Stepping up the the Plate to Be a Better Brother

I write this coming back home for the first time after several months of mission.  The window on my plane flight home presents to me a cloudy sky lit ablaze by the waning sunset. It’s dramatic and theatrical, much like my writing tone.  Mission life has given me a unique opportunity to reflect upon and…

We’re Old Enough to Be Saints: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

I was sitting in the middle of the church when it happened. The priest came up to me, knelt next to the pew I was in, and asked “Are you familiar with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati?” To be honest, you could say I was “familiar” with him, but that was about it. I knew he…

Saving Yourself for Marriage: What’s the point?

What happens when the phrase “saving sex for marraige” is brought up? It is often followed by  an eye roll and the thought that it is an outdated idea that doesn’t make sense in today’s society, right?  Honestly it makes sense, because we are being told to say no to something that is so good…

What Do You Really Want?

I think it’s safe to say that we all have experienced a time where we desire something that maybe seems wrong, or twisted, or over-indulgent, and we find ourselves either suppressing those desires, or seeking them out in order to fill the hunger.  If this isn’t you, please call 1-800-i’m-not-a-human.  Seriously though!  Let’s look at…

Being Grounded in Being “From the Ground”

It is evident that in today’s Western culture, a sense of the true nature of the human person has been lost, one which maintains that inherent to the complete composition of man is his unity of body and soul (hylomorphism).  It seems that our culture has taken to heart the Cartesian theory of the dualistic…

Want To Be a Great Man? Be a Good One First

It’s no secret: men value greatness. We’ve been captivated since childhood about stories of outstanding men who achieved extraordinary feats and beat the odds. We feel inspired by their success stories; how they combined their talents with the force of will to fulfill their God-given potential. My favorite story of greatness since I was in…

8 Dating Tips for Guys and Girls

Ask someone what they think about dating, and you’ll likely get one of a few classic responses. Some are disillusioned and fed up with the whole thing, while some have eager questions and are ready to get into the game, still others may push it down altogether: “ain’t nobody got time for that!”  Dating isn’t…

Prayerful Practicals: How to Pray in Desolation or a “Dry Season”

As with anything in this life, the experience of prayer is an ebb and flow of consolation and extreme joy, desolation and darkness, or just general dryness and uncertainty. Prayer—“a surge of the heart” (Therese of Lisieux)—is a divine mystery of relationship with The Triune God. Of course, this can get confusing and complicated in…