Those Catholic Men

12/17/2024

Caleb's U-Turn

https://thosecatholicmen.com/articles/calebs-u-turn/

by Fr. Luke As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Do you ever wonder if any of the deserters came back? If so, the following tale might be of interest to you.   Howdy! My name is Caleb. You don’t know […]

05/04/2024

Wake Up!

I set the alarm late in order to sleep in, but my internal alarm harbors other intentions. I wake at the normal time but not in my normal, well-rested manner. Instead, I am panting from a dream of running across a church parking lot that is packed with cars. I’m frantically searching for my own [....

04/03/2024

Empty Stall

The filly arrived at my place in need of training. After four weeks, she was ready to return home as a gentle, respectful mount. When I called her owner to pick her up, he surprised me by asking if I’d like to keep her as my own. It had been a dry summer and I […]

03/29/2024

Hallowed Ground: A Reflection on the Life of Sister Dorothy Stang

The death of my sister calls me home to Ohio. The week of her funeral, I find myself driving down the country road to my brother’s farm, the one on which four generations of our family were raised. My mood is somber, but my spirit is buoyed by the faith that resides in the loam […]

03/06/2024

"Easy, now"

02/23/2024

Ash Wednesday

The voice of hospital receptionist sounded concerned. “His name is Angel.” She was calling to inform me that a family was requesting my presence at the bedside of a man who did not have long to live. It was Ash Wednesday. I was filling-in for a vacationing pastor, so I checked the Mass schedule,...

02/12/2024

Chiropractor Chapel

Two nuns occupy a corner of the waiting room. I take a seat near the door. To my right, an elderly woman pages through a copy of People magazine. On the sidewalk outside the window, a mother is giving instructions to three children. The oldest one, a boy, frowns and stomps his foot. Soon, they enter...

02/05/2024

Why Pray if We Can't Change God's Mind?

Having enthroned himself as a god, modern man struggles with the ideas of prayer. Why pray for something with a touch of uncertainty when I know that Amazon can get it to me in a few days anyway? I’m only slightly joking, but it is true that affluent and wealthy peoples have a harder time […]

01/23/2024

A Mower named "Tuff"

I cease yanking the pull cord on my push mower to catch my breath. Gas fumes waft in the air. “No, Tuff! Don’t kick the bucket today!” It is mid-November and the last time I’ll need to mow the lawn. “Just one pass, pal.” I glance at a swath of grass beyond the mole hills, then […]

01/17/2024

Timeless

The rector was out of town and I was asked to offer the Masses at the cathedral in his place. While vesting in the sacristy, I noticed a picture on the wall, a drawing of a young John the Baptist. It was striking. I studied it a moment, figuring it was a print of some […]

12/21/2023

Cell-Block Salvation

Cell-Block Salvation: A Prison Homily Some folks find answers in the Bible. That makes me jealous. When I open the Bible, I find more questions than answers. Today’s gospel passage provides a good example. When Jesus surprises his listeners by praising a dishonest thief, he’s called to task. In ...

12/13/2023

Portraits and Parables

Rita, my sister-in-law, resides in a nursing home. She can no longer converse and her days pass inside the embrace of a recliner. A blank stare occupies her face. Occasionally, a slight smile plays on her lips. Today, I gaze out the window in the silence of her presence, contemplating various scenes...