Cover

Learn your lines [1]

By Jeff Parrott
After 40 years of familiarity, new prayers and responses are coming to a parish near you. But have Catholics have reviewed the script?

Sidebars:

Sing a new song: New music for the new Mass [2]
 

To change or not to change: How to respond to the new Mass? [3]

 

Interview

Muslim on Main Street [4]

An interview with diplomat Akbar Ahmed
There is more to Islam than what you see on the evening news. Real dialogue begins with the Muslim next door.

Sidebar:

Honor, Islam, and American women [5]

Five Questions with Akbar Ahmed (video) [6]

 

Sounding Board

Jesus loves me, this I know [7]

By Bryan Cones
There’s no harm in letting your Catholic kids learn how to let their light shine at another church’s Vacation Bible School. In Feedback readers debate the merits of exposing their kids to the neighborhood’s other Christians.

 

Feature

Many nations under God [8]

By Amy Kiley
Many U.S. parishes offer Mass in Spanish, but what happens when the church has five languages? Can many cultures can still come together at one Eucharistic table, if not all at the same time?

 

Essays

(Essays, short stories, and poems are not available online.)

Our lips are sealed [9]

By Robert Nugent, S.D.S.
If you've ever wondered why teens go mum when it comes to confession, why not ask them?
 

Wedding by the book


By Kathy Coffey
In addition to being patient and kind, love also cleans up after the reception.
 

Wise Guides: One for all

By Sister Lou Ella Hickman, I.W.B.S.

As a Jewish woman and a Catholic believer, St. Edith Stein remained faithful to both her identities.
 

Poem

Death of a maple

By Brian Doyle

Departments

Editors' Note

You May Be Right (Letters to the Editor)

Signs of the Times (News)

Catholic Tastes (Humor)

Culture in Context: Music, film, and book reviews [10]

At Home with Our Faith [11]  (Family spirituality)

Eye of the Beholder (Art meditation)

Glad You Asked: What is Divine Mercy Sunday? [12]

Columns

The Examined Life: Blessed are you [13]
By Bryan Cones

Margin Notes: We're sticking to the union [14]
By Kevin Clarke

Culture in Context: Reality check
By Patrick McCormick

Testaments: Share the wealth
By Alice Camille