The Arrow's Path

I had a question posed to a social media group that I would like to respond to: "I’m coming from a non-denomination Christian background but have been feeling drawn to the Catholic Faith for a couple of years now. The catch is my wife is very much against becoming Catholic and struggles to have conversations about it. It’s very difficult to feel such a strong pull to this path but having so much opposition to the direction. I am curious if there’s someone who’s experienced a similar situation in their conversion journey and what advice you might have for someone in my position. God bless all of you!"     When I was doing pre-marital counseling, there were four general areas that I would sort of probe to see if the couple were on the same page on or not. Those areas were: Money (what's its purpose/how do we manage it/spending habits, etc), Kids (how many do we envision, parenting styles, etc), In-laws (how do we navigation conflict with in-laws, where do we spend Chr...

I recently ran across an interesting article here , which talks about the move to be inclusive by mandating all jobs, even those filled by persons with severe handicaps, get paid at least minimum wage. On the surface, this would seem like an issue of dignity, to make sure everyone is paid a fair wage. No one wants to look like the bad guy for not paying a severely disabled adult a fair wage-inclusion, fairness, human dignity, and all that.  Basically, what is at issue though is not so much one of fairness to the individual as it is practicality to the disabled community as a whole. In an ideal world where every business is swimming in disposal payroll cash, then in theory everyone can pay everyone a living wage. I am all for trying to make life for the disabled as fair a playing field as possible. I have a cousin who has some developmental delay issues, and struggled for a long time both in school and in his quest to become a functional adult. I also have a very good friend from my...

Lately, I have been exploring options on where God wants me to go from here. I was once an Anglican priest and let the Anglican world over 10 years ago. I had hoped when I left that I would be allowed to discern some form of ordained ministry in the Catholic Church, but it has become clear the Catholic Church never had any interest in having a serious discussion about that with me. They never wanted to discuss priestly ordination. For a time, they let me discern through the training program of another Diocese becoming a permanent deacon. My current Diocese has never had permanent deacons, so it was sort of an experiment to begin with. That process largely ends because I voiced dissent at the flippant way preaching and homiletics was being taught (and having taught seminary level preaching, I did know what I was talking about.) After a horrendous bout of verbal abuse by the archdeacon for voicing such concerns to which I had to file a formal misconduct complaint, I was summarily expell...

My, how time flies. This, I am told, is my 3000th post on this blog. It was originally called blogspot.com way back when I started this blog way in 2004. I was a 20-somthing in seminary in Chicago. It was the heyday of blogging back then, just on the dawn of the social media boom. Facebook was in theory in existence, but no one knew what it was at that point. I think AIM instant messenger and MySpace were what passed as social media platforms. No one had ever heard of a twitter. I think I had a pay as you go cell phone for emergency, but it was certainly not a smart phone. I am not sure if my phone in those days even sent texts, and if it did, you have to pay for them one by one by peeking out the alpha-numeric keys.  I wouldn't meet my now wife for another 3 years. I had a full head of hair. My shoulder didn't hurt when I woke up in the middle of the night. I could hope on the L train at any time and go wherever I wanted in Chicago whenever I wanted for no reason whatsoever. I...

Board gaming has really come a long way since the days of the moldy oldies like Monopoly and Clue. I have written about this before here and here ; so, there is no need to rehash that story. What surprised me was those two posts got more views than any posts I had written on this blog in a long time. While I really don't care one dot or tiddle about getting hits, going viral, or becoming the next big social media influencer, it did surprise me. What had initially been a one-off blog post flight of fancy that I did not think anyone would care about given the nature of my blog content turned into something that apparently some people who occasionally come to this blog are interested in.   As such, I have been pondering getting into some sort of social media commentary on board gaming. There are tons of well know board game Youtubers out there like Alex from BoardGameCo , Dice Tower , Sir Thecos , and tons of other ones that are great content. I would certainly have no idea wher...

     The theme of loving one’s enemies is a profound and challenging aspect act that is unique to Christian teaching. This call is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. All of today’s readings point us to reflect on the nature of love, the transformative power of grace, and the radical call of discipleship.             The 26th Chapter of 1st Samuel recounts a pivotal moment in the life of David as he has the opportunity to kill King Saul, who has pursued him relentlessly out of jealousy and fear. David’s men encourage him to take this chance, but David refuses, saying, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord” (1 Samuel 26:11, NRSV). This narrative illustrates the complexity of human relationships and the tension between personal safety and moral integrity. David’s decision to spare Saul’s life is a profound act of love and respect, even in...

     The Beatitudes, as articulated in Luke 6:20-26, present a radical vision of blessedness that stands in stark contrast to worldly values. When we reflect on the Beatitudes alongside the other readings for Mass today, we are asked to consider the nature of true happiness and the foundations of Christian hope.     Jeremiah 17:5-8 opens with a stark warning: “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5, NRSV). This passage emphasizes the futility of placing trust in human power or material wealth. In contrast, those who trust in the Lord are likened to a tree planted by water, which thrives even in times of drought. This imagery of a flourishing tree underscores the idea that true stability and blessedness come from a deep-rooted faith in God. The Beatitudes echo this sentiment, as they describe a different kind of blessedness that is often counterintuitive to societal norm...

Got to see Petra in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan a few weeks ago. It's a place that's been on my bucket list for many years. It lived up to expectations. "Junior! Look what you did!" -Sean Connery as Dr Henry Jones, Sr.  

      What is God calling you to do? Today’s readings give a powerful narrative of calling, transformation, and the profound encounter with God that leads to a mission. Each passage invites us to reflect on our own experiences of divine revelation and the response that follows.        Isaiah 6:1-8 recounts the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the Temple, where he sees the Lord seated on a throne, This moment of divine revelation is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Isaiah’s immediate reaction is one of self-awareness and humility: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5, NRSV). In the presence of God’s holiness, Isaiah recognizes his own sinfulness. This recognition is crucial; it sets the stage for purification and transformation. The seraph touches Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal, signifying the cleansing of his sins. This act of purification is essential for Isaiah’s readiness to respond to God’s ...