Jesus was not afraid to be controversial. Declaring sins forgiven, speaking of His relationship with God the Father, and teaching the necessity to love our enemies all created a stir in Jesus’ day. Various aspects of His teachings remain controversial to this day.

There is no doubt we live in polarized times.  Virtually every topic seems to be fodder for political division.  In such times, our Catholic faith can be tested even more intensely than usual, especially when our faith runs up against public policy.  Of course, Catholic teaching is not just for the United States in the 21st century; it is universal and enduring.