A few weeks ago I did something I’ve never done before: I worked on a food truck. A friend of mine owns one that specializes in gourmet hotdogs. I happened to be on vacation on a day when he needed extra help, so I jumped in and got to work. …

Wow, what an adventure. I just got back from Michigan, where I spent a week with an apostolate called St. Paul Street Evangelization (“SPSE”), bringing the Gospel to absolute strangers. Me. I did that. Nicholas Hardesty, the most introverted guy you will ever meet, walked up to random people in …

May is a magnificent month. Spring is here. The sun is shining. Life is emerging from its slumber. In Catholic tradition, this month of light, warmth, and motherhood is also devoted to the mother of Jesus. May is the “month of Mary,” and so it is fitting for us to …

Quick, grab your phone, open your calendar app, and mark this date: April 20, 2019. That’s the date for the liturgy of all liturgies, the greatest and most noble of all solemnities: The Easter Vigil. I love the Easter Vigil. There’s really no better way to seize the Easter season …

As Catholics, we like anonymity. We like to blend into the crowd. We don’t wear yarmulkes like Orthodox Jews, or plain clothes like the Amish. We can generally go unnoticed. Until Ash Wednesday. With that big, ashen cross on our foreheads, everyone knows who we are. It’s a sign that …

We all know someone who is wrestling with this question. It could be a child, a spouse, a coworker, or a friend. If they see us as holy or knowledgeable, if we are close with them or in authority over them, they may ask us, “What do you think I …

The season of Advent is filled with unique symbols, colors, and liturgical oddities. If we know a bit about them, then we can share them with others. More than that, a knowledge of these “signs of the time” can make Advent a season of genuine peace and holy preparation. The …

I have a confession to make. In my focus on how to discuss the teachings of the church with others, I have neglected an important first step: Evangelization. I touched on it when I wrote about my beard evangelizing people. (It’s true, see my column for July: Click here). But, …

This column first appeared in our July, 2018 print edition. A few years ago, when I was still working in a parish, my beard did some evangelizing. Now, before I elaborate, I should share a couple of points about my beard. First, it’s long. It’s not “ZZ Top” long, but it’s …

  You just graduated from high school. Congratulations! Now college is on the horizon, a time full of promise and possibility. You will learn a lot, meet interesting people, choose a career, and possibly even find the person you will marry.  You will also make important decisions about your faith …