Join the Club

Remember Groucho Marx’ quip that he wouldn’t want to join a club that would have him as a member… It reminds me of a curious fact about belonging to the Catholic Church. there is a desire in the human heart that want wants to belong to the club. We want to sit at the high [...]

Taking Holy Orders

I once joked to a priest friend, “You say you took Holy Orders as a celibate. As a married man I have to take holy orders everyday. My wife orders me to do this and orders me to do that…’ By God’s grace I was ordained deacon yesterday in the Cathedral of St John the [...]

Honorary Doctorates and Old Boots

Has anyone noticed that Protestant preachers like Dr Bob Jones Jr and Dr Jerry Falwell aren’t shy about using their doctorates as titles of respect? Maybe Catholics could pick up on this custom and start referring to Doctor of the Church, St Therese of Liseux as “Dr. Therese Martin” What about “Dr Teresa Avila” or [...]

Affirm not Deny

A favorite maxim of mine is by the Victorian English liberal F.D.Maurice. He wrote, A man is most often right in what he affirms and wrong in what he denies. It is a dangerous saying, and the more you think about it, the more it makes you stand the world on its head. So often [...]

Thanks-Living

In 1979 I went to study in England, and apart from vacations in the USA, have lived there until June of this year. During that time I celebrated Thanksgiving just once–during a family reunion year. After living abroad, and having returned home after twenty five years what am I thankful for about the United States [...]

Jack and the Beanstalk

Today is the forty third anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis. Known to his friends as ‘Jack’. Lewis’ legacy has continued to grow and prosper. His work, fallen into the ground like a magic bean has grown to one of the largest plants in the world–reaching to the clouds. The irony of this is [...]