“Man is the only animal nature has endowed with the gift of speech.”– Aristotle, Politics It is estimated that almost a quarter of American homes have a voice-enabled ‘smart speaker,’ and experts predict that over half of households will within a few years. The lion’s share of these devices are Amazon’s Alexa. A closer consideration of […]

There is something about a new year that psychologically feels like a new beginning. Of course, nothing has really changed other than rather numbers on the calendar. But it feels like a fresh start, nonetheless, and as a result, resolutions are en vogue this time of year. The captains of commerce are well aware of this, […]

In the Gospel of Mark, when a scribe questioned Jesus about the most important commandments, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30). Men, this is difficult to truly embrace. When you think about it […]

Anyone who has been halfway paying attention will know that the Church is facing a serious crisis—one fueled by sexual scandals, financial corruption, and increasing doctrinal confusion. It’s a crisis of more than just policy too. The utter failure of many in the hierarchy to faithfully teach and proclaim the most basic tenets of the […]

“Endurance is the essence of courage. Endurance is not passivity, for it requires a strong, proactive spirit. In endurance, man’s inmost and deepest strength reveals itself. It can be harder and entail greater courage for a soldier to be pinned down in a cold, damp foxhole than to charge into a hale of bullets, all flags […]

We started farming for the sake of my family, especially my sons.  When we had our second son my wife asked, “Where do you see us in 5 years?” “On a farm,” I answered, “back home.”   “Home” was North Carolina (we were living in Denver, CO), but the “farm” part we had not figured […]

The reality of evil can be simply overwhelming. When it dawns upon us the extent to which evil has seemingly prevailed in the world and, yes, even in the Church, it can be tremendously disheartening. Nevertheless, I would argue that, despite appearances, there is more good in the Church and in the world than evil. […]

A crisis of historic proportions is facing the Catholic Church. The moral rot and corruption that has infected the Church to the highest echelons is being exposed like a festering wound for all to see. And it is an ugly sight.  But the truth is, the crisis has existed for some time now, though many […]