Catholic Answers recently published a new book by well-known apologist Joe Heschmeyer, titled The Eucharist Really Is Jesus: How Christ's Body and Blood Are the Key to Everything We Believe. When I first saw the title of the book, I thought, "I already believe this, so what can this book really add to that?" Turns out, it added a lot! Before I dive into it, be sure to check out Joe's blog Shameless Popery, both in its original site: https://shamelesspopery.com/ and also the newer articles he is writing for Catholic Answers Magazine: https://www.catholic.com/profile/joe-heschmeyer Do ..read more

(Note: I update this post periodically with changes to the investments and the rationale for adding or removing any specific stocks.) Goal: Invest in companies that do not violate Catholic moral teaching We can take a few different approaches: 1. Invest in a Catholic Mutual Fund We could invest only in mutual funds whose ostensible goals are to invest from a moral Catholic perspective (e.g. Ave Maria funds, Aquinas funds). This route outsources our investment decisions to others and comes with the risk that these people or organizations will make poor decisions, either from a Catholic moral po ..read more

I remember when I became Catholic. I thought: “How wonderful this is. I now have access to the full truth and all the graces that God wants to give to me, through the sacraments, sacramentals, and devotions. What more can I ever need?” In the first Lionheart Catholic book, I share my experiences with the tremendous graces that you can avail yourself of as a Catholic. By applying the "recipe of the saints" from this first book, you can prepare yourself spiritually for these dark times, laying a supernatural foundation that comes only from God’s grace. That supernatural foundation of sancti ..read more

This is the unpublished, hidden chapter in my book, Lionheart Catholic, with the twenty-first ingredient in the secret recipe of the saints. The Ancient Mass “Hearken to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”         -- Proverbs 23:22 One of my greatest joys in being Catholic is receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist at Mass.  But when I first became Catholic from Protestantism, I found the Mass somewhat of a letdown. Part of that was because most of the Protestant pastors I had heard were very gifted in public speaking. Th ..read more

“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchiz′edek.’” —Psalm 110:4 I was a new Catholic and very happy. I was single, had recently graduated college, and had started my first job in my new career. Shortly after becoming Catholic, I encountered St. Francis of Assisi. Even as an atheist, I had heard of St. Francis, but now, as a Catholic, I began to learn more deeply about how he actually lived his life. I learned that he practiced extreme poverty and made vows of chastity and obedience. At the time, I could not imagine a more radical way ..read more

Pandemic Panic Attacks My friend was starting to have panic attacks due to worrying about the pandemic crisis. She had been watching a steady stream of news, and one report after another painted a terribly bleak picture. It didn't help things that food was getting harder and harder to find in the grocery stores, and going to the grocery store induced even more anxiety in her, since she was afraid she and her young children would get sick. Her husband, meanwhile, was facing the prospect of losing his job, and while they had saved a little bit of money, it would not be enough to pay the bills fo ..read more

Catholic Mental Prayer, also called Catholic meditation, is a form of silent prayer that is the next level advanced from vocal prayer. It is not Eastern Mysticism or any such thing. It is instead a lifting of the heart and mind to God. All the saints practiced it. St. Alphonsus Liguori said: "every saint became a saint through Mental Prayer." Do your Mental Prayer in a completely quiet room or church to block out distractions. Your mind may jump around everywhere to worries, tasks you need to do, or fears, but you simply train it back to your topic of meditation. Here is how you do Mental Pra ..read more