So you gave up dessert for Lent? Good for you, you wimp! Once upon a time, German monks ate nothing for the entirety of the Lenten fast. No bread, no salad, no fruit—nothing. Beat that. How did they survive, you ask? By imbibing large quantities of heavy, calorie rich beer, of course! Around 700 years ago, German monks in the town […]

When we think of Job, we think of suffering. And it is true—Job suffered far more than any of us can imagine. Despite the fact that he was completely innocent, he endured intense physical pain, lack of sleep, hunger, the loss of his enormous wealth, the death of all of his children, and the insults and criticisms […]

Before I was Catholic, there were three significant days in my week: Monday was the much dreaded day school or work began; Wednesday was the hopeful hump day when most of the week was over; and Friday was the glorious final day of the week that ushered us into the weekend. Since becoming, Catholic, however, […]

Want to drop a V6 engine into your Volkswagen Bug prayer life? Would you like to battle sin and Satan and sabotage like the mighty saints of yore? Then gird your loins, get on your knees, and prepare yourself for Marian Consecration. Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary… Today, Friday, February 20th, is not only […]

St. Peter was riding high. Jesus had just asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” While the rest of the disciples stumbled around in confusion, Peter hit a home run. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then, moments later, Jesus blesses him and entrusts him with the keys of his […]

St. Joseph often slips under the radar because of his quiet demeanor and hidden life. However, he has much to teach us about growing in holiness. Here are 5 reasons to discover St. Joseph. 1. He is the Patron Saint of Workers. As men work takes up a great portion of our lives. Often we struggle to […]

I will not sleep, I will not even sit down, until every man goes to bed with a paperback copy of Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter. In these high fourteenth-century mountains, priests still visit the sick shouting, “God help those in this house!” as they raise a cross to all four corners of the room and […]

There is a peculiar characteristic about the ice-bound regions of the world that renders them absolutely fantastic, absolutely fascinating, and absolutely forbidding. Hoary mountains, glacial vistas, snowy deserts, solid waters, fluid fires of aurora-borealis, and air that is too cold to breathe all give the distinct impression that men ought not to keep company with […]