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May 2017

May 11, 2017

Ecclesiastes Is All We Need

Everything, absolutely everything, you consider important, all the goods to which you lay claim—it’s all...

May 10, 2017

How to Avoid Cafeteria Catholicism and Champagne Socialism

In my own conversion, Catholicism was attractive precisely because it provided guidance; it made sense...

May 08, 2017

Pope Francis Revisited

Will we read him with suspicion, or shall we honor him in love?

March 2017

March 30, 2017

Christians, Muslims, and Jews, Oh My!

The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and...

March 29, 2017

Against Consolation

From Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy to the myriad works on self-help today, consolation is taken...

March 27, 2017

Francis, My Pope

I am thankful for Pope Francis’ deep faith and joyous persona, for the hope he...

March 13, 2017

Will the Poor Always Be with Us?

It’s not uncommon, when you’re someone interested in “social justice,” to have this pericope thrown...

March 12, 2017

The First Are Always Last

Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:16) A...

March 03, 2017

Catholicism is Struggle

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, etc. I have the pleasure of taking part in...

February 2017

February 26, 2017

Being Forgiven

Last night the deacon’s homily emphasized the reciprocal nature of forgiveness: we forgive so that...

February 16, 2017

The Sensuous Catholic Body

This one will be short, because my point is singular: American Catholics must avoid the...

January 2017

January 24, 2017

Charity in the Age of Trump

Irony has been essential in the rise of Donald Trump. I’ve written about it before,...

January 06, 2017

We Are All Trolls Now

Look at your average internet comment box and you’re in for a treat. Take, for...

January 04, 2017

The Decline of Liberal Protestantism: A Lesson for Catholics

A piece online today at the Washington Post links “liberal” theology to declines in church...

November 2016

November 29, 2016

The Saint You Hate

“Hate” might be too strong a word. Say “dislike,” “display skepticism towards,” even “avoid.” Think...

November 01, 2016

Is a Smaller Church a Better Church?

Last week, Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia gave a, by-now infamous, speech, read by some as...

August 2016

August 28, 2016

The Feast of St. Augustine and Who Else?

Today is August 28th, most notably the feast of St. Augustine, bishop, theologian, Doctor of...

August 20, 2016

On God’s Time

Waiting weighs us down and patience demands so much. Whether it’s excitedly counting the days...

August 17, 2016

When Your Enemies Are Christians

Enemies broadly speaking anyway. This topic has stuck with me. Growing up American (read: secular),...

August 13, 2016

The Dirty “P” Word

Pastoral. From pastor, as in, a shepherd. In the Catholic circles in which I run...

August 10, 2016

Prayers for the Bulgarian Church

A little while ago I took a little bit (not quite boiling, more like low-simmer)...

August 09, 2016

Confessions of a Catholic Cynic

No. I’m not that sort of Cynic (though sometimes I wish I were). I don’t...

July 2016

July 16, 2016

Why Are You Yelling? Or the Failure of Catholic Blogging

Unsurprisingly, I am surrounded by Catholic bloggers: opponents, friends, frenemies, and every other color of...

July 15, 2016

Social Media: Where Charity Goes to Die

My intensifying dalliance with social-media criticism is no secret. I’ve blogged about it before, and,...

July 11, 2016

Being a Good Christian, Being a Sinner

I am a convert (or a revert, depending on how you ask). Unlike some Cradle...

July 06, 2016

Judge Not: An Obscure Monk Sheds Light on Pope Francis

Pope Francis mystifies—and aggravates—many Catholics; his talk of mercy, of suspending judgment has a tendency...

July 05, 2016

Christian Patriotism: An Oxymoron?

It [patriotism] is a pagan virtue, if these two words are compatible. The word pagan,...

July 03, 2016

On Prayer: Thoughts from Simone Weil

I recited the Our Father in Greek every day before work, and I repeated it...

June 2016

June 18, 2016

Knowing v. Living the Faith: More Thoughts from Thomas Merton

Many of us know the Catechism, but to live the faith, that is different, that...

June 02, 2016

Pope Francis: Father Figure

My last two posts (available here and here) have attempted defenses of the current pontiff....