Showing Up - 1/31/2026

Father Olds said something to me on the phone a couple of weeks ago that turned the little light bulb in my brain on. Something short and sweet this morning... maybe. Unless, as I am wont to do, I blather on too much. I'll try not to.

I told him I was working hard on my prayer life, trying to deepen my spiritual connection to God. I listed all the ways I'm praying.

• I pray either the morning or bedtime prayers in the little Magnificat magazine most days. Sometimes both.
• If I don't do the formal bedtime prayers from Magnificat, I'll often do a simple Our Father, Hail Mary, and an Act of Contrition. 
• I read the Bible almost daily, 3-4 days per week. I'm using the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible and I'm reading all the notes that go along with my daily readings.
• I read from the Catechism 3-4 days per week, too.
• I read various inspired books. I have a pretty good collection building up. Right now I'm reading The Eucharist by Lawrence Feingold. It's probably way above my level, but I'm getting through it.
• I sometimes listen to the Daily Exegesis on the Hallow App, especially while driving around town.
• I pray the Rosary once a week, usually on Friday.
• I'm learning the Rosary in Italian, too. I'm not sure if that quite counts, but I'm doing it.
• Of course I go to Mass every Sunday. I'm even going on other Holy Days of obligation, something I've never before put into practice. I try to be fully present and spiritually available to God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit while I am there. On Sundays I exempt myself from other prayer activities. I may or may not do some, but I treat it as my obligations for the day having been fully met.

All told, I spend at least an hour a day. It's a lot. I know. It may not be sustainable for me, but I am not going to waste this fire burning in me while it's glowing and bright. What am I yearning for? An apparently difficult to meet moment of deep spiritual connection to my God and Savior. I pray that my mind, heart, and soul will be open and transparent to Him, and that I might be a better person in all aspects of my life as a disciple. I confess, it sometimes it can feel like a lot of squeeze for little juice.

Father Steven said two things addressing my desire for a deeper faith and spiritual connection that were as profound as the were simple: "Give yourself credit for showing up," and "Don't beat yourself up if there are days you can't do all that."

I've given it a lot of thought, at the same time I've continued in my efforts. I realize that while we're here in this world, faith and Christian religious practice are a journey, not a destination. I'm on the right path, but the destination is in an afterlife I can't see or experience while I still live this earthly life. If I am going to have some deeply meaningful spiritual experience or event, it will happen of it's own accord in His was and at His time. All I can do is remain available to Him.

Jesus and St Peter on the Sea of Galilee

I read a story, maybe 25 or so years ago, in a Catholic magazine. I don't remember which one. A woman wrote about her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I think it was something like a 10-day trip, and she and her travel mates hit up all the must-see spots in a Holy Land trip: the Holy Sepulchre, the whole 9 yards. She said she had expected some grand and profound spiritual experience, but everywhere they went felt touristy, hustle, bustle, commercial, and spiritually disappointing. She had written the trip off as a disappointment.

On the last night, the group took an evening boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. You know, where Jesus walked on the water and all that. The boat sailed out from the shore, and got a fair distance out, far enough to make the shore lights look distant and to be clear of all the noises of civilization. The boat tour guide talked about the various biblical events that took place on or at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Then he offered a few minutes for individual reflection, asking people to please be quiet and prayerful until he turned the lights back on, and he turned off the lights.

There, water from Galilee lapping the side of the boat, away from shore, on her last night in the Holy Land, she felt an overwhelming and beautiful sense of God's presence. She said it was profound and powerful. Her emotions welled, and she felt tears rolling down both cheeks. This was it, the moment she was chasing. Motionless on a boat, no longer chasing, it found her. When the lights came on, she could see that everyone else had been crying, too. She kept "showing up", and when she least expected it, was rewarded beautifully and mightily.

I may not be in the Holy Land, but, like that woman, I'm trying. I really am. And I'm proud of myself for showing up. All this effort is making a difference for me at Mass. I get further and further away from something I'd call going through the motions, and more and more to meaningful and full participation: fully present, engaged, and available to God, bearing in mind that while He is my God, my Lord and Savior, He isn't "mine", I am his. He'll touch me if, how, and when He wants to. That's good enough for me.

Why I'm Still a Catholic - 1/26/2026

This morning, I'd like to share, in the simplest way I can, why I'm still a Catholic. Why am I back to this church, and not some other? Aren't there hundreds of other choices?

I'm not going to use this post to make an argument or tally all the Church's merits and demerits. Let someone else do that. This isn't a scripture vs. tradition post. It's not a faith vs. works argument. It's not to address prayer to Mary or the Saints. None of that. For me, there is one, unavoidable reason I'm here and can't be somewhere else. If you do not share this belief with me, I do believe you CAN, and if you're reading this, very likely that you WILL enjoy the fruits of Jesus' messianic, salvific work. Yes, you can and will get to Heaven without it, but I can't and won't live here on Earth without it. Without what?

The Eucharist.

So Jesus said to them: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." Jn 6:53

Is it a hard saying, one that challenges our human sensibilities? Sure. After His Bread of Life Discourse, some murmured and walked away. Jesus challenged the Apostles, why not join them? St. Peter answered, paraphrasing, "But where else can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life." So, when Jesus tells us, in His own words, that the bread and wine really become His Body and His Blood, I take Him at His word. Period.

In the 3 Synoptic Gospels and one of St. Paul's Epistles, too, Jesus' words command us to partake of it. He commissions the Apostles to go out and "Do this in memory of Me."

"Do this in memory of Me." - The command is repeated in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and also in St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians.

I recognize many good, stalwart Christians, persons of deep faith, do not share my understanding of and belief in the Eucharist as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I read Jesus' explanation in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, and I believe Him. That's it. I don't know of too many other specific commands Jesus gave us that warrant a beautiful and compelling explanation like the one He gives us in John, and which also warrant the command to partake of it being repeated in 4 different books of the Bible. Even the Lord's Prayer, which all Christians share, is in two books.

So, that's the answer. Why am I (still) Catholic? The Eucharist. It's real. I believe it. Who told me it is real? Jesus. I will not murmur and walk away from it. It is a centerpiece and focal point of my faith as put into practice. It is why, more than anything else, I will try my best not to miss Mass. Even if my Sunday is blessed to enjoy a beautiful service and beautiful preaching in your church with you on a given Sunday, I will find time and a way to get to Mass on that day, in obedience to the command of my Lord and my God, Jesus. It's that important to me.

Have a great day, friends. May God bless you all.

An Intersecion and Some Synergy - 1/21/2026

My Great Adventure Bible and family heirloom Rosary. The mini Pieta alongside was a gift from my grandparents to my parents after my "nonni" visited Italy in the 60's.

I pray every day, and as a part of my prayer life, I pray the Rosary at least once a week.

I found this stock image online. Is the Italian language easy to learn? It's not impossible, but easy isn't a word that comes to mind to describe the learning.

I also study Italian every day. Mostly I listen to podcasts and watch YouTube lessons and videos, but I also read, study grammar and vocabulary, and practice talking and writing. It's become a bit of a challenge. How much can I learn? How much can I improve?

So, one thing I've done is I've started practicing the Rosary in Italian... o, il rosario in italiano. There is a synergy. But, in a way, it feels a little like prayer, and a little like studying Italian, but not a lot like either of the two. Just for fun, tell me what you think:

Is it praying the Rosary?

Is it studying Italian?

Is it neither?

Is it both?

Help me out. Which do I mark completed on my "to-do list"?

 

Away From Toxicity, I Turn to Jesus - 1/19/2026

10 days ago I abandoned all political commentary on Facebook. I had been struggling with the negativity and toxicity of it, and how it impacted my life: lost friendships, estrangement and strained relationships, and a loss of my own inner peace. I still care deeply about my country, and remain quite aware, critical of actions and words from both sides.

 

Within a couple of days preceding that day, I think specifically it was January 9th, I had been blocked on "X" by a Mets fan because I made a fairly innocuous comment NOT in support of New York's new Mayor, and nearly simultaneously a woman in Kentucky also blocked me because I responded reasonably and fairly, at least I think it was fair, critical of President Trump. She, like the Mets fan, found my difference of opinion intolerable. How many former friends have turned away from me because they find my opinions intolerable? Way more than a few.

 

I reflected on things. I recalled things friends and relatives said to me on here, some publicly, some privately, that have hurt me deeply. Shit, I've been ghosted by more people than a New Orleans cemetery. I made a commitment to myself a long, long time ago, that I simply will not argue to try to convince someone, anyone, that while I'm conservative, I'm not a racist. That's where the last of the lefties who were still engaging me here were at, even if expressed in explanatory rather than accusatory language.

 

While I was rolling what I've expressed in the preceding paragraphs around in my mind, I was talking to a good friend whose online content had made a significant change in terms of content and tone. Unprompted, he told me the toxicity of his political posts and the world within which they swirl was destroying him from the inside out. Taking a cue from him, right then and there, I decided to change the content and tone of my Facebook page. That evening I spent a few hours archiving and deleting posts. I got as far back to just prior to the 2024 Election and then I ran out of steam. It was a lot. Too much. I don't know if anyone can see that stuff anymore.

 

At the time, as you know if you're reading this, I was already rolling headlong down the highway of my reversion of Catholic faith journey, which had begun on September 7th. I made the conscious decision, in lieu of political commentary, to instead let my Christian faith and faith journey be known. It seems more positive, meaningful, and in these turbulent times, more helpful. The fires of our times don't need any more fuel from me. Instead I'll let the fire of my faith burn in plain view. Yes, my faith is on fire, burning for my Lord and Savior, Jesus. If the fires of my faith can become kindling for just one other person, then the change I've made on here is well, well worth it. Don't you agree?

 

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Have a great day, friends. God bless us all. We surely need it.

My Bible and Me - 1/16/2026

My Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

I love my Iganatius Catholic Study Bible. It took a team of biblical scholars, led by the great Dr. Scott Hahn 26 years to complete this masterpiece. We Catholics, we don't get a whole lot of credit for studying or reading the Bible. In a way, I'd have to say, "Rightly so." On the other hand, truth be told, the Bible, aka "The Holy Bible" is at the root of Catholic prayer and life, and most especially, the Catholic Liturgy. Not only is there an Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel reading every Sunday, but many other prayers and passages in the Liturgy are straight from the Bible. But, I digress. This blog piece is about the Bible and me. Me? I love the Bible. I think I have six Bibles. But, of all of them, my Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is my favorite.

In Catholicism there's an ancient tradition called lectio divina. Lectio divina is a contemplative and meditative use of scripture as prayer. It's not an in depth study or analysis of scripture, but more a sitting with it contemplatively with one's heart, mind, and soul open. Maybe I'll get there, but I guess I'm too impatient, too interested, and too curious to know and understand to sit with scripture meditatively. Maybe I'll get there, but right now I'm too thirsty.

My Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is as if tailor made for me. It feeds my thirst for knowledge and understanding. Every page, or nearly so, is full of footnotes and references, explanations and definitions. All of it designed to help me understand how various Bible passages inter-relate, how the Old Testament foreshadows the New, how the New Testament fulfills the prophesies and promises of the Old. It explains how these things define my faith and my church, and brings me the kind of understanding that for me gives my faith meaning. 

Every page of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is full of explanations and notes. One of these pages is 2/3 notes, the other closer to 3/4 notes. All the scripture is there, plus all these notes, fertilizer for the garden of my faith.

My goal is to read one Bible chapter per day, three days per week. I will usually do more. I'm an over-achiever, I guess. By plan I alternate: studying a chapter from the Bible one day and the Catechism the next (which of course often leads me back into the Bible in it's own way). On Sundays I go to Mass.

Maybe some of what I'm about to say is scandalous or blasphemous, but here goes. I mean neither of those things. What I love most about the Bible, sacred scripture, is New Testament, specifically the Gospels, and of the Gospels, I love St. John's Gospel most. Is that wrong? Does it disrespect the other Gospels? Does it disrespect the Epistles? Old Testament? I think not. I hope not.

Right now I'm reading the Gospel of St. Matthew. It seems like a good place for a guy named Matthew to start. I'm planning to read the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in order as published, a chapter a day, 3 days a week, including all the wonderful notes this Bible gives me. I'm not sure if I'll do the Epistles, Old Testament, or the Book of Revelation next. I've got plenty of time to decide. Don't get me wrong, I'm reading other Bible passages. I often read the daily Mass readings. And sometimes when I am reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which is a beautiful articulation of my Christian faith, one I'd recommend to Christians of all denominations, despite what I know will be some disagreement), I often read the Bible references cited within it.

Speaking of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, vis-a-vis Bible references, I know I'm touting my Ignatius Bible, but I love the way my Great Adventure Bible, by Ascension Press, references the Catechism. Ascension has a Great Adventure Catechism, and the Bible and Catechism point at each other with references, in effect showing the direct connection, correlation, and interdependence between Catholicism and the Bible. What my Great Adventure Bible has that the Ignatius doesn't, is room for notes. I have a note-taking version. As far as making study notes and highlighting, I'm doing that in the Great Adventure Bible.

My Great Adventure Note Taking Bible is single column and has room for my notes on the sides.

Another thing I admit I prefer in the Great Adventure version, and I know some people don't like this, but I do, is that the words of Jesus are in red. If I like the New Testament more than Old, and the Gospels more then the rest of the New, and St. John more then the others, what I like most of all are the words of Jesus the Christ, my Savior, out Savior. Is that blasphemy? I hope not.

 

Am I more saved than anyone else because I've found myself so passionate about scripture in pursuit of my faith? No, I don't think so.

 

Are people who know the Bible better than me more saved than I am because of that knowledge? I don't think so.

 

Can someone be saved without a burning passion for scripture? Absolutely.

 

This is my path. I don't claim it's better than anyone else's. I don't claim to be a biblical scholar or teacher. What I am is a man. A sinner. I've turned to Jesus and the path I'm taking is multi-faceted. If my Church is my roadmap, the Bible is my compass. It points to true north... to truth.

 

Have a great day, friends. God bless.  

 

My New Blog, Blogging About My Journey of Faith - 1/14/2026

Good afternoon, friends.

Same old me. New blog. I don't know where it's going, but I know what it's about. It's about me, and my faith. 

What is my faith? 

That there is a triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That the Son is Jesus, who is Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior. That this Jesus is the Christ, God become man, and that He walked and lived among us, and ultimately, died for our sins, thus creating a path to salvation for all people. That the Bible is the word of God. That the same Jesus is His Word made flesh, and in flesh the same as ours He dwelt among us. That even though He was killed, He conquered death on the third day. He ascended into Heaven. That He will come again to judge the living and the dead. That His Kingdom will have no end. That Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Things I may write about here:

Prayer life and prayers.

Bible reading and study. Just because I'm Catholic doesn't mean I don't read it and love it.

The Catholic Church, to which I proudly belong.

Sacramental life.

The Catholic Liturgical Year and the Liturgical Cycle of Bible readings. 

Books I read or want to read.

YouTube or other videos I like to watch, podcasts I listen to and enjoy.

Mass or church on any given day.

The Pope, or a Priest, a Saint, or an inspiring lay person, etc. 

Beautiful Catholic churches and cathedrals I've been to, go to, or would like to go to. 

What I don't want here:

Argument or debate about Catholicism. I'm not into apologetics, frankly, arguing whose brand of Christianity is better, worse, right, or wrong might turn off some person who otherwise might consider turning their life to Christ. Please focus on what we've got in common.

Unsolicited spiritual advice or guidance. If I want advice, input, or guidance here, I will ask for it. If I haven't asked for it, I appreciate your helpfulness.

I made an e-mail for this channel: myfaithjourney4@gmail.com. I don't know what it's for or if you'll use it. 

Before I sign off...  

I am a cradle Catholic. That means my spiritual formation started when I was a child. I learned to pray in Catholic school. I learned the Mass as an Altar Boy for several years. I went to a Catholic High School, too. Through all those years I participated in Sacraments, prayed with priests and nuns, studied whatever religion or catechism it was that we studied.

For a time as an adult, about 25 or so years ago maybe, I became very passionate about my faith. I studied the Catechism, read the Bible, went to Mass, the whole nine yards. During that time, Jesus appeared to me. We were at Mass at Mother of Good Council in Louisville, and the Priest was reading from the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6. The priest disappeared from my view, and Jesus Himself recited the passage on the Bread of Life, all the while looking at me. Unsurprisingly, the Bread of Life Discourse is my favorite biblical passage.

I did, after some time, fall out of practice. There was no time, none, not a second, when I didn't believe, or when I didn't think I was Catholic or a Christian anymore. I just got lazy. I still said my basic prayers now and again. Not as often as I ought to have, but there were Hail Marys and Our Fathers, even Acts of Contrition. But there was no Mass, no sacramental life, not Bible study and stuff like that.

But that's all changed now. On Sep 7, 2025, I was watching YouTube, and a suggested video popped up. It was on a channel called "The Theology of Conversion" by a Justine Donahue. The video was "The moment I knew I had to become Catholic." I listened to her 18 minute testimony, and the Holy Spirit rose up within me, my soul awake and hungry for my faith.

Make no mistake, I'm a sinner. I am not here claiming some holier than thou status of spiritual righteousness and perfection. Far from it. I'm imperfect and I know it. I am a work in progress.

So... here I am. Your positive and constructive comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

Have a blessed day. May we all be increased in faith, hope, and charity. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.