Making Lent all about Him
I have a persistent and myopically modern tendency to make my spiritual life all about me. It comes out most aggressively during the penitential season of Lent when I start thinking a few weeks out “oh, what…
Guide to making a great confession
Our eldest made his first confession last month, and I decided to avail myself of the opportunity to (finally) memorize my Act of Contrition. I figured at age 36 and with a moderate following on the internet…
2 things I believed about the Catholic Church that were totally wrong (and why anyone would stay Catholic)
How about a little remedial ecclesiology today? (Trigger warning: if you don’t like going past 1200 words, this piece might stretch you 5 uncomfortable minutes past your limit. I know, I know. Same! I tried my best…
- books, Catholics Do What?, Culture of Death, current events, decluttering, design + style, minimalism
Coffee clicks: What the Friday?
This week was one for the record books in terms of watching news come across the wires and wondering not once, not twice, but, well…a lot more times than that if we are, in fact, all still…
Why do Catholics go to church every week?
Alternate title: Aw mom, again?! This past weekend we had a double whammy of obligatory worship: a holy day of obligation on a Saturday and then the regular Sunday obligation of Mass the next day. My kids whined…
- Catholic Spirituality, Catholics Do What?, Contraception, Culture of Death, Evangelization, Marriage, NFP, planned parenthood, pregnancy, Pro Life, scandal, Sex, sin
NFP for clergy
That title, right? I know. But, yes. Seriously. After one of the talks I gave in Nashville last month, a group of nice young Catholic guys who were, I surmised, discerning the priesthood, came up to chat…
Our morning at the congregation for saints
One of the best/weirdest parts of Catholicism is definitely the Communion of Saints. If you think hard enough about how the Bible talks about dead people and how all Christians uniformly revere St. Paul and St. Luke…
- abuse, Catholic Spirituality, Catholics Do What?, Culture of Death, current events, Pope Francis, scandal, sin, Suffering
Flipping tables in the temple
I have fielded countless emails, Instagram messages, comments, and texts from faithful Catholics these last few weeks. Most carry the same tone of concern and horror for what is coming to light: an egregious lack of transparency…
A letter of petition to the Nuncio for the Roman Catholic Church in the United States
Most Reverend Christophe Pierre Apostolic Nuncio to the United States 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Your Excellency, We are Catholic women, baptized members of the Body of Christ. Mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters. We are…
- abuse, Catholics Do What?, Contraception, Culture of Death, current events, Parenting, prayer, scandal, sin, spiritual warfare, Suffering
What’s a faithful Catholic to do?
There is a tremendous – and warranted – outcry of rage and betrayal in the Church right now. I’m not talking about the usual suspects in the media and the voices coming from the cafeteria line, either.…