roof of One Times Square. Two years later, the tradition of dropping the famous ball in Times Square began. Today, thousands of people huddle there against the cold to watch the precise moment the New Year begins.