Isaac Maximilian

I imagine that some of you may have guessed from the posting hiatus that I have been away from the computer for a while, perhaps at a hospital. I would like to introduce Isaac Maximilian. He weighed 6lbs., 7ozs. I cannot even put into words how humbling an experience this is. He is such an overwhelming outpouring of God's grace and love. Please pray for us all.

The Holy Family - Pray for us!
St. Isaac Jogues - Pray for us!
St. Maximilian Kolbe - Pray for us!

Priests are human too!

Every year the priests of my diocese have a retreat at the abbey where I teach, which is only 4 miles from where I grew up. Each year since my brother was ordained in 1998, my parents have hosted a cook-out for all the priests on the first day of the retreat. Having these 40 some priests just having fun at my house has been one of many chances I have had to see priests being "normal." I think that too many people, young men ("priestibili") included, do not ever consider this aspect of the priesthood. I wish that I help more and more people experience this. I think it could only increase vocations.

Here are a few pictures just to illustrate that priests really are normal people too.

The Nigerians love to laugh, which then makes everyone else laugh.



Of course everyone loves food.





My brother schoolin' me in volleyball.



More games.



Even Bishop Sartain (second from left, gray shirt) made it for his last time.

Another Awesome Video!

Did you know that Diet Coke + Mentos = Explosions Galore!?

More Fun Videos.

Baptism Attire.

I would like to clarify something I posted recently. I mentioned how my wife thinks that the baptism tuxedos are cute, but I did not make it clear that she would still opt for the gown for baptism. I have been reprimanded for my lack of clarity, and would never want my wife to look like a "bad" Catholic.

Anyway, it is pretty obvious from all the comments that the gown is the way to go. My wife does still like the bonnet though, so pray for me in that battle!

Just War in Iraq?

Waiting in Joyful Hope has a very interesting take on the War in Iraq. The link is to part 1, and the links to the subsequent parts are at the top of his post.

I personally don't know enough about all the events in Iraq to make a quality post about it, but his points definitely seem valid. Check it out.

Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer!



Ah, what a wonderful time to be men. Just sit back, enjoy a brew, and shrink your prostate!

'Caped Crusader' foils Uptown robbery



Not only is it great to hear about a good deed, but they don't get much more entertaining than this.

"Christianity Helps Make Love Healthy, Says Pope"

This is the heading for an article on the June 6 ZENIT post. The pope addressed the ecclesial congress of the Diocese of Rome on "The Joy of Faith and the Education of New Generations." His main focus, as seen by ZENIT, is that today's youth must be shown that when the Church talks about love and sexual morality, she is not imposing regulations but opening them to true freedom to love. I think this is the most important morality message that youth need to hear.

Since my wife is pregnant she gets in many interesting conversations. Recently she was talking with a non-Catholic who made the statement about birth control, "That's the beauty of not being Catholic, you're free to just go back on the pill." Statements such as this are exactly what the pope is getting at. The world has a distorted view of freedom. Having a Church that helps you know what evils are limiting to your freedom is not restrictive, it is liberating.

True freedom is accepting a woman's body in all its truth, beauty, and goodness and not trying to stop the way it works. When someone takes a pill to stop her body from doing what it is supposed to do, that is not freedom. That simply makes you a slave to the pill.

This is the beauty of the Church. She is never trying to hold you back. She is always trying to show you just how truly free you can be.

I went to a wedding last night, which always makes me think about how many people simply don't realize the joy that comes in having saved sex for marraige. The joy that you feel on your wedding night, getting to share every part of yourself with your spouse for the first time, and recieveing your spouse for the first time is a joy that can be felt in no other way. This again is true freedom. So many people have no concept of this true joy that sex can be.

This is what the Holy Father is wanting to teach here. True freedom in love. The Church offers help to all who want to recieve it. Now all we have to do is show it to them.

Blog pool.

Since everyone seems to want to guess, I thought it might be fun to see your guesses about my soon-to-be-born child. Please make your guesses (gender, date, weight) in the comment section. My wife and I both come from families of 4 boys and girl, the due date is June 27, and I weighed 9 lbs. 5 ozs., my wife was about 7 1/2 lbs.

Let the games begin!

Baptism Attire.

One of my wife's favorite pastimes currently is walking through the infant sections of stores. Because of this I claim to be pretty up-to-date on what's goin' down in the baby fashion world. My wife is constantly trying to tell me that if we have a boy it should wear a bonnet, but I have authoritatively nixed that. Now, I am a little foggy when it comes to the details of my own baptism, but I am pretty sure that I did wear some kind of gown. When you walk through the infant section of stores though, all you see for male baptisms are little white tuxedos. Is this a new trend or have I been sleeping when it comes to baptism attire? Again my wife thinks these tuxes are the cutest things in the world, but I can't quite see it. They seem plain silly to me.

Does anyone know what I am talking about? What is the consensus on baptism tuxes among our faithful readers?

W against Gay Marriage.

Say what you will against George W. Bush, but he certainly has not backed down from his stand against gay marriage.

That is far more than we can say about Hillary.

I for one think defining marriage as between a man and a woman to be more important than gas prices.

How's this for literary critique?!

Ridiculous

Can I just say that I think all of this 6-6-06 stuff is ridiculous. It isn't 666, it's 6,606. Those are not the same! People want to be all literal and precise with these numbers until they realize they are close, and then precision goes out the window. I mean come on, there are 5,490 numbers between them!

Baby picture.

I guess it's been a while since I showed off my two favorite people:



A little different since last time huh? 3 more weeks!

I need to vent.

My wife and I took a little trip last weekend to celebrate our anniversary, and as you all probably know, my wife is about 9 months pregnant. One day we were sitting in the hotel lobby talking to a couple sitting next to us who had 4 kids of their own, and obviously the topic of conversation was having children. Eventually the husband asked us, "So are you on your honeymoon?" I promptly let him know it was our one-year anniversary, but there are several things here that really bug me:

First, it is extremely sad that it is even possible/likely that a young couple would be pregnant and on their honeymoon (and no I don't mean just a couple days pregnant like Steve and his wife might be right now :).

Second, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago that it wouldn't have been proper to ask such a question. I know I am pretty young, but I still remember when being pregnant before marriage was frowned upon.

Finally, and this is the one that really bugs me, I hate, and yes I mean hate, that just because we are a young pregnant couple we get grouped with all young pregnant couples. I know that this isn't really practical, but I just wish there were terms that could distinguish between licit and illicit sexuality instead of just grouping all of us together.

Sorry, I just needed to vent. This is kind of a sensitive issue with me. I guess I could be wrong, but when I have made the sacrifice and struggle to live chastity and wait for my wife as I was supposed to, no one really gets to see it. Yes that seems prideful, but there is probably nothing from my life that I am more proud of than that, and I think that is something worth being proud of.

Lost Season 2



Lost is the only TV show that I watch religiously, and as season two has recently come to a close, it is as good as ever. This show consistently has scenes or entire episodes that can make great catechetical points.

One of the main themes of the series is that all of the castaways are here for a reason, some part of a plan, and that they all have to do their jobs in order for everything to unfold as it should. This is a reflection of God's plan for all of us here, and our dependence on everyone else who is part of the communion of saints. The season finale's title, "Live together, die alone," revealed this well.

The final episode also gave a good example of how the end, no matter how objectively good, cannot justify the means. This is something that I think our society seriously needs to learn.

Anyway another great season, and now a summer of agony waiting for season three.

Any advice?

So now it is just a waiting game. Over the last week or so, I have assembled a stroller, a pack and play, a swing, and several other things that I have already forgotten. On the list this week is installing the car seat and packing a bag for the hospital. So now that the baby is really getting close, do any of you party peoples have any advice for some first time parents on what we should be sure to do before the baby gets here, or what we should be prepared for after it comes?

Now must be the time to panic!

Well today is June first which means that our baby is due THIS MONTH! I guess that means we had better be ready any day now. Any last minute advice, and especially last minute prayers, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot to everybody!