The Gospel passage recounts the famous Parable of the Talents, related by St Matthew (25: 14-30). The "talent" was an ancient Roman coin, of great value, and precisely because of this parable's popularity it became synonymous with personal gifts, which everyone is called to develop. In fact, the text speaks of "a man going on … Continue reading Pope Benedict XVI On Talents
Mourning Came, and Fasting Followed
☧ First, I apologize for the bad pun in the title (inspired by Genesis 1)... For some reason, Those Catholic Men still published this article under that title. Anywho... The pillars of our Lenten season are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The point of doing these not-so-pleasant things is to have our routine shaken up a … Continue reading Mourning Came, and Fasting Followed
And the Word Was Made Star Stuff
☧ An adaptation of Faith and Reason - Creation and the Cosmos for Those Catholic Men. Against the backdrop of blue skies, crashing waves, and steep, rocky cliffs, and clad in his iconic rust-colored jacket, Carl Sagan uttered perhaps his most famous quote. In the first episode of his acclaimed television series, Cosmos, he said, … Continue reading And the Word Was Made Star Stuff
Be the Custodian of Your Baptism
☧ Published on Those Catholic Men Baptism is a big deal in the Christian life, and for good reason. The Catechism states that baptism "is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments,'' (CCC 1213). This is pretty profound … Continue reading Be the Custodian of Your Baptism
Fraternal Correction
☧ Shorter version published on Those Catholic Men and Catholic Exchange. A few weeks ago after having recently defended our Master's theses, my wife, several of our friends, and I were out at the good ol' bar district across the street from our university celebrating the conclusion of years of hard work. There are quite a few … Continue reading Fraternal Correction
“If I But Touch His Clothes”
☧ The following is a passage from the gospel of Mark: One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with … Continue reading “If I But Touch His Clothes”
Craft Beer and Distributism
☧ Published on Those Catholic Men. What's the deal with craft beer? Why does everyone suddenly love craft beer? How can it be that in 1978, there were 89 breweries in the US, but now, there are over 5,300? Why are microbreweries, craft beer companies, and brewpubs opening left and right? Why has production by … Continue reading Craft Beer and Distributism
Lukewarmness
☧ Published on Those Catholic Men Lukewarmness is an inescapable temptation of the Christian faithful, and every person in every vocation at every stage of life must deal with it at one time or another. It can come as a consequence of making God a central part of our daily lives, a consequence of making … Continue reading Lukewarmness
The Wounds of Humanity Don’t Belong to Us
☧ There is no doubt there is suffering in the world. Indeed, it's very nearly the defining quality of life on earth. It is through the broken hopelessness that touches each one of us that we are dragged into spiritual desolation. This oppression knows no boundaries; it does not respect the class system, wealth, race, … Continue reading The Wounds of Humanity Don’t Belong to Us
Quiet Desolation
☧ The following text was written by Lucie Christine, the pseudonym of the French mystic, Mathilde Bertrand-Boutlé. It tells of an experience of desolation that is somewhat difficult to notice. While not a state of complete and utter hopelessness, what she describes is a state that could be considered complacency, but it's deeper than that; … Continue reading Quiet Desolation
The Catholic Physicist 