A School for Beginners

For most of my life, despite much suffering and many struggles, I have had a strong sense that to leave the Catholic Church would mean certain death. My father only converted to marry my mother. He stopped going to Mass when I was young and my catechesis was slim to none. Even the confirmation class I attended didn’t offer me all that much, and given where I was personally, what I was taught didn’t really sink in. Still, I possessed a deep longing to truly understand the Faith. I knew there was much more that I wasn’t getting. I had to pursue it on my own. In terms of discerning my vocation, I was completely paralyzed. I had zero idea of what to do for a career. I didn’t believe anyone’s compliments or any aptitude test. Finally, at one point, I thought about the priesthood, which then became discernment of monastic life as a Benedictine at Mount Angel Abbey. What does my personal faith journey have to do with an argument in favor of the Traditional Latin Mass? In a certain ...

We are living in turbulent times. The Church is under attack from both without and within. The source of the attack we know to be ultimately demonic. Satan’s agenda is growing in boldness. Many of us are tempted to despair. We are tempted to fall into anxiety. We fight amongst ourselves and lash out in anger. This anger is certainly justifiable, but we mustn’t lose hope. The season of Advent, the beginning of the new liturgical year, is a reminder that Jesus is our salvation. He is the source of all our comfort. He is the source of all our power and the protector of His Church. Our part, like John the Baptist before us, is to prepare the way for Jesus to enter the world anew. We are to humble ourselves through prayer and fasting, not only for ourselves personally, but for our families, our communities, our countries. Only Jesus, the Divine Physician, can heal the damage caused by sin. Only Jesus can eradicate the darkness that feels overwhelming at times, especial...

James Martin, SJ has been around for quite some time. I first became familiar with him through his 2006 book My Life with the Saints . Given where I was in my faith life, it was a decent resource that helped me to grow. When A Jesuit Guide to Nearly Everything came out in 2010, I was all over it. I hungered for the guidance I wasn’t getting from my own father. Thankfully, despite the spiritual fog I lived in for most of my life, God gave me a sense for what is authentic Catholic teaching. I also listened to Women of Grace on EWTN; they helped to solidify me against the lies of New Age spirituality. When I read Martin’s chapter on centering prayer, I knew something was up. I knew something wasn’t quite right. I decided then and there to put James Martin aside in favor of more orthodox teachers. I turned to Teresa of Avila. I turned to John of the Cross. I turned to Aquinas and Augustine. I searched for tried and true teachers in order to find solid ground. I largely...