Labor Day Addendum
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...
To Dwell in the Land
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...
Should Church be Fun?
A Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter A while back, while driving down I-27, I passed a billboard that said, “Church Should be Fun!” I thought to myself, “Really?” I weighed the notion, then shook my head. “What garbage!” Don’t get me wrong. I think church youth groups should be fun and pitching in at parish festival should...
Saints in Rehab
“It takes two things to knock down a tree: a strong wind and a rotten trunk.” So began my presentation to a group of recovering drug addicts. I turned and pointed to a slide on the screen behind me: A STRONG TRUNK = STRONG CHARACTER. “What builds strong character? Virtue! The practice of virtue.” I was fired up. I could hear convic...
Talking At Each Other
This article was previously published in Sword & Spade Magazine. Tommy Killackey discusses the loss of virtuous friendship in our culture of kitsch. A sunset, an adventure, a tragedy, a profound belief, a moment encountering the sublime: life’s most riveting moments seem to demand from deep within us the need to share them....
Discernment Is Not About You
This article was previously published in Sword & Spade Magazine. Benjamin Mann, as one deeply involved in vocations within the Eastern Catholic traditions, corrects a common problem in discernment. It is quite traditional and correct to speak of “discerning a vocation” — particularly to consecrated life or the priesthoo...
Of Fatherhood and Harvests
Mighty grain elevators—1,500 broad-shouldered "Sentinels of the Plains"—once stood guard over farm towns across the State of Texas. Today, less than a third of the aged watchmen report for duty. In their place, prison towers now shadow the edge of many rural communities. I spent the first week of November in one of those prison towns. Normal...
On Feeding The Beast That Devours You
This article was previously published in Sword & Spade Magazine. Gregory Matthews, corporate lawyer, is concerned that versions of the American dream are leading some to a nightmare. Our communities are being torn apart today by a host of divisive agendas that are seemingly promoted by all of our cultural institutions, from the classroo...
Is It Good For Man To Be Alone?
This article was previously published in Sword & Spade magazine. Fr. Matthew Buettner, Spiritual Director at St. Joseph College Seminary, Charlotte, distinguishes loneliness and solitude. Man is a social animal. Most of us enter the world in the context of a community, principally, a family. Even the Son of God stepped onto the stage of...
Blue Highways
In the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned. Travelers took to winding paths. (Judges 5:6) When it comes to long-distance travel, most people book airline flights or drive Interstates. Personally, I prefer blue highways, those two-lane roads printed in blue, squiggly lines on foldout maps. My schedule does not allow much for scenic ro...