The Madonna della Pietà, completed by Michelangelo in 1499. Recently, I read the post Kallie Wright made before her three year old son’s passing. The Prayers for Levi Wright campaign took social media by storm, and thousands hit their knees for this young man. She said that she would lay in bed with him and … Continue reading La Pieta: When Mothers Must Bury their Children
Jesus Christ
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Intersecting Traditions: Cowboys and Catholicism
“George Wyndham once told me that he had seen one of the first aeroplanes rise for the first time and it was very wonderful but not so wonderful as a horse allowing a man to ride on him. Somebody else has said that a fine man on a fine horse is the noblest bodily object … Continue reading Intersecting Traditions: Cowboys and Catholicism
An Incarnation
"Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." Psalm 40 Today, on the Feast of the Incarnation (or the Feast of the Annunciation), we remember the special mystery of Mary, the Mother of God, becoming pregnant with the Savior of the World. Since finding out about my own pregnancy, I have meditated on … Continue reading An Incarnation
Waugh is Me
There is a well-known story about the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was once very rude and his hostess remonstrated: “How can you behave so badly – and you a Catholic!” Waugh replied: “You have no idea how much nastier I would be if I was not a Catholic. Without supernatural aid I would hardly be … Continue reading Waugh is Me
Life in the Shire: Reflections after Three Months of Marriage
Before marriage, I used to live my life very selfishly, in my own space, doing whatever I wished, and believing that was Heaven on Earth. It was not, for it was devoid of the warmth and joy of sharing a home with another in a society that we had created: a family.
I don’t work on Sundays
Not unless I absolutely have to, when there is an animal in crisis or there’s some obligation I cannot avoid. On Sundays, I don’t respond to business messages. I don’t pay bills online. I don’t do servile work apart from everyday chores. Sundays are set apart, or at least they are supposed to be. The … Continue reading I don’t work on Sundays
Do You Want to Love Reading Again?
I’m not going to tell you how to read. Most of us have been told how to read, what to read, and when to read for all of our academic lives, and that’s why we hate reading. Charles Belden photo, which rests on one of my bookcases. Pitchfork Ranch, Meeteetse. Try to remember the experience … Continue reading Do You Want to Love Reading Again?
It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are
I stole this mantra from a rodeo coach, albeit a coach I didn’t like very much. Still, wisdom can come from unexpected places. In the rodeo world, it is very easy to place one’s worth on one’s performance in the arena. I myself have gone through this realization after placing an incredible amount of identity … Continue reading It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are
What’s to Be Done with Suffering?
The question as old as Christianity is, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen?” It is the moment when many give up faith. It is the question upon which much doubt still hangs, even for the most faithful of people. It is true that some of us suffer greatly. Family members have … Continue reading What’s to Be Done with Suffering?
An Intersection of Traditions
I once got into an argument with a man at the South Dakota State Fair. A farmer, obviously, and slightly intoxicated, he confronted me with a rude dubiousness at the very idea of using a horse to move cattle. “Why wouldn’t you just use a four wheeler?” he said.
The Preservation of Fire 