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 What
every church should know about preventing suicide
When a person
dies by suicide, those left behind often find themselves asking the same
painful question: "What could I have done to prevent this?"
In most cases, there is no
answer, and no one individual should hold him- or herself personally
responsible for preventing a loved one's suicide. But as the
understanding of suicide and its causes has increased, so too have
prevention efforts. When larger communities learn strategies for
preventing suicide, it can make a difference in helping reduce the number
of suicides. Read
more.
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 Tips for connecting to a loved one with
Alzheimer's
One woman reflects on the "soul wisdom" she
learned from her mother with Alzheimer's.
As a child, Laura Anthony
visited her grandmother, who had Alzheimer's, every weekend after
Mass. "As a kid I never knew what to talk about," she
says. "It was so awkward."
Years later, after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Anthony
drove most weekends from Bradenton, Florida to provide care and company
for her mom and dad in Citrus County. Read
more.
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 Does the
church need a new theology of women?
Pope Francis
himself has stated that the church needs a "new theology of
women." But what does that mean, exactly? And who might write it?
A traditional Chinese
proverb teaches that "women hold up half the sky." Women also
hold up half the church. This truth may have been on Pope Francis' mind
when he told reporters in July 2013, "I think that we haven't yet
come up with a deep theology of the woman in the church." The pope
is exactly right: The church does need a deep theology of the woman, but
the question we have to ask is: How do we get there? Are these just
words, or are church leaders finally ready to begin to implement a more
gender-inclusive agenda? Read
more.
Don't forget to take our survey at
the end of the essay.
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Brittany Maynard and the Death
with Dignity Act
When the
doctors forecast an imminent, painful death, does the patient have a
right to write a more peaceful final chapter of life?
Brittany Maynard didn't
choose to get sick. Never would she have dreamed that one year after
getting married, she would be diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Thinking she could have up to 10 years to live, an updated diagnosis
showed rapid growth of the tumor and limited her life to only a few
additional months. After research for treatment and the pain that comes
with it, Maynard decided to move her family to Oregon, one of five states
that offer legal physician-assisted suicide. Now she has chosen November
1 as the day she will end her life. Read
more.
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 Vatican stuns Catholic world with
greater openness toward gays and lesbians
Noting the "gifts and qualities" they offer, the
assessment reflects the impact Pope Francis seems to be having on the
Synod on the Family as he pushes for a more open, less doctrinaire
approach.
"Are
our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their
sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family
and matrimony?" said the communique from the nearly 200 bishops
and lay delegates. While they reaffirmed their opposition to gay
marriage and same-sex unions, the bishops' groundbreaking document
nonetheless said homosexuality called for "serious reflection"
and described it as an "important educative challenge" for the
church. Read
more.
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 Listen:
Invisible Hour
Joe Henry (Work Song, 2014)
Joe Henry may always be
thought of as the T Bone Burnett of his generation. After all, his career
began when the legendary producer pulled his demo off the slush pile. In
recent years, as a producer himself, Henry seems to have worked with
every rock and soul legend that Burnett didn't have time for. As a
singer-songwriter, Henry has outpaced his mentor by releasing a dozen
fine albums with styles ranging from alt-country to jazz. But this
bare-boned and openhearted collection may be his best. Read
more.
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