When we are young, our moms hold our hands for a short time. But, they hold our hearts forever. And, when they are gone, they do not let go. The bond of affection and love between us makes us realize that our true home is not here. Once, a little girl, when asked where her home was, replied, “Where my mom is!” I know what she meant.

tossed aside. The tomb is empty. The grave is no longer the end. “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:54-55).

ON Jan. 8, 1964, just seven weeks after the assassination of President Kennedy, President Johnson gave his State of the Union address. He boldly announced, "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. Our aim is not only to relieve the symptoms of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." A noble trumpet call to arms to battle against the raging inequity devastating so many Americans.

As a young boy, Jesus learned to pray as a faithful member of God’s people. In the morning, before work, before meals, in the evening and at night, Jesus would sanctify each day with prayers taken from the psalms. This was the bread that nourished his spiritual life. In praying these inspired songs, Jesus had ready at hand the language to praise and glorify the Father. He also had a primer in which to read and understand his own life and mission. No one can understand Jesus today without looking to the psalms.

THE United States national debt stands at a staggering $16.4 trillion. It is estimated to rise in the next four years to $22 trillion. The number is so overwhelming that it is hard to grasp. But one fact is clear. The U.S. government has been on the greatest spending spree in our history, with no hope of stopping on the horizon. But the government’s lack of restraint is not simply a problem. It is a symptom of something much wider in the American culture. We are becoming a nation of individuals who do not curb our desires.

Ten years ago, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ earned $611.9 million worldwide. Now filmmakers are returning to the Bible as a ready source for their art. This year alone promises five new Bible-based movies. In March, Noah. In April, Heaven is For Real. In December, Exodus and Mary, Mother of Christ. By the first week following its release this past February 28, the movie Son of God grossed $30,124,842.

During the pontificate of the warrior Pope Julius II, in 1510, Martin Luther visited Rome. On entering the city, he dropped to his knees, exclaiming “Salve, Sancta Roma!” He was in awe of this great city. Here Peter and Paul had walked. Here both apostles preached the gospel. Here the Prince of the Apostles and the Apostle to the Gentiles both died for the faith.

In the annals of history, the 20th century may well be remembered as the return of the age of martyrs. For the first three hundred years of Christianity, Christians courageously faced death rather than deny their faith. A quick survey of the vast expanse of the Church’s entire history, however, reveals the astonishing fact that 65% of all martyrs belong to the last century.

In the English language, the word “Spartan” has come to mean austere. The culture of ancient Sparta was so harsh that mothers would send their sons off to war with the warning, “Return with your shield or on it.” Spartan austerity began at birth. New-born infants were examined and if they were not fit, they were left to die.

In Rome, under the present site of the Church of St. Clement, close to the Coliseum, a tourist can visit one of the largest temples dedicated to the god Mithras ever built in Italy. In the 1st century A.D., Rome introduced this Persian deity to its citizens. The discovery of hundreds of inscriptions to this foreign god and 75 sculpture fragments confirm his popularity, especially among soldiers. The acceptance of this foreign god is but one example of Rome’s attitude towards religion.

Today’s heightened sensitivity to the evil of sexual harassment is a far cry from the distinctly pagan origins of St. Valentine’s Day. Many believe that our celebration of love and friendship on February 14 is actually the raucous Roman festival Lupercalia that morphed into a Christian feast. This may well have been Rome’s longest-lasting pagan festival.

Some call it the largest human trafficking venue in the world. Others simply see it as the Super Bowl. But, wherever this national sports event takes place, law enforcement agencies gear up to protect victims of human trafficking. Louisiana, Indiana and Texas took measures in the past to address this problem; and, New Jersey has done the same, preparing for the 2014 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium.

One of the fastest spreading phrases popping up in serious conversations is the slogan “I am spiritual, but not religious.” Not surprising. Everybody wants to be spiritual, from Hollywood celebrities to sports figures. Fortunately, today, it is very acceptable to be “spiritual.”

In recent times, homeless people are increasingly becoming the victims of violence. Surveys indicate that the homeless suffer violence more than the non-homeless. Men, women, and even children, destitute and without a home of their own, are ridiculed, kicked, beaten, set on fire, and murdered on our streets.

Fear, an emotion that hardly seems desirable! At least, that is what most people think. Francis Bacon once said, “Nothing is terrible except fear itself.” Edmund Burke believed that “no passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” And, Ralph Waldo Emerson observed that “fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”

New Year’s Day is the most universally celebrated public holiday throughout the world. Across time zones and cultural divides, notwithstanding ideological and religious differences, people join together in welcoming the New Year. At the stroke of midnight, fireworks go off; noisemakers raise their din; and, revelers raise their glasses to wish each other good fortune and happiness.