This past Sunday, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, we once again heard the Gospel passage about the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). She was thrown in the dirt, cursed and condemned; a reminder of the division and destruction of sin. The Mosaic Law called for her stoning and many people stood over her willing …
Catholic Exchange: Loving God through the Magisterium
One of the great struggles for many Catholics, especially in the West, is the hierarchical structure of the Church. We are called to submission and obedience to the Church. These are, of course, pejoratives in much of our culture, so many view the Magisterium and hierarchy with disdain, suspicion, and hostility. Some of this is …
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I Am Not the Pope and Neither Are You
The deeper I go into my theological studies, the more I am at peace with the Church. My peace does not come from the knowledge of men, but from the reality that the Holy Spirit is at the helm. It is easy to get dragged into outrage because of pockets of corruption and the sins …
Today’s Beauty Theme: Lavender Fields for My Daughter
I have not been able to write much in the last few days. My daughter and I have been battling a chest cold and when she is sick she wants me to snuggle with her 24/7. Since I won't be able to write today I wanted to share some more beauty. I am a firm …
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Abandon Ideology for the Good News: The Test is Coming
You will notice a trend on my blog that I am becoming increasingly anti-ideology. This is because I am observing a steep descent into ideology in our country and within the Church. Not the Church herself, but the people within it. This is largely destructive and causes division. Ideology is a type of heresy. It …
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Love Changes the Ordinary, the Mundane, and the Ugly
Yes the picture above is an ordinary dandelion. The weed that is the bane of gardeners and lawn owners in their quest for spring and summer perfection. To adults it is nothing more than a pest to be rid of. In fact, most people would either look at this image that I took with derision …
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Down Shifting: Properly Ordering Family and Study
This semester has been a bit of a challenge for me. The challenge is balancing family and full-time studies. Being a full-time graduate student is a lot like working full-time. Not to mention that my entire program is online. I seldom interact with my professors. I am essentially teaching myself theology and philosophy with the …
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Why Baptism during Lent?
This past Sunday's readings were a strange connection of Baptism and the desert (for the Western Church). We heard about the flood when God wiped out the evil of the world and saved eight righteous people. Yes, the narrative is a pre-figurement of Baptism. The waters of the flood cleanse the earth. We also see …
Stopping Division in Our Church Communities
The biggest struggle in Church community is overcoming ourselves. There is a current within ministry, community, and other aspects of the Church that works hard to cling to power and stomp out opposition. This is tied to fear and our own immature understanding of living a life of virtue and in communion within the Mystical …
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What 9-11 Means to Me This Year: From a Relief Worker
9-11 means a lot of different things to people. Everyone has a story of where they were on that day. I just happen to be one of those people who spent 45 days smack dab in the middle of the pain, agony, and destruction of 9-11. On 9-11 I was stationed at a large intel …
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Swimming the Depths 