We invited some Sick Pilgrims over to talk about one of our favorite saints, St Patrick, in honor of his feast day this Friday, March 17. And then Jacob Popcak took us all to school. First things first. St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. Jacob Popcak: Patrick was a slave of the Irish, who escaped, became a priest, and came back to convert his captors. He loved them. Which is … insane, from a modern perspective. David Russell Mosley: He wasn’t “Celtic,” or at least... Read more
It crowded my newsfeed on Friday, accompanied by many “LOLs” and my favorite “laughing to the point of tears” emoji. Robert E. Kelly, a political science professor based in South Korea, was being interviewed live on BBC from his home office when his toddler opened the door and bounded in, followed by a baby sibling in a walker. The professor reaches back with one arm and attempts to push the toddler away, while continuing to look into the camera and... Read more
He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Tim. 1.8b-10) And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.... Read more
As I walked along a sandy path in Badlands National Park, I noticed a sign warning me to “Beware of Rattlesnakes.” The wind stinging my cheeks reminded that even if the snakes decided to brave the cold, they’d be sluggish and unlikely to bite. Still, as I walked, I listened for the tell tale “rattttttttttetattatt” and prepared myself to leap out of the way. For some reason, I couldn’t get snakes out of my mind as I drove to the... Read more
When I told my fellow pilgrims that we’d received an award for faith-based blog of the year, our associate editor Matt Lafleur responded, “Does this mean we’re….winners?” Good question. Jonathan Ryan and I created this blog for the margins, the narrow audience not being served (or published) by Christian presses and magazines — those of us who’ve never felt at home anywhere but are tired of traveling alone. That audience has turned out to be a lot bigger than we... Read more
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.” 1 Timothy 3:2 “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife.” 1 Timothy 3:12 When I was 17 years old, I was sexually assaulted by a classmate. It was my first sexual experience, and it changed the course of my life. In addition to the psychological damage, I had to reckon with what my status as an assault victim meant in... Read more
I learned I had no discipline or willpower at age nine when my fourth grade religion teacher had us write down in our composition notebooks what we would be giving up for Lent. That was a real head-scratcher; any child would’ve had a hard time having a “vice” in my household. My brother and I had everything we needed, and most of what we wanted, but unlike many of my friends, we didn’t have video-game systems that we played into... Read more
Tuesday, February 28, is the day Mardi Gras is celebrated this year. The day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent has been an annual party for many Catholics, especially the Cajuns. This year Mardi Gras also falls on Rare Disease Day. To find out more about this, I talked to two disabled dudes. Seriously. My good friends Kyle and Sean do a podcast called Two Disabled Dudes, in which they tackle life head-on, even with a disability. I... Read more
“‘Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?'” -Matt. 6:28-30 This verse ran through my head as I... Read more
As I sort through the events of the past few months, I’ve tried to figure out what bothers me the most about the Trump presidency and what it’s revealed about Catholics and Christians in America. Every time I think I’ve pinpointed the problem, it vanishes into the air. Sure, I’m bothered by the misogyny, the myopic views of pro-birthers, and the barely disguised hatred of Muslims. But, every time I pick up my computer to write about these things, something... Read more
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