When Thomas Howard made his journey from Evangelicalism to Anglicanism (and then to Catholicism) in the 1980’s he penned what would become his seminal work: Evangelical is Not Enough. Like many conversion stories, Howard’s is one that can be read and read over again; to my own journey there are so many parallels, and it’s refreshing—a divine gift—to hear it in someone else’s words. One of Howard’s chief points, one that struck me right to the core when I first read it and... Read more
There’s a power-packed G.K. Chesterton quote about the Catholic Church being the greatest antidote to the modern world. I like the quote so much because there’s a deep ring of truth in there, gospel truth. See, it’s simple: As Christians Christ called us to live in the world but not be a product of it. The Catholic Church, says Chesterton, is bar none the best way of pulling this off. The best way to live in a fallen world without falling... Read more
By day I’m a Kindergarten teacher. I hang out with 3 and 4-year olds and sometimes learn a little bit along the way. Sometimes they learn a little bit, too. Recently, a group of my youngest students asked where babies come from. I expertly dodged the question and, like a good educator, turned it back upon the asker,”Where were you born?” I asked a couple of them. I was surprised by their incredulous looks, like I’d ask them to explain Pythagoras’s theorem.... Read more
I was recently invited to star in my breakout role to take part in a video project put together by the incredible parish my wife and I are a part of. It’s part of a program they’re calling Starting Point which helps interested individuals find a place to connect with the parish, whether a small group, RCIA, or some other faith formation program. It’s a brilliant program—one with its genesis clearly rooted in the amazing stuff Sherry Weddell writes about in... Read more
The collective wisdom of the Internet can make anyone question the trajectory of humanity in the same way that the violence which spurs it into action can do the same. In response to the violent acts of terrorism which have shaken France this weekend everyone and his conservative grandmother has an opinion on how we ought to respond. And they aren’t shy about sharing. Suggestions run the gamut from the moribund to the fantastical; from closing our borders or deporting all “the Muslims”... Read more
I recently found myself in a conversation with an old friend. He’s a reader of my blog, a passionate Christian, and, despite my own moniker, a guy far more cordial than I’ll ever be. He had, and has, certain objections to some of the things I’ve written. He’s a great guy (did I mention that?) and he had great points. And some certainly stung. He expressed, politely, his sadness and frustration with some of the things I write—especially when I... Read more
When I decided, as an Evangelical Protestant, to become a Catholic it was for a myriad of reasons. The appeal of the ancient tradition, the beauty of the Liturgy, and the succinct, coherent theology are only a few of the compelling aspects that drew me in. There are many more. But what I did not realize, as I began my first tentative steps to cross the Tiber, was how becoming a Catholic would utterly change my Christian life. In ways... Read more
I hate my neighbour. OK, so hate is maybe too strong of a word, but, well, I don’t know… Here’s the thing. My wife and I bought a quaint little 1 1/2 storey detached home in beautiful Southern Ontario (that’s in Canada). The house was fantastic. Great neighbourhood, close to a network of pristine trails and a river, and close to plenty of amenities. We loved it. Now giving you a picture of our property is important so bear with me... Read more
As a younger Evangelical I would’ve marched, proudly, in the Parade to End Religion. If such a thing existed. To me, and to many of my Pentecostal brethren, religion equated to a musty old out-dated mantra—the empty piety of a dank old cathedral. The broken beads of a tangled-up rosary, something found stuffed in a bureau drawer. In fact, when I first read Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home his terse attitude towards religion, and Catholicism in particular, was deeply resonate. Hahn, who found and... Read more
I’m an emotional guy. This is no secret. I’m known to break down in tears rather easily. When our son was born, I cried like a baby when my parents arrived at our door with armloads of frozen meals to sustain us for a week. To be fair, I think I was well within my rights in that particular occasion. Still, I wasn’t altogether surprised to find myself overcome with emotions more than once during the coverage of Pope Francis’s American papal... Read more
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