Posts

For the Least of These...

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I spent a good period of time the last few years discerning a regular place to do some volunteer. I had tried a few different options since Covid in 2020, ranging from taking on a case with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate office) to attempting to go back into student mentoring with teammates.org . I found it was a real struggle to find something that I found meaningful and were interested in having me work for them. One would think good volunteers are hard to come by, but I approached several grounds over the last few years, and either I wasn't all that interested in committing or they were not all that interested in committing to me.  The journey was all really a bit bizarre. I had really hoped to find some meaningful ministry in or through the Church again. For whatever reason, it has become clear that my current Diocese and Parish really are not all that serious about using my skills and training for any productive purpose other than occasional menial tasks. That is a lo...
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Wisdom in Small Business

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This is an interview with a guy I follow on social media that is an excellent saddle maker. His wisdom in how to do leather working and starting a small trade business...this is truly a wealth of information. 
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Wokey Pokey Star Trek?

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I have been a classic Star Trek fan for most of my life. My all time favorite show to this day is Star Trek: The Next Generation. I still will turn on reruns of that show and nap to it on a Sunday afternoon. Enterprise and Deep Space Nine are also excellent spin offs to the franchise. I never was a huge fan of Voyager, as it was the place the bad '90s Trek writing often end to languish and die. However, credit where credit is due: when Voyager was good, it was very good indeed, but when it was bad, it was horrid.  The last of the good Star Trek pretty much went out with Star Trek: Enterprise . I really liked that incarnation, but there was a lot of hating on it at the time. It only ran 4 seasons, which was a shame. That show did start slow, but the last few seasons, the writing was really stellar. It was airing at the height of 9/11, so it really had an interesting take on terrorism and the inherent need for many at that time for revenge/justice.   I think Ente...
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Presumption

I received another jolly good question:  Talk to me about the sin of presumption. Isn't there presumption involved in all sins? Since you're always planning to go to confession, unless you're really just planning to completely abandon God. My response: The sin of presumption is a concept in Catholic moral theology having to do with presuming we are forgiven, even if we have no intention of repenting or doing anything to merit God's forgiveness. Another way of looking at it is that this type of sin is the ultimate form of spiritual entitlement: I am entitled to God's forgiveness and grace even if I completely blow off everything that God expects of me to be worthy of that forgiveness.   For instance, I just presume God will forgive me for embezzling money, not going to Mass, and all these bad things I know to be wrong. I intentionally continue to do them, presuming God is just an old powder puff who will not hold me accountable or judge me. This is prec...
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Catholics and the Afterlife

 I received a question: Sorry if this sounds silly. But what are the Catholics belief in heaven/hell?I have not had a minute to ask the priest or deacon this, and usually I keep forgetting to ask. So growing up in a different denomination I was taught we go straight to heaven or hell. Wasn’t taught about hell much just that it’s fire 24/7 and everyone is going there unless you accepted Jesus as savior. But in heaven first you watch your life from start to finish, and explain all the bad things you did. I was taught that you don’t know anyone when you get there. You might know somebody was related to you in some way. But most likely you won’t know them at all, everyone is a stranger. And what you do in heaven is sing 24/7, there is nothing else we do but sing (which I’ll be honest sounds terrible to me only because i personally am not good at singing and I don’t like to sing) I don’t mean this in a crude way but from the various descriptions I’ve heard, I thought heaven didn’t soun...
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Christians and War Themed Board Games

Someone asked me, nonchalantly, about whether someone should play war themes board games. The logic was basically, "War is bad, therefore, should be play board games that glorify war?" I thought I would give a short little response:  You pose an interesting moral and ethical question. On one level, if the theme (any theme) bothers you, then, sure, you probably shouldn't play the game. I, personally, can't stand games (or movies) with Zombie themes. I find the whole concept of a Zombie just gross and preposterous :) So, I'd never tell anyone to do something that is against their conscience or they think on some level is just creepy or weird.  To a bigger question, is war always bad in the sense of it has never has any inherent value? Not being a Pacifist, I don't agree with that assessment. Steps should be taken to try to avoid war, as it's always a tragedy that affects innocent people. That being said, sometimes war is the only option. There is e...
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Thoughts for the First Sunday of Lent

     The Season of Lent is a profound and transformative period in the Christian calendar. Lent is characterized by reflection, penance, and preparation for the celebration of Easter. The readings for the First Sunday of Lent invite believers to engage deeply with their faith and the narrative of salvation that unfolds during Lent.. As we enter Lent, these readings serve as a stark reminder of our human condition, the gravity of sin, and the grace that is offered through Jesus Christ.       Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 recounts the creation of humanity and the pivotal moment of the Fall. In these passages, we see God forming man from the dust and breathing life into him, establishing a unique relationship between Creator and creation. The Garden of Eden is a place of abundance and intimacy with God, yet it is also the setting for humanity's disobedience. The serpent tempts Eve, leading both her and Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, resul...
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