There’s nothing like a thick, juicy slice of sweet watermelon on a hot summer day. With more than 1,200 varieties of watermelons grown around the world, watermelons are available year-round, with peak season in the United States from May to August.

Behold, I make all things new” (Rv 21:5). My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Catholic Church in the United States has begun a three-year process of renewal called the “Eucharistic Revival.”

What are the political implications of being a Christian in America? At a time of sharp ideological polarities, as both major political parties seem to be locked in an intractable steel-cage death match, let’s sort out these issues see if there is a road to walk.

Sandy, my older brother, and I both went to St. John Vianney High School in Los Angeles, staffed by Dominican friars. It engendered a great fondness in us for this great cleric, who is the patron saint of parish priests. In the 18th century, with the battered Church in France brought to her knees by revolu-tion, God raised up an unexpectedly gentle champion of the faith.