The latest research numbers are out showing (once again) that the average Catholic in the pews in the United States, is morally sick, spiritually lame, and theologically lazy. How in the hell did I wind up surrounded by such a motley crew? How did I slip into this program? Why would I join this outfit?! Well, I was called is all I can figure. For forty years they wearied me, that generation. I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not... Read more
The poem below was written by a Scot by the name of John Leyden (1775 – 1811). From what I could find, Leyden was a medical doctor by trade and a Christian. He was even a minister, and according to Wikipedia, Though he completed his divinity course, and in 1798 was licensed to preach from the presbytery of St Andrews, it soon became clear that the pulpit was not his vocation. But he evidently had a soft spot in his... Read more
I have not been a very faithful contributor to this blog in recent months. I have blown hot and cold. The fact is, I’ve had other writing assignments, including a big book project I just finished. Now I am writing something else, and I need your help! This Saturday, I am participating in an interfaith symposium at a nearby college, and I have been asked to wave the Catholic banner. Representatives of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Protestantism will also... Read more
How many generations of parents have worried about their teenagers? I know parents worried Elvis Presley would corrupt their youth. My own teenage tastes ran to Simon and Garfunkel. Nowadays, that seems so tame, but what exactly were Paul Simon and Cecilia doing anyway? Today I got my own jolt of reality on my predawn drive to work as a high-school Special Education teacher.Instead of popping in a CD, or turning to a classical music or news station, I twirled... Read more
—Feast of St. Nectarius Hola! The world is a mighty big place. I read recently that Catholics in the United States make up only 6% of the world wide population of Catholics. So for this edition of Music for Mondays (Música Lunes), we’re going to venture out into the musical world of our Catholic brothers and sisters from Spain and Latin America. The inspiration for this? Two events: a) The trapped Chilean miners are very close to being rescued(!) and... Read more
One beautiful aspect of the Catholic Christian faith is that as we age, we begin to experience it from different perspectives and understand why it makes so much sense. Maybe this is the beginning of Wisdom. This morning, I was blessed with an epiphany during Mass, thanks to my pastor’s homily on Jesus’ encounter in a village, where he healed 10 lepers. Luke tells us:And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;... Read more
Measured one way, the family potluck I organized after the 5 p.m. Mass in my parish tonight was a bit of a bust. We thirteen took up three small tables in the large Parish Hall. Two sets of brothers showed up, along with our 14-year-old son. Three moms came, too. My own husband couldn’t make it because our 10-year-old was playing a travel soccer game 30 miles away.Our parish Deacon arrived with a bowl of homemade meatballs, his wife and... Read more
A while back, I wrote a post where I said that I became a Catholic because I discovered that Christ, and His Church, wanted 100% of me. My whole heart, soul, mind and strength. The full-spectrum of Frank, warts and all. I needed to change, but I didn’t have to stop being a man. I’m especially thankful for this, as I don’t fit the mold of modern-day milquetoast Christian guy. Namby-pamby, pacifistic, always gentle and kind. The ancients counseled “Know... Read more
I have friends, good Catholic friends, who seem to relish nothing more, especially after a couple of beers or in the case of our men’s group while chomping coffee and donuts, than to bemoan the pitiful state of contemporary culture. You know the litany. A conservative Catholic cultural critique can be merciless. (A liberal Catholic cultural critique is an oxymoron.) I’m pretty sure now, after nearly three years a Catholic, that all such criticism is worthless.The idea is that “the... Read more
Thanks to the 44 of you who voted for our next Book Club selections! The polls have closed and here are the results: Flannery O’Conner’s Wise Blood led the field with 15 votes. As such, this will be the first book we read to start the YIMCatholic Book Clubs fiscal (biblio?) year. Head to the book store, friends, so we can get started with the discussions, say by October 21st, which will continue for approximately once per week for four... Read more
Why I Am Catholic
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