My wife and I have had a dream for several years. We’ve dreamt of a little house in the country with a few acres, a big garden, and some chickens—a life close to the land and in touch with the rhythms of the earth. We’ve envisioned a place where we could learn to work with our hands […]

There are different kinds of knowledge. There is the abstract knowledge of facts and ideas, and then there’s the knowledge that comes from experience. While both forms of knowledge are legitimate, there is little doubt that the knowledge from lived experience is deeper and more profound. Take for example the learning of a martial art. […]

Grab your pint glasses and phone your Fathers! Next Friday, September 9*, is International Buy a priest a beer day!  On this festive day, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better. It’s a beautiful Catholic tradition that goes back to the time of […]

This post is part of a series. I hated discipline in high school.  I did not like to do homework.  I did not like to get up early.  It seemed like the only reason to be disciplined was to get good grades, then get into a good college, then get a good job, then get […]

Turmoil surrounds us. Chaos is ever present. Terrorist attacks, violence in our cities, political anarchy, threats of wars, and so much more. And that is not to mention the inner turmoil we experience—the many stresses of our daily lives, relationships which are frequently broken, and emotional wounds. No wonder many are plagued by anxiety. It […]

This post is part of a series. One of the times Jesus says “Go!” is pretty scary.  In the Gospel of Luke He sends His disciples on a preaching mission saying, “Go your way; behold I send you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3).  I live on a little farm and I can tell […]

I used to know a woman who talked incessantly. She had an extreme case of logorrhea, and from her lips poured forth a torrent, no a tidal wave of words. Conversations with her were far from a two-way dialogue. Rather, they were a one-sided assault. Even making a simple comment in response to something she said was well […]

Today, I begin a series geared especially toward young men that have experienced a renewed commitment to Christ or a recent conversion.  The series is titled Ite, is Latin for “go”.   I once taught my three-year-old son to climb up on the lower branches of a cedar tree.  I left for a while and when […]