Labor Day Addendum: Welders, Blacksmiths and the Book of Sirach Consider the farmer whose mind is set on the furrows that he plows. He stays up late, tending the cattle. Consider, also, the blacksmith. The fire scorches his skin and the din of the hammer deafens his ears, yet he is intent on the tool he is shaping. (Sirach 38:25-26, 28) After hea...

It’s been a long, hot summer in West Texas. Even now, in September, the daily highs continue to register 100 degrees or more. I have done my share of complaining.  But my whining was tempered after conversing with a friend from a former parish. Raymond works as a welder at an oil refinery. When I asked if his shop was air-conditioned, he l...

How countless are your works, O Lord. The earth abounds with your creatures! (Psalm 104:24) A dog can determine the direction of a set of footprints after sniffing just five of them. Scallops have 200 eyes, each one the color of a neon blueberry. A chicken will starve to death if you cover its right eye because the left eye only detects di...

I wanted to talk about excitement and adventure. What better way to spark interest in Christ’s mountaintop Transfiguration? The Holy Spirit had other plans. As I looked around at the retirees, farmers and accountants who had gathered to reflect on Sunday’s gospel, I realized that a homily based on mountain climbing would be a hard sell in...

“Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness.” This saying fits me to a tee. As a priest, my sensitive nature is a strong asset. From discerning the yearning of a soul inside a confessional to marveling at the beauty of creation, my emotions serve as portals to the wonder of God. Of course, clear logic, sound doctrine and common sense ...

Trust God and do good, then you shall dwell in the land and be secure. (Psalm 37:3) I live in a remote area of West Texas. The population density of my county is 1.7 people per square mile. The closest barber is an hour away. The region is a good fit for me. The open plains help me feel “grounded”—excuse the pun. The vast horizon shine...

What comes to your mind when you hear the word, light? You might picture a porch light on a summer night, the air full with the sound of crickets and the glimmer of lightening bugs. You might imagine a stop light and waiting for it to turn green or the lights on a combine lumbering its way down a county road. Who you are and where you happen...

In the novel, Black River, a man returns home to settle scores with a former convict. The setting is a small town in Montana: As a child, Wes thought the slopes of the mountain ranges looked like the hands of giants, each ravine or peak delineating fingers and knuckles…. Today, they resembled clenched fists about to collide. (1) Rugged terrai...

This article was previously published in Sword & Spade magazine. Conor Ghallager, father of 15 and president of TAN books, put a deep problem on the chopping block.   The Father of Lies tempted our first mother with the beguiling notion of progress. He told her that if she ate of the fruit, her eyes would be opened and that she ...

The Lord did not issue employee handbooks to his disciples prior to his Ascension into Heaven. Instead, he handed them a map: You will be my witnesses; beginning in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, Samaria, even to the ends of the earth. What’s the difference between a map and a handbook or an owner’s manual or a set of step-by-step instructi...