Throughout history the Church has championed the education of all boys and girls, offered positions of unprecedented authority and responsibility to women around the world, and reminded us constantly that the pre-eminent example of every virtue, aside from Our Lord and Redeemer, is a woman. In fact, without her cooperation, there would be no Lord and Redeemer! Now as we reflect on our own lives and the opportunities that this society offers to each of us, how do we determine what is authentically Catholic and what is specifically feminine? What actually sets us apart?

Pillars and spores are images used by Edith Stein (1891-1942) in one of her essays on women. The woman who becomes or is becoming what she is meant to be, Stein explains, is like a pillar to which many fasten themselves, thereby attaining a firm footing. Further, women who are on their way to becoming whole persons can, in turn, help others to realize their personal fulfillment. In this way, Stein argues, women are like healthy, energetic spores supplying healthy energy to all whom God puts in their path. The metaphors of pillar and spore provide easy to remember associational images of how Stein defines the constitutive nature, vocation, and genius of woman.

A lack of nerve undermines so many Catholic efforts in this country to save young people from a toxic culture.

Since this passage with the admonition of St. Paul for wives to submit themselves to their husbands as to the Lord, creates great difficulties for modern-day feminists, I have selected it as the springboard for this article on feminism and marriage. The passage has been called a summa of Church teaching on marriage and has been interpreted in several ways through the centuries. Today I want to compare John Chrysostom's interpretation with that of John Paul II with some reference to medieval and various contemporary interpretations. Finally I shall show the application of the passage in the lives of some couples today.

Womens responsive and receptive nature, as wife and mother, is expressed by empathy, sensitivity and openness to others. This exposes her to the temptation to place affection (sentiment) above reason and objective truth. Only when she acknowledges the fullness of the image of God in herself and places her own integrity and obedience to Gods law above sentiment does she avoid the destructive path of sentimentality.

Celebrities exert a considerable amount of influence in American life today. Their support or opposition can make a big difference to any social crusade. Now a small, but growing, number of celebrities have begun to step forward to proclaim their opposition to both abortion and the death penalty.

Having decided to resign from the New York Times in order to raise her infant son, Crittenden found herself, like many feminists, faced with a shocker. Motherhood is actually important, enjoyable even.

So far, Turkey has been able to resist the drive for international recognition of the Armenian genocide, in large part because of the nations superior resources and strategic importance. For Armenians, the sense of national identity is bound up with the genocide. As much as they are Armenian, they believe they are victims. Until their suffering has been acknowledged, they will not rest.

On June 5 1973 popular Canadian journalist Gordon Sinclair decided hed had enough of anti-American criticism that was everywhere at the time and dashed off a two-page editorial defending the USA against its many critics. That piece of caustic journalism has had a life of its own ever since and seems only to grow in stature with time. In light of the recent events, Sinclairs editorial has been once more making the rounds on the internet. Gordon Sinclair died in 1984, but he will long be remembered as a great friend of America. His article gave voice to a sentiment shared by millions around the world today. God Bless America.

The recent push for high school marriage preparation is encouraging. But it would be more effective if the leaders of the marriage preservation movement saw marriage education in its broadest light, as an introduction to the history, cultural richness, social utility, and civic meaning of marriage as an institution. Unfortunately, what passes for marriage preparation in the thousands of schools and churches around the country that currently offer it to teenagers is not marriage preparation at all.