Note: This is the opening of the forthcoming issue of Sword & Spade.  It is being published here exclusively because of its ties to an upcoming Sunday that is potentially without Mass. As this issue nears printing the coronavirus is forcing many into “social isolation” to slow the pandemic.  Whatever your opinion of such measures, […]

Fear is a mental and spiritual virus. It spreads faster and more efficiently than any airborne disease. Its symptoms are at times anger, aggression, isolation, despair, irrationality, loss of faith, and clouded judgement, among other things. And if there is one emotion that dominates the world at this time, it is a deep and abiding […]

Our culture faces a crisis of fatherhood. The Church, too, has been wounded by scandals that have marred the name of father. In such times, how can we grow in holiness and become better men and better fathers? In this episode, I talk with Fr. Donald Calloway, creator and promoter of the new 33 day […]

Life is complex. As a husband and father, blogger, podcaster, full-time employee, and full-time graduate student, it often seems like the responsibilities I face continue to multiply endlessly, while the time allotted to accomplish them does not. No sooner do I make progress in one area of life, than another domain for which I am […]

I was wearing my running clothes, standing on a patch of grass across from the downtown Krispy Kreme. Four donuts were in my hand, mashed together, the third such round of four. Looking upon them made me cringe. I sighed and then I took a bite. I chewed only once and my mouth fired out […]

Tom was noticeably upset as he described his frustration with pornography use.  It seemed that every day at work he would end up going online and viewing pornography.  No matter what he tried, he always seemed to fall into the same pattern.  For Tom, the root causes of his internet porn use were boredom, isolation, […]

Will you make it through this article? You have been re-programmed in the media-saturated age of consumerism and internet galloping to skim this article.  You’re here to grab enough of it to sense a completion after reading, perhaps gaining a sense of gained knowledge, maybe feeling part of a tribe or something. I’ve been trained […]

Pornography addiction is an uncomfortable topic, and many would rather ignore its prevalence. But in a world where over half of men regularly look at pornography at least once per week, ignoring it would be foolish. It is causing real harm to individuals, marriages, and families and crippling men’s ability to lead as they desire […]