Habemus Archbishopem!

If I ever had to move, there are two dioceses that I would have picked: Arlington or Denver. Now it seems that the Good Lord is bringing Denver to me! Welcome Archbishop Chaput! May your time serving this flock be as blessed as your time serving Denver.

Matches made in Heaven

A book review of: Come My Beloved by Ellen Gable Hrkach and Kathy Cassanto

I often think that everyone is just like me, similar inside if not on the outside. I thought all Catholics who married would meet in college and get married after graduation like myself and most of my friends. I assumed they would follow a similar path of coming to better love God by learning to love another. Come My Beloved shows that Catholic marriages are not all the same and have as much beautiful variation as the glorious art which has decorated cathedrals over the life of the Church.

The true love stories in this anthology are each unique and inspiring. God’s ways are truly amazing and refreshing to my faith. There are the college stories, like mine. There are stories of widows and widowers finding each other. There are stories of conversion. There are stories of long time friendships blossoming. Each story shows the hand of God in a special way, working to create a new married life by bringing together those who will help each other grow.

Too pertinent

Our Holy Father could be speaking directly to me with this item. Doing the math, either my wife or I was out of the house every night this week. It's terrible but hard to stop with our many and sundry activities and it keeps us from our deepest mission which we believe is to be social and have families over for dinners and parties and random hanging out. There is a huge dearth of social capital that has been brought about through TV and Entertainment destroying social bonds and through the home becoming a place to stop and refuel and sleep before running to meetings and games and events. We feel it is critical to be home-bodies and build ties of affection but that is a daunting task in this day of constant connection.

Die Hard Catholic

I just watched Die Hard again; it was a great movie purchase. Like a good book read and re-read, I saw and learned more this time than any time before. Firstly, John McClane prays at least once explicitly and once implicitly, thanks to the sisters who taught him in elementary school no doubt. Secondly, as a recent issue of First Freedoms compared the guns used by John and Hans as a way to reveal their characters, I kept comparing the two of them. The scene which struck me most was the close-up of Hans polished shoe stepping on the cigarette that John gave him while John's filthy bare feet are walking away from him. John is the rough, tumble guy who is just trying to get by in this life while Hans has all the answers, all the goods, and all the power. This is a great Christian lesson, I believe. Humility will triumph, the meek will inherit the earth. And pride goeth before the fall from the 30th story of Nakatomi Plaza.

Wild Life

In my spare time, when I dream of all the great ministries that I would do if I had infinite time and money, I dreamed of learning martial arts as a way to learn manhood like the Crusaders of old. The King's Men have done me one better by teaching wilderness survival skills as a way to become holy men. Although I won't be going this time, I can't wait for the opportunity to head Into the Wild with other men who are dedicated to growing in holiness.

Look at that Dashing Family

I know it sometimes feels like we are the only family in the Archdiocese who practices NFP. Now we have proof! Confirmed by the Family Life Office.

Local TOTB

Mother of Divine Providence Parish in King of Prussia will have speakers from the Theology of the Body Institute at 8pm on Wednesday. Although I have heard Christopher West speak, I'm thrilled to see what type of students come out of this Institute. I'm always looking to improve my marriage. Speaking of which, I better go help with the little one.

Long have I waited

I have been hoping to own the musical work of Nick Alexander for over a year now, patiently awaiting a brave soul to order them for me. My wife obliged for my most recent birthday and I have been basking in the Catholic "Weird Al" glow ever since. Since I received his entire discography, it is hard to pick a favorite but, "Nahum, Zephaniah, Malachi" (parody of 867-5309) is far and away my most listened to. As "Weird Al" includes a token polka, Nick includes a praise song. It is an awesome way to close an awesome album.

Beating around the Bushel

A book review of The GEO Principle by Tom Bengtson

I purchased this book after hearing the author speak about God in the workplace at a CCL Convention. As a budding entrepreneur, I've been striving for more meaning in my work than pushing papers across my desk and climbing the ladder at the expense of time with my family. I have been working, rather poorly, to incorporate God into my work life with various levels of success over the last 9 years of my career and this book is an excellent summary of many of the points that I discovered on that journey. It didn't offer any dazzling insight but it was a confidence boost that I'm on the right path. Most importantly for my development, it contains a list of actions and suggested readings which is very helpful. In the "self-improvement" and "career development" sections of my bookstore it is often difficult to separate the gold from the dross, so I tremendously appreciate a listing of books which do not insult my morals or my religion. I wish I had been handed this book at my college graduation; I might have saved much time and improved my faith by removing the bushel from my candle more often.

Head of the House

Jennifer at Conversion Diary has a great take on the whole "man as the head of the household" issue. It is great, of course, since it generally matches my own opinions and understanding of the issue. I am constantly amazed at the sparks that this issue brings up, even among people who are faithful to the teachings of the Church. I have to say that people of the more common, "everyone is exactly equal" opinion have ceased to amazed me and earn only the nod and smile response. I always feel they are just parroting back some idea that they have never actually processed like a kid in class who is just saying what the teacher expects.

Marky Mark

The Catholic Church scores another Big Hit with the sacramental marriage of Mark Wahlberg.

Since it was Roman Catholic, it must have been an Italian Job!

Casual Dating

Dr. Gregory Popcak mentioned the dating hierarchy in his most recent Family Foundations article and it conveniently matched the one which I discovered in college: casual dating, exclusive dating, engagement, and marriage. It seemed eminently logical to me, once I started thinking things through instead of following what felt good.

I loved casual dating a lot. Hanging out with a girl with no commitment to future dates, just a chance to get to know a fellow human being, was a great experience to develop important marriage skills like friendship, communication, and listening. The girls I dated seemed to react to this in odd ways. One treated it like an interview and started firing questions. Another was almost mute as if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can only guess that they assumed I would try to get myself invited to their rooms or something. Dates ending at the door to the dorm are the best for personal growth. Friendships can develop and last beyond these dates.

Exclusive dating was awesome once it followed the previous step. It indicated an increasing commitment to one woman. In the past when I jumped right to this step, it was forced and fake, as if I were acting a part. Once it followed casual dating, the work of breaking off ties to casual dates further emphasized the commitment to one woman.

Engagement was the most confusing since there were certain traditions to follow for the proposal but nothing besides Pre-Cana and wedding planning beyond that day. Fortunately, I was bright enough to realize that I better make this future marriage work and devoured relationship books by Gary Smiley and John Grey. I wish I'd known about Dr. Popcak back then.

Marriage at the end of this chain was spectacular because I spent years committing myself to it. It was a culmination of practice, study, and ultimately sacrament, since the grace of the Lord flowed into me to further perfect my love so that I can make a better gift of myself to my bride.

Thanks for the support Dr. Popcak.

Featured Author

Ellen Hrkach has been interviewed at Time with Tannia and covers lots of my favorite topics: NFP, books, entrepreneurship, and marriage. Maybe one day she can guide me through writing a novel, especially if I keep buttering her up with free links and reviews and advertising...

Subsidiarity in Practice

I hope to dwell more on this topic as I consider small businesses, the economy, and Catholicism. Actually, I better read more about the topic before I open my yap. But here is a Sardonic Catholic Dad with less compunction.

Conveniently, here is the Curt Jester with some actual research on sudsidiarity. It is my sincere prayer that this idea be embraced by all members of society and we get back to doing the work that needs to be done, instead of buying the Homer Simpson campaign promise, "Can't someone else do it?"

Prime Reading

Book Review of Numbers Up by Kevin Clark


Impulse buying at the C.H.A.P.L.E.T. homeschooling conference led me to buy this novel which is clearly a Catholic response to the work of the infamous Dan Brown. The murder victim even wrote the name "DAN" in his own blood, instead of writing an intricate serious of impossible clues like in The DaVinci code. The two victims characterize the difference between the books. Numbers Up is straightforward, plausible, and concise whereas The DaVinci Code is obtuse, incredulous and verbose. Following the detective work of Paul Ondracek, into the murder of a famous mathematician, was a thrilling yet all to brief adventure involving many of the intellectual challenges of the modern era. At the end, I only wished for another hundred pages.

On the other side of the tomb

Lent was especially beneficial and a rather easy spiritual practice this year. I toned my Lenten practices down this year, to the dismay of my more dedicated friends, because I wanted to actually carry them through the entire Lenten season and make a gift of myself to the Lord instead of failing miserably after two weeks. It was very rewarding and humbling to pass on my small gift to the Lord whereas my past failures are only humbling. Perhaps I haven't learned the humility lesson yet, as I blog about my exploits, but it was a great gift from God to learn a different lesson for a change even if it ultimately turned out to be a painful one.

The lesson this time around was, "Easy Lent, hard Easter". The Octave of Easter was exceedingly difficult because joy would not come. My job was torturous, life was hectic, my civil leaders were ignorant if not downright malicious and I was a regular Mr. Grumpypants. My understanding of joy has deepened to the realization that joy should be present at all times. No matter if the situation is a happy one or a sad one, whether it is a beautiful Vigil Mass at my parish or watching the government destroy the future of my children and grandchildren, joy should be lived because the Lord of All has conquered death and He welcomes us into His eternal abode.

Working on an Easter post...

Until then, read my humble Magyar.

Rejoice, He is Risen!

What a blessed Triduum! We made it to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. I'm lovin' our parish even if the liturgies still couldn't adhere to all of the rubrics (Is it so hard to find 12 men to get their feet washed?). Due to our participation as teachers in RCIA, I had a small connection to the newly baptized and confirmed. The reborn always fill me with hope and give me a chance to repeatedly quote Chesterton. "Here comes everybody."

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Perfect Weather

Stunningly, the weather forecast was correct and it is a rainy, dreary Holy Saturday. Fortunately, I think that is the best way to commemorate this day in the tomb with Christ. I had a moderately successful Lent, although I picked rather small sacrifices; I gained more spiritual insight than the Lents where I tried to do everything. I believe I offered Christ the best I could and it was humbling to realize how little I can offer. I know the Lord appreciates any gifts, just like I appreciate my girls' clearing of the dinner table, no matter how much of their drinks they spill on the way into the kitchen.

My weather forecast for tomorrow....Sonrise! (rimshot)

I know, its a terrible joke but who can resist?

No Pics here!

The Joy of Catholicism
A book review of "Holy Sex - A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing Infallible Loving"
by Dr. Gregory Popcak

I was intensely curious about this book, not only because of the edgy title, but because of a sincere desire to help devoted Catholics have excellent marital relations. Dr. Popcak covers the subject well, answering most reasonable questions and concerns about moral, marital intimacy along with some outliers. He gives a few examples of conflicts and how they can influence a couple's attitudes and feelings in regard to the most intimate aspect of their relationship. That is when the book is at its best, sharing real stories of practicing Catholics. The "Catechism" side, if you will. Unfortunately, the "Joy of Sex" side is a bit too explicit for my taste, though I imagine it is vastly more modest than anything in the Relationship section of my local Barnes & Noble. For a difficult subject, Dr. Popcak did a good job but this still isn't quite the book I was hoping to find. However, I gained enough valuable insight to have no doubt that his next book will make it to my shelf.