Prayer Tweaks - 6/22/2026

I'm 9 months into this resurgence of my Christian, Catholic faith. My faith walk in this time hasn't been a straight line, necessarily. I've made adjustments along the way, most recently setting aside my Catechism until I finish my study of the Gospel of St. Mark. When I finish, I plan to finish the Catechism, which I'm about 2/3 through. Mark has 16 chapters, and I'm presently on Chapter 15, so in about a week, plus or minus, I ought to be finished with it. I've talked on this blog before about my method, so I'll skip over it this morning, except to mention one little tweak I've made.

It's taken me a little while to embrace the New Catholic Bible translation.

I'm finding the New Catholic Bible to be very readable, it had words of Jesus in red, which I love, and the footnotes are different from those in my other translations.

Using the New Catholic Bible isn't changing the rest of my Bible study routine, it's just adding one extra reading of each chapter, and new notes for me to review.

Before I get away from it, here's my new prayer/Bible study routine:

My morning prayers will center on the day's mass readings from the Catholic Lectionary from either my Roman Missal or Magnificat. Usually I use Magnificat, but now and then it's nice to be into the Missal. Thus, I'll be reading the Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel readings specified for use at Mass daily. I'll follow the readings with one decade of the Rosary and my expression of gratitude (I need to work on this) and my petitions/intentions.

Daily readings are really easy to do using Magnificat. The Missal is more work, but for me, something beautiful about finding and doing my readings from it.

During the day, at some point, I'll do my formal Bible study, which is anywhere from 10 minutes to 1/2 an hour. I've written a lot about it before, and won't repeat it in this post.

My evening will include inspired reading of some sort. Right now I reading a Brant Pitre book, but this will change as I finish them. I'm doing this as a substitute for computer, phone, and iPad time, which ae adversely affecting my sleep.

My book du jour, a Brant Pitre.

And lastly, I'll conclude each ay with a short reading and meditation from Thomas À Kempis's famous The Imitation of Christ.

I had to buy a second copy of The Imitation of Christ. The first was totally Shakespearian. I found it impossible. The more friendly translation, right, is lovely.

This book is one of the most widely used books in all of Catholicism, worldwide, after the Bible itself. It becomes a sort of examination of conscience, an excellent way to conclude my day.

Is it a lot? Yes, I know it is. I find myself thirsty for more. This is full immersion. It's probably not right for most, if any of you. Maybe one little piece is, though. If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Have a great day, friends.

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

SSPX? - 6/19/2026

Shame on me, I didn't know what SSPX was. I'd started seeing a bunch of fuss about something called SSPX, so I did a little digging. I recognize what I'm about to say will rankle some readers. I'll preface by saying, I only know what I've been able to learn in a couple of days. I'm not a Church historian, scholar, or official. I'm just a guy.

SSPX stands for the Society of Saint Pius X. I did know of a group of Catholics who want a return to the Latin Mass. But I guess there's more to it than this. I am not going to dissect it or debate it; this is just my reaction to what I've learned. In addition to a return to the Latin Mass, this group rejects other aspects of Vatican II, especially the Council's efforts at ecumenism. I've given each some thought, and here goes. Sorry if you don't agree. Lucky for you, I'm not in any position of authority.

First, the Latin Mass. When I was a kid in the '60s, I was an altar boy. I was in the first class of altar boys at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic School on Staten Island to learn the Mass in English. As a matter of fact, I think I remember that the class that preceded mine didn't have altar boys, and the one before them learned the Latin Mass. My earliest memory of the Latin Mass was the priest, back to us and in apparent isolation, and women praying the Rosary while the Mass was celebrated.

The priest in the Latin Mass faced the altar, back to the people. I remember women praying the Rosary. Why not, they couldn't hear, nor understand?

My class learned in English. I still remember with pride that after a while, I knew all the words to one of the commonly used Eucharistic Prayers of that time. Assisting priests week in, week out, I heard them over and over. More importantly, even as a kid: I understood. I get so much from the Mass today; week after week my soul and spirituality overflow at Mass. Because I understand. Why take that away from me?

In the modern Mass, the priest faces us in the pews, and speaks a language we understand.

An interesting note, something that strikes me: Jesus didn't speak Latin! And it was a Pope, Pope Damasus I, who changed the Mass from Greek to Latin around 380 A.D., so that Christians in Rome could understand it! That's exactly the same reason Vatican II went to the use of the native tongue. I am deeply in love with the Mass. I do not support taking it back to Latin. Sorry. Why not Greek, which preceded Latin? Or Aramaic, the language Jesus actually spoke!

I do not object to the Latin Mass. In fact, if there was offered a Latin Mass in Catholic Churches, I'd be inclined to attend one occasionally. Comprendisne?

The second issue, one I wasn't aware of at all, is a rejection of Vatican II's move toward ecumenism. Apparently, the SSPX movement wants the Church to draw a hard line in the sand: The Catholic Church is the ONLY way to Heaven. Period. I do believe our Church is the one Jesus commissioned. I do believe he gave the keys to Peter. I do think the various schisms, with the Orthodox and with Protestants, have been unfortunate. I would like to see them reconciled. I do NOT think an "our way or the highway" stance on salvation benefits the Church of Jesus. Sorry, I just don't.

I love my Catechism.

Lastly, I want to mention the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the most recent and official one. It is an outcome of Vatican II. It is beautiful. I love it. It expresses our faith beautifully and, for me, meaningfully. I can't believe this is what they're rejecting.

I won't surrender the Mass in English if I can help it.

I won't tell my Protestant friends they're not going to Heaven. So many are better Christians than many of us are.

I love my (Vatican II) Catechism. I will NOT give it up.

Maybe you think I'm fully corrupted for these opinions. I guess we can talk it over on the other side.

I'll finish with this:

Ephesians 2:11-22

One in Christ

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall[a] of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

May God bless us all. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bible Study Update - 6/16/2026

Hello friends. I'm here approaching a Bible study crossroad. I'm 3/4 through the Gospel of St. Mark. I can't tell you how meaningful and enriching I'm finding this time spent diving into God's Word.

I spent about a month and a half studying the Gospel of St. Matthew. With life's interruptions, especially our amazing trip to Italy, it's going to take a full 2 months to complete Mark, which is about 1/3 shorter, in terms of chapters and pages, than Matthew. That's okay.

A typical run through includes first, reading one chapter of the Gospel in my Ascension Press Great Adventure Note Taking Bible. Things that strike my heart or mind or just plain old curiosity will sometimes cause me to highlight a passage or snippet of one. Or, it might make me flip to some other book in the Bible to see how the passage I'm reading interrelates with that other book or passage. Usually, when I do this, I make notes in the margin in one place or in the other.

Once I finish a chapter, I take out my Ignatius Press Catholic Study Bible. The Ignatius and the Ascension Press are both in the Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition, which I've seen abbreviated RSV2CE. The texts are the same, but the similarity ends there, because the Ignatius often has as much footnoting and explanation as it does biblical text. The notes to me are such a blessing. There, in one place is a deeper explanation about the interrelationship between the text and other books in the Bible, along with an explanation of context, especially what symbology meant in terms of biblical times when these events occurred. I am often, much more so than at first reading, liable to add highlights and notes in my Ascension Press Bible as I learn more. It's kind of comical, because both these Bibles are huge, and I wind up juggling floppy 15 pound dumbbells back and forth on my desk. By the time I finish the chapter, I have a good grasp of it, for the most part.

Then I open my Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. The volume on Mark is 335 pages, so there's about 20 pages per chapter. Oftentimes, the notes and explanations focus on different aspects of the text, which further enriches my understanding. As when I study Ignatius, I'm back into the Ascension to make more notes and highlights. Both the CCSS and Ignatius have me flipping to the Old Testament, Acts, or Letters of the New Testament fairly often. More notes. More highlights. More flipping from CCSS to the Ascension Press and back.

Stuff I highlighted and noted in Mark Chapter 8.

In the photo I took from my Ascension Press Great Adventure Note Taking Bible, here are just a few examples of things I'm either learning from my study, or that I just find interesting:

• Mk 8:27 - 10:52 is often called the "Travel Narrative," as it traces Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. When He arrives all the momentous events occur, including the Last Supper, and His Passion and Resurrection.
• In the study of verse 27, I learned that "The Way" was the earliest name for Christianity. Very cool. The way to Heaven? I suppose so.
• Verse 31, Jesus as "The Son of Man" and how it was used in the Book of Daniel in the OT.
• Verse 35: Where Jesus used the word "Gospel," it made me curious, where else, and how often did He or anyone else use the word?
• Verse 38: Jesus use of the words, "the Father," for the first time in Mark. 

Maybe that stuff is only of interest to me, but it is, and coming away better attuned to the message in God's word helps me to feel closer to Him.

Interestingly, I confess that I consistently found myself making more highlights and notes while studying Matthew than I do with Mark. I suspect, firstly, that having completed this process for Matthew beforehand, some of the same interests and curiosities have already been explored, but second, Matthew seemed to go to great lengths to ensure the connections to the Old Testament are spelled out in ways that a Jewish audience in the first century would be sure to understand. Mark's audience, likely in Rome, would have been far less inclined to find those same connections compelling. I admit, I could be wrong on this, but I suspect this to be the case.

In this way, a chapter takes me 4-5 days to study thoroughly. With 16 Chapters in Mark, you can do the math. It's not a fast process.

I'm going to change things up after I conclude with Mark in a couple of weeks.

First, I want to finish my reading of the Catechism. I'm 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through it, and I want to finish it before I start my next Gospel. Doing two things at once is something I'm finding inefficient.

The Gospel of St. John is next. "John," you ask? Yes, John. Simply because I hope to finish it in time for Advent (after Thanksgiving), and begin Luke then. As Luke has the only in-depth Nativity narrative, I want to be deep into Luke during that beautiful part of the Liturgical year, leading into Christmas. 

That's some unsolicited, and I know maybe boring to many of you, insight into my Bible study.

May God bless us all.

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

9-Month Update - 6/13/2026

My spiritual revival is just over 9 months in now. Before I go on, as a refresher, I have always been Catholic. I have always been a Christian. Regardless of my active or inactive status in practicing or embracing my faith, those two things are a given. It started last September, this beautiful revival of faith in my life, with me happening upon the story of a young woman named Justine Donahue on YouTube. Why YouTube's algorithm decided to put her story before me, I can only describe as "a God thing." By the time I was done watching, I was back. Period. I didn't know how my return would manifest itself, but I knew I was back.

Justine Donahue Conversion Story

Last evening, while Caroline was washing up, as I sometimes do, I watched a couple of videos on YouTube. Since last September, I've created a channel on there where I watch inspirational "church" stuff. I watched a bit of one, and of another, not finding a lot that really kept my interest. Then I clicked on the testimony of a woman named Hannah Crews. She's a former Protestant and very recent convert to Catholicism. For my Catholic friends, I think you'll find the story informative. I recommend it. For some of us, we've been where we are for so long, we don't know or think about why we're there. We just are. That's not a bad thing. I guess, maybe it reads that way, but I don't mean it so. Hannah spent a great deal of time looking at Catholicism from the outside. Her testimony is a great explanation for us who are already there.

Hannah Crews Testimony

Here's a "big picture" overview of what the 9 months "back in the saddle" for me has been like.

I go to Mass every Sunday. Religiously. Pun intended. And every single thing I'll list after this has only served to enrich the Mass for me in my life.

I've made it to Confession 4 times. I'm not crazy about Confession, but I'm fully on board, and it's part of the whole package.

I'm reading inspirational books intermixed with my normal leisure reading. Unfortunately, I'm buying them faster than I can read them. Luckily, I like having them, so it's not a total waste. My reading in this category includes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I recommend for any Catholic or non-Catholic who is curious what we actually believe and why.

I've incorporated time for daily prayer in my life. Again... religiously. I usually pray the morning prayers from Magnificat, a Catholic devotional that's mailed home once a month. There's another called Our Daily Bread. I got a free issue, and I think when my Magnificat subscription ends, I'll switch to it. I don't know why, as they're very similar, but I think I like it better.

As far as prayer goes, I pray for family, friends, and for myself. I pray for all the aforementioned in general, and especially by name for those of you I know are sick, or who have suffered loss. When I pray for myself, I pray primarily for three things:

• Make me a better follower and believer in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• I pray that being a better follower includes my mind, heart, body and soul.
• Make me a better husband, father, son, brother, and friend to the people in my life.

While walking or driving, I sometimes listen to stuff on the Hallow App. I especially like something on there called, "Daily Exegesis", which is a line by line, literal breakdown of the daily Gospel reading, posted 365 days a year. It's super informative, and the guy's voice (I don't know his name) has a really pleasant accent. It sounds Australian. He's very "listenable." 

I recommend the Hallow App, especially Daily Exegesis for Bible lovers.

My Ascension Press Great Adventure Note Taking Bible. I love it.

And, of course, Bible study. I'm slowly and methodically reading the Gospels, using two Bibles and the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture books. I find that often, my study of the Gospels leads me into other books in the Bible. Similarly, Mass, reading books, the readings in Magnificat all lead me into the Bible at times, where something strikes me as interesting or important. The more I study, the more motivated I am to keep studying. I'm thirsty for more. It takes me about 2 months to give my full attention to one of the Gospels. Rome won't be built in a day!

Have a great day, friends. God bless.

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

Catholicism, Protestantism, and Ecumenism... According to Me - 6/7/2026

I'll probably ruffle some feathers here. If I do, it's not intentional. I know it might, though, because it's bound to strike some people in an emotional way. I can't help with that, except to pray that my words are well-chosen and not in the way of confrontation, and as such not to cause anyone to feel defensive or challenged. In this post I only challenge you in this way: can you be openminded enough to try to understand? That's all.

Us Catholics, we do not claim to be the only path to Heaven. We don't claim sole proprietorship on entry. I've written and said so before, but I am reiterating here, for this purpose only. If you are what I would call a "Bible believing Christian," a non-Catholic, Protestant of nearly any denomination (maybe there is one or some this wouldn't apply to, I don't know), and you believe that Jesus died for our sins and that Jesus is the Son in the triune God we call the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Catholics believe you are an heir to the same Heavenly reward that we are.

It's funny, before I continue, and perhaps this is what prompted this post, I exchanged messages with a friend who expressed interest in a Bible study of John, when he expressed no desire to make our discussion a Catholic vs. Protestant thing, I said, "We're all going to the same place. We can start practicing for that now." That's how I'm looking at this.

We're all going to the same place. Let's act like it.

I have no intention of arguing every difference and disagreement. Nope. Not gonna do it. But, just for fun, let's do one. Just one, I promise.

"Why do you pray to Mary? Mary can't hear you? She's not God!"

Mom is jamming out to her favorite inspirational tunes while she works. So she can't hear her daughter at all. Dad is in the next room, though, and hears it for himself. Is he displeased to her his daughter asking mother to say thank you and that she loves him? I don't think so.

I want to stipulate that you're right. I can't prove you're not right, nor can you prove I'm not. So, for the sake of discussion, let's, and just for the sake of this discussion only, say you're right, that Mary can't hear my prayers. Don't you think God can? The Father, the Son, and or the Holy Spirit? I'm going to contend that even if Mary can't hear, that indeed God can. What do I say when I pray to Mary, anyway? Generally, it's pretty straightforward:

"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Sound familiar? Those are the words of the Angel Gabriel and of her aunt Elizabeth, as given to us by St. Luke, in his Gospel. Chapter 1: actual biblical quotes. The Hail Mary prayer continues this way: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

At no time, when I (or we) pray the famous Hail Mary, are we asking for a miracle, or for her to grant us salvation, or am I addressing her as deity. I am asking for her to pray for me... to God. Now, I stipulated that when I do, that Mary can't hear me. But God can, right? Can we agree to that? What about those words is so displeasing to God that they somehow it might jeopardize my salvation? I don't think they will. If you do, I'll respond simply by saying, I disagree and that I'm willing to risk it.

And that gets to where I want to close this piece. I opened by saying what I truly believe, that Heaven is for us all, it is not a denominationally owned and controlled place. I trust God and His judgement. I trust Jesus to know what is in my heart. I do recognize there is a laundry list of things about Catholicism that some of my Protestant brothers and sisters find not just distasteful but in some cases, downright offensive, sinful even. But I do read the Bible and I do study Catholic theology, straight from the Catechism and from various religious and biblical scholars. If I take away the Catechism and scholars and only have the Bible left, I don't see as how my Catholicism in any way roadblocks me from admittance to the hereafter. But... and yes, there is a but...

I believe in the Eucharist. I just do. I know it's a hard saying, and that many have walked away from it, but I believe it. There's a place I can get it. Yes, we're going to the same Heaven. But while we're here, I've got to be where the Holy Eucharist is. No way on earth I'm abandoning that just because I can't prove to you that "my mother" can hear me. See you all in Heaven.

(Note: cartoon images generated by X's Grok AI)