Catholics and the Bible - 10/10/2026

Good morning, friends. This morning, I was thinking about what to blog. Because of some disappointing interactions with Protestants I've either had or simply come across, I want to talk about Catholics and the Bible. For today, let's talk about me and the Bible, and then we'll talk about my Church and the Bible. The objections, paraphrasing: "Catholics don't read the Bible," "Catholics don't read the Bible right," "Nobody can read the Bible and be Catholic," and finally, "Even Catholics who do read the Bible, they're like the Pharisees. They knew scripture, too, and look what they did!" Those comments, candidly, they hurt my heart. Let's set them aside. I won't even come back to them.

My Great Adventure, Ignatius, and Word on Fire Bibles.

I love my Bibles. I really do. My collection keeps growing and growing. There's no end in sight. My three favorites are first: the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The brainchild of Dr. Scott Hahn, a former Presbyterian minister, this Bible, the product of 25 years of work, gives verse-by-verse understanding of the theology and meaning of Sacred Scripture. I highly recommend this Bible to anyone who wants a deeper and Catholic understanding of Sacred Scripture.

Next has to be the Ascension Press Great Adventure Bible. I have the Note Taking Edition, but it comes in several editions, even in a beautiful tan leather premium edition that is definitely on my wish list. The Great Adventure Bible is the one that Father Mike uses in his Bible in a Year podcasts and YouTubes. The work of Jeff Cavins, a Catholic who became a Protestant non-denominational pastor before his studies of the early Church and the Eucharist brought him home to the Catholic Church, this Bible helps us to put the various books of the Bible into context: where each fits into the timeline of salvation history.

And lastly (not the last of my Bibles, just the last of my favorite three), is the Word on Fire Bible, the work of Bishop Robert Barron. This Bible is actually published in a seven-volume set, only the first five of which are available now. I wrote about this one recently. I love the devotional essays interspersed throughout: from Early Church Fathers, Popes, classic writers like Chesterton, etc., and of course, Bishop Barron himself.

I can't recommend these Bibles enough. I love them. I use them all the time. Every day. Get one, and draw closer to Jesus through Sacred Scripture.

As some of you will know, I'm working with a few good friends on a study of the Gospel According to St. John. The whole process of preparing each week for our discussion, and then having the discussion, it's a sheer joy. I feel myself drawing closer to Jesus in a richer and more beautiful way than ever before. But there is another, less expected but even more beautiful side effect of the study. My faith experience at Mass is blooming with a beautiful richness and depth of meaning, unlike ever before. I feel this incredible sense of connection to the Mass, not just to the Bible readings from the Lectionary, but to the entirety of it. So many of the prayers, from opening to closing, are drawn from or adapted from scripture, and the better one knows the Bible, the more they can't help but recognize the biblical foundation upon which the Mass rests.

That brings me to what we call the Lectionary. The Catholic Church has prescribed the readings to be used for Mass, in the first half, which we call "The Liturgy of the Word." Mass is celebrated daily, and to accommodate the magnitude of the Bible, the Lectionary lays things out in two cycles: for weekday Masses, Monday to Saturday, there are Old Testament, Psalms, Epistles, and of course Gospel readings specified for each day, in a two-year cycle. (Note that in the two-year cycle, the Lectionary prescribes the same Gospel reading for both cycles; only the other readings change year to year). Year One, Year Two, and for the third year, back to the Year One readings again, etc. Each daily Mass, generally speaking, has two readings, one of which is always the Gospel, and a Psalm. Sunday Masses follow a three-year cycle, Cycles A, B, and C. On the fourth year, you guessed it, the cycle starts all over again. Here's my Roman Missal, which lays out all the readings for both the weekday and Sunday readings.

I opened my Roman Missal to today's readings, which are from Galatians, Psalm 105, and Luke.

Drawing the readings from the Missal can be a bit challenging for some. "What week is this in the Liturgical Year? What Cycle are we on?" In the US, I've found two devotionals that I like. The first, and very popular, is Magnificat. I've switched to Give Us This Day, which I like just a little better, but I do like both. It makes it easy to know what the readings are each day. They both also have additional readings, prayers, reflections, and inspiring stories of saints and other important spiritual people. I recommend either:

Magnificat and Give Us This Day

Give Us This Day, opened to October 10, Saturday.

It may be that some of you are uncomfortable with this next little thing I'm about to say. Please take it for what it's worth. If I am asked, "Do you believe in the Bible?" I'm not sure how to answer. Believing "in the Bible" seems to connote the Bible itself as deity, semantically, at least. I believe in God, the Trinity: God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's who I believe in. The Bible? It is God's Holy Word. I believe it to be true and foundational bedrock to my faith in God. I believe the Bible because it is His Word, and in Him do I believe.

Have I mentioned, I love the Bible?

Have a great rest of your weekend, friends.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bible Reading, Bible Study: My Happy Place - 10/3/2026

Close Encounters of the Spiritual Kind

Why study the Bible?

For starters, you don't need to have or be seeking a college or post-graduate degree in Bible studies to benefit from Sacred Scripture. I could say there's a full range of options open to you if you want to get into the Bible. But why?

Because it is an encounter with God, Jesus, our Savior. Simple as that.

The Bible is meant to be read. I guess there are four ways to read the Bible:

1. By yourself, just engaging Sacred Scripture privately and, hopefully, prayerfully. It's not even study, it's reading. By reading, a door can open for you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is, and that can lead to deeper faith. He will grow in your heart; the more time you spend, the more profoundly you can feel it. If you read no further, I recommend everyone find a few minutes every day to encounter Jesus in the Gospels. If I were to recommend in what order to read them, there's no wrong order. But read Luke first. If you've never read the Gospels before, the Nativity narrative is at once compelling and, in a sense, romantic. What a beautiful story of God's birth, as Baby Jesus, into the humanity He created. Then I'd read Matthew, Mark, and John, in that order. The next ten people might tell you to read in some other order. They're not wrong.
2. Join a small group that reads the Bible together. A lot of churches have Bible groups. Engaging Sacred Scripture was meant to be a communal experience. Before the Bible was written, the Gospel, the Good News, was shared orally in groups. Sharing the Gospel with like-minded friends and family can be an extremely meaningful chance to deepen your faith and love of Jesus.
3. Attend worship at your church of choice. For me, that means the Catholic Mass, which on Sundays features an Old Testament reading, a Psalm recited or sung aloud, a reading from a New Testament Epistle, and a Gospel reading. Where you go, it may be something different. If where you go there is no Gospel or Bible reading, you're probably in the wrong place to act on my advice. The Bible is God's Word, and coming together as a congregation to hear it read aloud and commented on is a meaningful and special part of Christian worship.
4. Study the Bible. Learn deeper meanings. Become thirsty, as I have become. My thirst feels at times unquenchable. Give me more: deeper meaning, better understanding of how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament, and how lessons of the Bible apply to life in 2026, differently, but exactly the same as in the first and second centuries.

I remember at one time I compiled a list of the five record albums I'd take with me if I were to spend the rest of my life in some faraway, solitary place. That is a different story. But if the question was "What four books of the Bible would you take if they were the only books you'd have the rest of your life?" I'd bring the Gospel According to St. John, the Gospel According to St. Matthew, the Old Testament Book of (the Prophet) Isaiah, and St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. If you're thinking you only want to read a few books to get started, I think I just gave you my recommendations. Those next ten people will give you ten different lists. This is just mine.

Oh, if you don't have a Bible, get one. If you're Catholic, you might like to look for a Catholic edition. No matter who you are, get a Bible... and read it. Reading and studying Sacred Scripture has become my happy place, not to mention how it is bringing me closer to Jesus than I've ever been. The Mass comes alive for me in a way it never did before, too, as all the biblical references and passages used as part of the Mass scream out to me, "Here I am, remember learning and reading about me?" My response? "I hear you, Lord, I hear you, I remember!" What a joyful, happy place to be.

Have a great day, friends. May God bless you and keep you.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Word on Fire Bible, The Gospels - 9/25/2026

Good morning, dear friends. I've been absent from this space for a little while. I'm fully invested in my study of the Gospel According to St. John. My little study group has been superb to share our thoughts about John and our mutual, deep faith in Jesus Christ. I'm trying my best to really understand the Gospel, and doing so has kept me from this space, "busy". A blessed and worthwhile busy, but busy indeed.

As a side aspect of this journey, I confess I've gone a little "Bible crazy." I'm almost collecting them. Not quite, but almost. This morning, I'll share my thoughts on a beautiful premium product from Word on Fire, their volume on The Gospels:

The Gospels in Italian Leather

The cover art is interesting. Before visiting Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, I didn't know the evangelists were, in Catholic tradition, symbolized as: Man (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Ox (Luke), and Eagle (John). I can't say enough about the quality of the leather, binding, paper, and gold gilding. This is a gorgeous Bible. I appreciate the craftsmanship and effort that went into making this something special that I'm proud to have on my shelf, and something worth opening regularly to drink in God's Word and the beauty that is my Catholic, Christian faith.

The set will, when all is said and done, encompass seven volumes, as follows:

• Vol. I: The Gospels (the one I have, shown above)
• Vol. II: Acts, Letters and Revelation, completes the New Testament
• Vol. III: The Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy)
• Vol. IV: The Promised Land (Joshua to 2 Kings)
• Vol. V: Exile and Return (Chronicles to 2 Maccabees, including Tobit, Judith and Esther)

Not yet available:

• Vol. VI: The Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach), expected in 2027
• Vol. VII: The Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi), expected in 2028, which completes the set

Premium Bibles aren't cheap, and Word on Fire is no exception.

• Leather: $99.95 (about $80 on sale)
• Hardcover: $69.95 (about $56 on sale)
• Paperback: $49.95 (about $40 on sale)

Yeah, cha-ching! That's a lot of scratch. But one volume, it's doable. And if you're going to get just one, the Gospels is the way to go.

Before I get into content, I want to offer up a spoiler: We Catholics get a sometimes valid, sometimes bum rap on placement of the Bible in our spiritual universe. The Mass, Sacraments, and Catholic life are Bible-infused, kind of like that garlic-infused olive oil at the store. There's garlic there, you can taste it, no doubt. You can't see it, but you know it's there. I'm not advocating everyone go Bible crazy like I am right now, but I do advocate you find a Bible that meets your or your family's spiritual needs. Buy it, and now and then, find time to crack it open. Reading Scripture and scriptural reflections can become a beautiful part of your prayer life. Word on Fire, the Gospels, is a really good choice for some of you. There are cheaper options out there. Don't let this price tag be the reason there's no Bible around!

Word on Fire's Table of Contents

Word on Fire is a mix of the Sacred Scripture, Art, and Commentary: Scripture in the NRSV-CE translation, very readable. Christian art and reflections on each piece. Commentary from Bishop Barron (the man behind Word on Fire) and from saints, theologians, mystics and writers across the whole Christian tradition, from the Church Fathers to Sheen and Chesterton, along with book introductions and Hebrew and Greek word studies.

Here's a painting by Italian painter Duccio, completed in 1311, which depicts Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, inserted appropriately into Matthew Chapter 21.

This page is representative: Scripture (Matthew from Chapters 16 and 17), a related essay from G. K. Chesterton, and a homily from St. Ciprian of Carthage from the 3rd century.

What I've shown here is representative of the entirety of this volume. The essays stand alone as inspiration, education, and an opportunity for spiritual reflection and inspiration. The art, similarly, is at once interesting and inspiring, bringing God's Word to life.

I give this Bible 5 stars. At the end of the day, a Bible is a Bible. If you don't have one, get one. If you're not going to read the entire Bible, but want to feel closer to Jesus, this volume containing the Gospels, along with all the other content, may be for you, or maybe a gift for someone special in your life who you know loves Jesus, the Christ, our beloved Savior. Here's a link:

Word on Fire Bible from Word on Fire

Have a great day, friends. God bless.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Year of My Faith Journey, Renewal and Regrets - 9/4/2026

A couple of weeks ago, I told my Bible Study friends how much I regret falling away from being active in my faith. I was doing great, and then I fell away. I still feel guilty. Yes, I believe in full redemption from sin and that God is merciful. I still know that I disappointed Him. Can I make it go away? Probably not. But what I can do and what I am doing, is living each day in my faith making up for lost time, in a manner of speaking.

I was away for two decades. Two decades! Those aren't decades of the Rosary, they're decades of years. I did believe that whole time. I did pray, too. But let there be no doubt, I had allowed myself to separate from living as a disciple of Jesus. End of story, and thankfully, an end, too, to those years.

I am back!

I am back.

I am back, walking with Jesus.

I am back, I give glory to God the Father.

I am back, welcoming the Holy Spirit in my mind, soul, and words.

I am back, buried in His Holy Word.

I am back, practicing my faith in His Church.

I am back, with a fire of faith burning in me.

I am studying the Gospel According to St. John right now. John says he wrote his Gospel that we might believe. Funny, he waits till near the end to say it, but that's the reason he gives for writing his beautiful Gospel. "That you might believe," he says.

I believe!

I am back!

May God bless you and keep you.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Living Water - A Thread in John, Once You See It, It Can't Be Unseen! - 8/9/2-26

Hello friends! As I've written before, I'm studying the Gospel According to St. John right now. Last evening, as I was working in preparation for discussing the latter part of Chapter Three on into Chapter Four, the basis for this post gobsmacked me. The way John laid all this out, upon my realization, just knocked me over.

In Chapter One, in a section that my Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition subtitles: The Lamb of God, John the Baptist proclaims (verses 32-34), "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God."

Obviously, John the Baptist's proclamation that "This is the Son of God" is the big attention-getter, but immediately preceding, take note of the fact that John the Baptist is differentiating between how he baptizes, with water, and how Jesus will: with the Holy Spirit. Things are changing. The arrival of Jesus is changing them in permanent and beautiful ways.

Note: As a general rule, I try to italicize biblical text and use italicized red for words of Jesus. Sometimes I may forget, but that's how I try to do it.

The following, Chapter Two (verses 1-11), describes Jesus's first miracle, which in the Gospel According to St. John is referred to as 'a sign'. Jesus takes six large jars, jars used for the Jewish Rite of Purification, not exactly nice drinking water, and converts the ritual water into the finest wine. "Fill the jars with water," Jesus instructs the workers.

Chapter Three begins with a beautiful discourse between Jesus and a Jewish leader named Nicodemus. In verse 5 Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This is the third chapter in a row that water is prominent and has significant meaning as we learn about salvation and what would become a new covenant established by Jesus.

Chapter Four opens with the discussion between Jesus and a woman of Samaria at a well. The woman is there to draw water, obviously an important task at a time long before running water existed, and in a place as dry and arid as the Middle East is. Jesus asks her to (verse 7), "Give me a drink." This, considering the differences between Jews and Samaritans at the time, was quite a thing.

The woman balks, questioning Jesus. His reply (verse 10), "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The exchange with Jesus continues, and he says (verses 13-14), "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." She's sold. She says to him (verse 15), "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Even though she doesn't fully realize who Jesus is yet, she wants it. She wants Jesus's water. 

The conversation with the woman at the well continues. When she comes to realize who she's speaking with, she leaves her jars behind, so important a short time before, now dropped, and runs to town to tell the others. It reminded me of Jesus's disciples, when they left their fishing nets behind to follow him. Is Jesus a high enough priority for us? Are we willing to drop our stuff to follow him or to tell someone else about him? Hmmm... I wonder.

This thread continues to grow in Chapter Five, as Jesus heals a paralytic. What always escaped me is the part about the pool where this took place. Near a place called Sheep's Gate there's a pool called Bethesda. And there, people with infirmities would go. The pool was isolated, and cut off from flowing water. When a valve from an adjacent pool was opened, water would flow from it into the first pool. That movement of water is called "living water." This, as opposed to stagnant or cut off water. The way I understand it, persons with infirmities would come beside the pool, and when living water rushed in, they'd rush to get into the pool, and in so doing, be purified, and hopefully cleansed. The man Jesus healed was too infirm to get up and into the water by himself, and lay there, helpless.

Jesus asks him, "Do you want to be healed?" The man explains he has no way to get into the water. Jesus heals him with but a few words: "Take up your pallet and walk."

What is the meaning of it all, then? John is building a case. The storyline in his gospel is beautifully structured. First, John the Baptist attests to the difference between his baptism and how Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The water for Jewish purification rites is transformed into fine wine by Jesus. Jesus teaches Nicodemus about the need to be born of water and the Spirit, and promises the woman at the well "living water," that she would never again thirst. Finally, in sight of whoever was there, Jesus heals a paralytic NOT by helping him into the pool for ritual cleansing, but rather, with just a few words, "Take up your pallet and walk."

I suppose we could say all this water talk in five chapters of the Gospel According to St. John is just a coincidence. I think we'd be wrong. Jesus changed the world and changed salvation history. His presence here is still a miracle hard for us to comprehend. Some might say the water is a metaphor for life-giving faith. Others, a reference and prelude to Baptism. Whichever way your pleasure tends, I hope Jesus's words will bring you home.

Am I the only one who found John, Chapters One through Five a ball of twine to unravel? Are we, or are we not, brave enough to trust Jesus with our infirmities and our uncleanliness? We all have troubles: whether our mundane work and life, theological doubts, sinfulness, or infirmities. We are imperfect. He is not. Are we willing to ask Him: "Lord Jesus, give me this water, that I may thirst no more." 

The Gospel of John, Verses in Chapters 1-4 to Touch Your Soul and Ignite a Burning Faith - 8/1/2026

My beautiful wife, Caroline, and I are in Dallas for a wedding. I didn’t think I’d have any time to make a post on this trip, but I have a short while, maybe a short one. My purpose or this post is to express my deepening devotion to Jesus. With each chapter and verse of John’s beautiful Gospel, I find myself more and more in love with Jesus. Not to be too presumptuous, but if these words help just one person consider Jesus, or to fall more deeply in faith and love with Him, then I’ll have succeeded.

When I studied the Gospel According to St. Matthew, one thing I did was to record specific verses that speak to my faith from the Gospel. This post will do the same, but this time from the Gospel According to St. John. I’m currently working on Chapter 5, so following are lines from Chapters 1-4. I’ll try to limit commentary to the reason or manner in which each touches me. Let them touch you in whatever way they touch you. The version of the Bible I’m using (from my awesome compact travel Bible!) is Revised standard Version (or RSV), a 1965/66 translation widely used by the Catholic Church in the USA.

Chapter 1:

Verse 14: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

The beauty and poetic tone of the prologue in John, Verses 1-18, can’t be overstated for believers. Read it, pray it, believe it. Here in verse 14, John captures three things to think about: Jesus is the Word, which means he is God. Jesus was real. John was an eyewitness to it, and says so when he says, “We have beheld His glory.” Then he declares Him: “The only Son of the Father.”

Verse 29, (John the Baptist declares): “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”

If you’ve been to a Catholic Mass, you’ve heard these words. After the Eucharist has been consecrated, the priest holds the host aloft and proclaims these words. If you’ve never taken time to do so, for me, when I contemplate these words from John the Baptist in a beautiful biblical context, hearing them at Mass takes on extraordinarily important meaning.

From Verses 38 and 39: “What do you seek?” “Come and see.”

Jesus’s first spoken words in John’s gospel are there for you and me and everyone who reads them. He asks, ‘What it is I seek?’ Spiritually I know I seek to be a better person in this life in every way, but especially in living life as a better disciple of Jesus. How can I find how? Jesus invites me to ‘Come and see.’ Jesus is inviting you, too. What do you seek? Bring it to Him, and see.

Chapter 2

Verse 5 (Mary, Our Blessed Virgin Mother, says): “Do whatever he tells you.”

These are Mary’s last words in the Gospel. I’m not here to expound on Marian theology, other than to say this: our prayers to Mary must be ultimately prayers to Jesus, our Savior. Think about the line in the Hail Mary: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners…” We ask for her not to solve our problems, but to advocate for us to Jesus through prayer. The simple, important words Mary speaks here ought to be for us, too: “Do whatever He tells you.”

Verse 19: “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.”

Jesus knew the agony of the fate For which He was destined. He also knew that on the third day He would rise again. He is risen, alleluia. He did it willingly for me and for you.

Chapter 3

Verse 16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

No single verse more clearly proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ than John 3:16 does. Jesus is the promise of eternal life. Read this line and pray it, often.

Chapter 4

Verses 10 and 14: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying too you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and He would have given you Living Water.”  “…but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst, the water that I shall give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

Are you thirsty for something more in your life? Bring your thirst in faith to Jesus. It can be a beautiful prayer:

“Lord I am thirsty for more. I humbly bring this thirst to you, Lord Jesus, a thirst for a more meaningful and richer life. Lord Jesus, I humbly ask of you in faith, please may I drink of your Living Water.”

Have a great day, friends. and may God richly bless you and those you love.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Inconvenient as Hell, Why I Came Back to the Catholic Church - 7/24/2026

As I've been telling people, I'm studying the Gospel According to St. John. I've talked a lot about how much I'm gaining from this. Today, I want to tell a little story. For context, let's begin with a passage from the Gospel:

Jn 1:35-39 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

There's some beauty there, but I want to hone in on one tiny little detail. Notice, right at the end of this passage, that John recalls the exact hour when he began following Jesus. "For it was about the tenth hour." That's 4 p.m. in our way of telling time. But to me, it's significant that John remembers exactly what time it was. That's where my story begins. I've told bits of my conversion, actually reversion, story before. This morning, I want to tell it again. Just as John remembers specifically what time it was, so do I. When something changes in our lives: the birth of a child, the moment we fell in love, got married, or lost a loved one, the time is sometimes, somehow imprinted on our memories indelibly.

Last September 8th, between 7 and 8 p.m., I was doing what I often do, watching YouTube. I'd gotten burned out on news, and lost interest in a lot of broadcast and cable type programming. Instead, I watch stuff. I watch reaction videos, getting a kick out of generations after my own discovering the music that owned my teen years. I watch cooking, camping, travel, Italian language, and other stuff I like. YouTube's algorithm populates my feed with other, related, and similar channels and videos. There is no explanation within the algorithm for what happened around 7:40. None at all. I'd never watched anything similar, not once.

Google's AI did this pic for me, should I call it: Holy Spirit shines on YouTube?

A video by a young woman, a woman named Justine Donahue, came on. She explained how and why she converted from an Evangelical Protestant to a Roman Catholic. Something in the first minute or so of her message had my attention, and I had no urge to hit the back button to find something else. Her story is a beautiful one. Her channel is called, Theology of Conversion. I'll link to it below. My wife, Caroline, came in from a women's group she meets with on Monday evenings a little after 8, right as the video was ending. I was sitting on the couch; I don't know that she could tell, but I was a changed man. At about 7:50 on Monday, September 8th, 2025, like St. John, I remember exactly what time it was — I was following my Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ, again. It's not as if an interest had been rekindled and I was thinking about it. No, it wasn't that at all. I was all the way back.

As a Catholic, I do believe that in Baptism, there is an indelible mark, a seal, imprinted on our souls. We are invisibly branded: "I belong to Jesus." It stays with us forever. Faith may wane or go away entirely. But that mark, it remains. I make no excuse for falling away. I fell away for the same reason that I suspect most do: living as a follower of Jesus and a practicing Catholic can be inconvenient. I was about to say 'inconvenient as hell,' then I thought better of it, but maybe 'inconvenient as hell' is the best way to describe it. Sin is easier, more fun, and living sinfully is an easy place to find friends. It was 7:50 on September 8th, and I was back. What to do next?

First, I told Caroline something had changed and I needed to get back to church. After 20 years of wandering in a spiritual desert, I'm sure that was quite something for her to hear. Caroline has a faith I admire. Every morning, she spends a significant amount of time in prayer. For years I've watched and silently wondered to myself, 'Why aren't I doing that?' So, in addition to the Theology of Conversion video, there was the love of my life, for years, modeling a prayerful existence right under my nose, every day a little nudge I could hardly feel, but one I know was, even if unintentionally, real.

One other little 'nudge' I ignored was at the Catholic funeral of my dear Marine Corps buddy, legendary navigator, Red Hollwedel. It didn't escape me, there grieving his loss in a pew, that I would be ushered out in a similar fashion. Would it be just a meaningless show, or would my body there be home, in the place it is supposed to be as it all ends? I didn't recognize it, but the Holy Spirit was calling me right then. At least I did finally get the message.

By Wednesday the 10th of September, I knew the Confession and Mass times at the 3 closest Catholic churches. By Sunday, I'd been to Confession, attended Mass, and received Holy Communion. I ordered a new Catholic Bible off of Amazon, and my prayer and spiritual life began to take shape.

It's important to say, before closing: I was always a believer in Jesus Christ. I was always a Catholic. I was just ignoring it. For laziness's sake? For sin's sake? Honestly, I confess, both. But faith was there inside me, patient... waiting.

It all came together, all at once, all because the YouTube algorithm inexplicably brought things to a head while I sat relaxing on my couch. Inexplicable? You know what, I know there is an explanation? You know and I know it. When the Holy Spirit called, I heard. I listened. I took action. I'm really committed. I won't fall away again if I can help it. Not if I can help it, nope. 

Has the Holy Spirit called you?

Did you hear?

Did you listen?

What are you doing or going to do about it?

Have a great day, friends. God bless.

Theology of Conversion: Justine Donahue

Deepening My Faith: Reflections on the Gospel of John and Encountering Jesus - 7/19/2026

An AI generated image of me, Bible studying. It even has the bald spot in the right place!

Our little Bible study is wonderful. Every day, as I study, cross-reference, and watch videos, I find myself living and breathing sacred scripture. The Gospel According to St. John has always been my favorite. There is a certain beauty, not just in the message. Of course, as a believing Catholic man, a Christian, I find it to be so. But there is also the delivery, the writing. John has a way with words. I've always known that. I've always felt that way. Earlier this year I studied The Gospel According to St. Matthew, then The Gospel According to St. Mark. Both studies increased my faith. There's a line in Mark, it's at 9:24. A father wants his son healed. Jesus tells him, "All things are possible for one who believes." The man replies in what can be a sincere prayer of desire for deepened faith, "Help my unbelief!" The Bible work is deepening my faith. It is helping to find whatever unbelief lives in me, and "helping it."

John is really a different book than the others, and it's clear to me how it's different. That's probably—no, not probably—that's why I like it more than the others. John's gospel was written last of the four. Whether it was written or passed on orally, I don't know what he had access to, but John knew what people had access to in the way of information about Jesus. He must have felt the story the other three told needed something more. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the other three let us get to know Jesus, about his ministry, and about his death and resurrection. John seems to want us to know Him better, and more, John wants us to fall in love with Jesus, and for those of us who love Jesus already, to fall more deeply in love with Him.

Every day I fall more deeply in love with Jesus. Every day I am more devoutly Christian and Catholic because of this time I'm spending in the Gospel According to St. John. St. John has helped my unbelief tremendously.

May I also take a moment and thank my Bible study friends. I am privileged to share this beautiful walk of faith, as we walk with John, with you. I am honored, tickled, and thankful. You bless me and I appreciate it.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you St. John. Thank you Bible study friends.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Approfondire la mia fede: Riflessioni sul Vangelo di Giovanni e l'incontro con Gesù - Versione italiana = 19/07/2026

Un'immagine di me generata dall'intelligenza artificiale, mentre studio la Bibbia. Ha persino la chierica al posto giusto!

Il nostro piccolo studio biblico è meraviglioso. Ogni giorno, mentre studio, faccio riferimenti incrociati e guardo video, mi ritrovo a vivere e respirare la Sacra Scrittura. Il Vangelo secondo San Giovanni è sempre stato il mio preferito. C'è una certa bellezza, non solo nel messaggio. Naturalmente, come uomo cattolico credente, un cristiano, lo trovo tale. Ma c'è anche l'esposizione, la scrittura. Giovanni ha un dono con le parole. L'ho sempre saputo. Mi sono sempre sentito così. All'inizio di quest'anno ho studiato il Vangelo secondo San Matteo, poi il Vangelo secondo San Marco. Entrambi gli studi hanno accresciuto la mia fede. C'è un versetto in Marco, si trova a 9:24. Un padre vuole che suo figlio sia guarito. Gesù gli dice: «Ogni cosa è possibile per chi crede». L'uomo risponde con quella che può essere una sincera preghiera di desiderio per una fede più profonda: «Aiuta la mia incredulità!» Il lavoro biblico sta approfondendo la mia fede. Mi sta aiutando a trovare qualunque incredulità viva in me, e ad "aiutarla".

Giovanni è davvero un libro diverso dagli altri, e mi è chiaro come sia diverso. È probabilmente — no, non probabilmente — è per questo che mi piace più degli altri. Il vangelo di Giovanni è stato scritto per ultimo tra i quattro. Se sia stato scritto o tramandato oralmente, non so a cosa avesse accesso, ma Giovanni sapeva a cosa le persone avessero accesso in termini di informazioni su Gesù. Deve aver sentito che la storia raccontata dagli altri tre avesse bisogno di qualcosa di più. Salirò su un ramo e dirò che gli altri tre ci permettono di conoscere Gesù, il suo ministero, e la sua morte e risurrezione. Giovanni sembra volere che Lo conosciamo meglio, e di più, Giovanni vuole che ci innamoriamo di Gesù, e per quelli di noi che già amano Gesù, che ci innamoriamo più profondamente di Lui.

Ogni giorno mi innamoro più profondamente di Gesù. Ogni giorno sono più devotamente cristiano e cattolico a causa di questo tempo che sto trascorrendo nel Vangelo secondo San Giovanni. San Giovanni ha aiutato enormemente la mia incredulità.

Posso anche prendermi un momento per ringraziare i miei amici dello studio biblico. Sono privilegiato di condividere questo bellissimo cammino di fede, mentre camminiamo con Giovanni, con voi. Sono onorato, lusingato e grato. Voi mi benedite e io vi apprezzo.

Grazie Gesù. Grazie San Giovanni. Grazie amici dello studio biblico.

Nel nome del Padre, e del Figlio, e dello Spirito Santo.

Amen.

Ho usato un traduttore digitale per aiutarmi con la traduzione.

My Prayers After Communion - 7/15/2026

I've got to tell you, since my spiritual renewal, my prayers have been all over the place. For the moment at least, I'm spending a lot of time in scripture. So much so that I'm not doing my Rosary or the Morning or Evening prayers from the Magnificat the way I had been. But, believe me, I'm praying.

I'm going to talk today about an important part of my prayer life: my prayers after I receive Holy Communion, aka the Eucharist. But first, two other things of note:

I love, love, love the Daily Gospel Exegesis Podcast. I discovered it on the Hallow app, but my listening has migrated to Apple Podcasts, where it is available for free. I generally just call it the Daily Exegesis, for short. An Australian fellow (bloke?) named Hayden, a layman, not a priest, each day breaks down verse by verse the Gospel reading used in the Catholic Mass. Today's reading, for example, is from Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 25-27. It is a beautiful prayer that Jesus offers the Father. Hayden explains it beautifully. Toward the end of the podcast each day, if there are any, he will go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and read related passages as a way to connect the reading to how the Catholic faith is put into practice. When you hear him, while you may disagree with the interpretation, it's hard to argue that Catholicism isn't biblical. Spoiler: it is.

This post is about prayer. The Daily Gospel Exegesis is sometimes 12 or 14 minutes, and occasionally it's 30 or so, depending on the Bible passage for a given day. Here's a link. I recommend it highly as a way to easily inject prayerful reflection and time into your busy day: while driving, walking, or doing the wash. By the way, Hayden's Australian accent and calming delivery will make listening a very pleasant part of your day.

Daily Gospel Exegesis 7/15/2026 

At nighttime, I'm sometimes using a 600-year-old book (young compared to the Bible!) called The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. Last night, in a section entitled "On Having Jesus for a Close Friend," he used a biblical example from the Gospel of John 11:28 as instructive: how being near to Jesus changed Mary Magdalene's entire mood in an instant. Having Jesus in my life is making a difference for me, too. I may not be Mary Magdalene, but I am, like her, a sinner. A sinner who found Jesus.

I will admit, not every reflection resonates, but those that do lead me into prayer again and again. I recommend it.

Sorry the picture didn't come out great. This edition is available on Amazon and is very readable. Other translations? Not as much.

To finish where I said I would, I want to talk about my Prayers After Communion. For Catholics, you know there is a beautiful, quiet, and prayerful moment after we receive the Holy Eucharist. Believing as we do that Jesus in John Chapter 6 instructed us literally, we believe we have just received Jesus: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This is an important and meaningful moment—a time, in Communion with Christ, for deep and personal prayer. So, what to pray about? A lot of us have prayer lists: people we pray for and about. I have one. This is NOT what I pray after Communion. After receiving the Eucharist, I come back to my pew, kneel, and pray like this:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus, please let this Communion bring me closer to you. Be in me, and leave your Holy Spirit with me after this Communion, that I might be the kind of follower I should. Lord, I belong to You and I know I ought to live in a way that pleases You, my Lord Jesus Christ.

My Lord, Jesus Christ, please make me a better Husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, Father-in-law, nephew, cousin, and uncle to all my family. Please make me a better person, Christian, and human being. Please help me to be better.

I ask these things in your name, Lord Jesus, as You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

That's how I pray after Communion. Yes, I ask for all the stuff everyone else does in my other prayers, but post-Communion for me is a moment of surrender—to acknowledge Him and to ask for help to be who it is I want and need to be to better please Him.

Have a great day, friends. May you all be richly blessed.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Blogger's Remiss and John, Chapter 1 revelations - 7/8/2026

I admit it. I haven't kept up with this blog very well. I committed to making a post at least once a week. Here it's been two weeks and two days. And I think this post may take a bit more than just today to get out to you. I own it. But, not to worry, it's not as if my spiritual journey has been on hold, it's just the blogging bit. So, for all who may perchance see this, I apologize. Here's what happened:

I probably found this more interesting than many of you might. I get that. This was a great piece to add to the puzzle that is My Faith Journey.

The blog started slipping from me first when I concentrated on finishing Brant Pitre's "Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist." I had started the book a week or two before, but about the time of my last post here, June 22, I found myself unable to put it down. You see, the interconnections between the Gospel and the Old Testament always more than spark ordinary interest in me. They fascinate me, I find them compelling, captivating. I will admit, some of his theories can border on esoterica, but in the big scheme of things, I came to understand many of the connections between the Old and New Testament in a richer and more meaningful way.

Then the little Bible Study group I had dreamed of hosting not only started to take shape, but it also became an appointment on my calendar with times, names, and a topic: The Gospel According to St. John. Proximity to our first meeting stoked my excitement. I found myself in John's Gospel for a week straight, and from multiple sources: my Ignatius Study Bible, my Great Adventure Note-Taking Bible, the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, and my brand new Bible, an English Standard Version: a Protestant Bible which has a translation very close to the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition I'd already become quite fond of. Our first meeting was yesterday, and it was, as first meetings go, everything I'd hoped for. Everyone involved is a devoted and amazing Christian, hearts alive with a fire for the gospel.

I really love learning from all the footnotes in my new ESV Study Bible. 

The Great Adventure Note Taking Bible lets me make notes in the margin for all the meaningful things I'm learning.

I've also found a treasure trove of information about the Gospel According to St. John on YouTube. There are a few that really stand out, and I want to cite them here.

First, there is a Father Tim Peters. Based on his channel on YouTube, he's been around a long time, but I'm just now discovering him. He's a pleasant speaker and clearly a subject matter expert. While his Catholicism comes through pretty clearly, I think even for Protestant friends, this is a great find. The episode he did on John, Chapter 1 is 57 minutes long. That'll give you an idea of the depth to which he goes to explain the meaning and point out the beauty of this, which in my opinion is the most beautiful of the four Gospels.

Screenshot from Father Tim Peters's YouTube video.

Father Tim Peters YouTube John Chapter 1 

Another discovery, new to me, but not new to this "space", for lack of a better way to say it, is a fellow named John Lennox. Lennox is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I read that he's a highly regarded and accomplished mathematician. If you ask me, he's a biblical scholar and Christian speaker and apologist. What a speaker! He's incredibly persuasive, instructive, inspirational, and on and on. Give him a listen sometime. I mean it.

John Lennox has three doctorates. Maybe diplomas don't make some people smart. John Lennox is that.

John Lennox 2014 Speaking About the Way, the Truth, and the Life 

One last cool little discovery. I had watched this cartoonish video, actually two videos, one for John, Chapters 1-12, and the other for Chapters 13-21. I think AI generated, but really good. In about 20 minutes, they give an overview of the Gospel According to John. These are really worth it if you want a meaningful but quick synopsis of what the Gospel According to John is all about.

John, Part 1 

John, Part 2 

But here's the cool part: this morning, I found the same exact videos... ta da! In Italian. I spent another 20 minutes and watched them anew, but this time all the narration and all the graphics in Italian. A beautiful crossroads of my two passions: the Gospel, and the Italian Language.

So, somewhere in all this is my excuse. I haven't spent any time on My Faith Journey for over two weeks. But, assuredly, it does NOT mean my faith journey has come to an end. Not hardly.

Have a great day, friends. God bless.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.