Chesterton once said that "Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him...praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul." Truer words were never spoken. We are creatures made for thanksgiving. Praise is not one of a thousand potential modes of life---it is our fundamental vocation as human beings. In this talk,...

We started farming for the sake of my family, especially my sons.  When we had our second son my wife asked, “Where do you see us in 5 years?” North Carolina in the Fall “On a farm,” I answered, “back home.”   “Home” was North Carolina (we were living in Denver, CO), but the “farm” part we had not figured...

The reality of evil can be simply overwhelming. When it dawns upon us the extent to which evil has seemingly prevailed in the world and, yes, even in the Church, it can be tremendously disheartening. Nevertheless, I would argue that, despite appearances, there is more good in the Church and in the world than evil. Evil simply gets more attention. ...

A crisis of historic proportions is facing the Catholic Church. The moral rot and corruption that has infected the Church to the highest echelons is being exposed like a festering wound for all to see. And it is an ugly sight.  But the truth is, the crisis has existed for some time now, though many were either were ignorant of...