Cover

The good life

By Kristen Hannum
A retirement centered on rest and relaxation is no day at the beach. Retirees have their work cut out for them in finding fulfilling activities to fill up their newfound free time.

Sidebar:

When ‘For better or worse’ becomes a full-time job

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Resources for a happy retirement

Feature

You can’t take it with you

By Laura Fletcher
Where there’s a will, there’s a way to support the causes we believe in long after we’re gone. But where your money goes when you’re in the hereafter requires some advance planning in the here and now.

Expert Witness

Embracing life’s second act

An interview with Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.
When the curtain falls on the first stage of life, the best may be yet to come, says this renowned spirituality writer. The challenge is being able to take on a new role in life’s later years.

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An excerpt from Sister Joan Chittister’s The Gift of Years

Reader Survey

Sinfully honest

By Kira Dault
While we may be tempted to dismiss it as a thing of the past, U.S. Catholic readers confess that sin still matters. In Feedback, readers offer some advice on updating the list of the seven deadlies.

Essays

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

Essay: Up close and personal

By Sister Joan Sauro, C.S.J.
Our interaction with the crucified Christ is never a long-distance relationship.

Essay: Flying solo

By Beth Knobbe
One isn’t always the loneliest number. The single life can be filled with joy and a sense of purpose all its own.

Short story: Absolution

By Janet Cincotta
Granting ourselves an indulgence is sometimes the best penance for our sins.

Wise Guides: Flower child

By Mary Anne McElroy
St. Therese of Lisieux may have lived a short life, but her ageless wisdom has had a long-lasting impact.

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

At Home with Our Faith (Family spirituality)

Eye of the Beholder (Art meditation)

Glad You Asked: Do Catholics believe in the Rapture?

Columns

The Examined Life: Two nations under God
By Father Bryan Massingale

Margin Notes: A hot mess
By Kevin Clarke

Culture in Context: Out-of-body experience
By Danny Duncan Collum

Testaments: Circle of friends 
By Alice Camille