It's a sad phenomenon in America. Incense fell out of favor post-Vatican II. Many young Catholics are just now learning about the beauty of thuribles and incense. Meanwhile, older Catholics are turning up their noses, literally. Maybe that would change if we better understood the meaning of incense in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Importance of Blood in the Old and New Covenants Why must we drink the blood of Christ to inherit eternal life? Jesus says at John 6:54, "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Why?  Because t ..read more

I am strongly opposed to the historical, theological, and other evils of Freemasonry. I feel so strongly about this that I've actually been hesitant to create articles and content on this subject. Maybe it was a spiritual fog. I don't know. But I'm finally doing it!      Please help me disseminate this flyer! Here is a flyer that you can print off and place under windshield wipers in shopping areas -- if such is legal and/or permitted where you live.  You can also give this to Freemasons/Masons that you know. Please comment or email me with any and all creative ideas you co ..read more

I love killing two birds with one stone, but you know what's even better than that? Having an army of saints killing hundreds of birds for you ... with one stone. Here's that one stone ... [and no birds were harmed in the writing of this article] My family has adopted a great prayer tradition during the Octave of All Saints. There are a lot of layers which I'll explain in greater depth (and in the included Dad Monk podcast) below, but here's the summary:  We go to Mass every day (or as many days as possible) of the Octave of All Saints to each receive a daily plenary indulgence for a sou ..read more

I love finding myself in conversations with Protestants about Biblical proof for Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I'm currently going back-and-forth with a Protestant in the comments of this article.  Jesus says at John 6:53-54: "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Memorize that verse! It's Biblical proof for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It's not proof-texti ..read more

Hey, everybody! I'm been sitting on this one for a while. I just finally launched a new podcast called "Dad Monk"   I've written and published over 30 books in the last few years while maintaining this blog, my law practice, and helping raise six kids. I could NOT have done this without grace, my wife, and a TON of productivity tips and lifestyle design.  That's what this podcast is about adapting secular tips and best practices to Catholicism ... and building, not just the Domestic Church, but the Domestic Monastery!   Check out Dad Monk episodes below on Spotify:&nb ..read more

A little while ago, I started compiling the "The No-Watch List: Guide to All the Kids' Shows and Movies That Have LGBTQ Characters and Content". This article and list has become very popular -- I'm having trouble keeping up with all the comments, adding to the list!  Many people have found the No-Watch List for Kids helpful. That's awesome!  But, they have also pointed out the need for a Safe List for Kids. That makes a lot of sense!  So here goes ... The Safe List of Kids' Shows and Movies NOT Pushing the LGBTQ Agenda.  Please help me keep this list up-to-date by commentin ..read more

There are a lot of questions floating about how you should (or should not) receive the Eucharist, whether on the hand or on the tongue. Here are a few:   Should you receive the Eucharist on the tongue or in the hand? Is one way good and one way bad? Is receiving Holy Communion on the tongue the better way? Is it legal to be prohibited from receiving Holy Communion on the tongue? Is receiving the Eucharist on your hands wrong? Is receiving the Eucharist on your hands a sacrilege or offensive to God?    What should you do? There are a lot of questions here, too.  What sh ..read more

Do you ever think about what you might do when you reach Heaven? You know, besides be annihilated by the joy and happiness of beholding God, the Beatific Vision? I do!  I hope to see some statistics when I get to Heaven. What percentage was I right/wrong? How many people I actually helped lead to Christ (versus how many I failed)? I imagine these statistics will be very humbling ... but still.  I hope you all will benefit from my strange desire for statistics with the following lists I have compiled about the popes.  And no! This is not an attempt to say a certain Supreme Pontif ..read more

Have you ever heard the Virgin Mary referred to as the "Aqueduct"?  St. Bernard of Clairvaux -- who once preached so well that the entire congregation left at once on a Crusade -- gave this sermon. I first heard about this sermon while reading the sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori, a pretty great reference for a sermon.   St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - August 20, 1153) was a co-founder of the Cistercian Order and the Knights Templar. Upon the death of Pope Honorius II in 1130, St. Bernard was called in to settle a schism that had arisen in the church, which he did by naming the ..read more

St. Charles Borromeo was a special kind of polymath. He was the kind that the Church needed, exactly when she needed it. It was the height and heat of the Protestant Revolution ("Reformation" is a misnomer for the Protestant movement, since a reformation doesn't break from that which it reforms).  St. Charles Borromeo was a genius in several fields: architecture, theology, liturgy, acoustics, and other fields. The skills combined perfectly in the construction of great church buildings. For it is in the Church and her great cathedrals, that we find the source and summit of all human intell ..read more