“I would have followed you, my brother . . . my captain . . . my king.” The moving scene of Boromir’s death in the film adaptation of the Fellowship of the Ring—released 17 years ago this December—is perhaps my favorite scene in the entire trilogy. The threefold title by which Boromir addresses Aragorn, while … Continue reading My Brother, My Captain, My King
Category: Letters
Lepanto
“Off to the left,” said our guide in a heavy Greek accent, as our tour bus cruised down the road, “is the Gulf of Patras, where the Battle of Lepanto was fought in 1571.” A feeling of excitement rose in me as I looked out over the sparkling blue water in the surprisingly narrow channel. … Continue reading Lepanto
Following in the Footsteps of St. Paul
The air was a bit humid and the sky bright and blue as I gazed over the city of Athens from the place I was standing on Mar’s Hill. Two thousand years before my arrival there, a much more significant individual than myself had stood upon that same hill, preaching the Gospel to the pagan … Continue reading Following in the Footsteps of St. Paul
The Danger of Christian Complacency
Certainly not all Christians in America celebrated the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, but many did, and not without some good reason. While a Clinton Presidency 2.0 would have likely meant federal efforts to force Christian business owners, medical professionals, and educators to violate their consciences, the Trump administration, despite its many faults, … Continue reading The Danger of Christian Complacency
A Meditation on St. Joseph
Today, March 19 is the feast of St. Joseph, the man chosen by God to be the foster father of His Divine Son. As St. Joseph is my favorite saint, as well as the saint whose name I chose at my confirmation, I thought it would be appropriate to offer a few, brief reflections on … Continue reading A Meditation on St. Joseph
“Say your Catholic prayers every day, or you will lose your faith”
It’s no secret that Catholics in the 21st century are often confused and frustrated by the dismal situation in their Church. With the clergy sexual abuse scandal, high-ranking prelates participating in drug-fueled orgies, mortal sin and sacrilege being normalized, and now the apparent selling out of faithful Chinese Catholics to their atheistic, mass-murdering persecutors by … Continue reading “Say your Catholic prayers every day, or you will lose your faith”
Can Anything Stop the Good Times?
“Can Anything Stop the Good Times?” asked a recent Wall Street Journal article in which its writers went on to discuss the extremely optimistic attitudes exhibited by bankers and business executives at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Many people today are apparently asking themselves the same question. It would seem that the … Continue reading Can Anything Stop the Good Times?
Christmas Hope
At some point in nearly every holiday movie, we are subjected to the cliché that Christmas is about giving rather than receiving. While giving of ourselves is certainly important, I would argue that Christmas, popular wisdom notwithstanding, is primarily about receiving. It’s about receiving the greatest gift of all, the Son of God, our Redeemer. … Continue reading Christmas Hope
God’s Got This
This Christmas Eve will mark the two-year anniversary of my massive brain hemorrhage and 36-day hospitalization. While I am now 100% recovered, it’s a severe understatement to say that things didn’t look good for me in the hours and days that followed my “incident.” My dad, who is himself a medical professional, took one look … Continue reading God’s Got This
Forgiveness
Where has my summer gone? It seems every single one flies by faster than the one before it. I began preparing my fall semester classes the same week spring semester ended, and I’ve been focused on that planning for all of May, June, and July. Then, about ten days ago, I realized that school was … Continue reading Forgiveness
