Bravest Thing (He Ever Did)

My little girl asked for me to make a book about Danny stories -  real accounts of young Danny and his many childhood adventures. "Can you tell us a Danny story?" asks my little girl. I oblige. "Danny was a good little boy, and always very... holy. Except when he wasn't..." * * * Every now and then for a summer vacation our family would wind up at the West Edmonton Mall. Actually, the truth is that I would talk non-stop about the Mall until finally, just to shut me up, we would take the trip. Why the West Edmonton Mall? The pool, darn it! I loved that pool. I still love that pool. I used to dream that heaven was going to be having your own hotel room with a waterslide that goes directly to the West Edmonton Mall waterpark. Maybe it will be.  On one particular trip I was out in the wave pool with some sibling. The waves were crashing over our heads. So too swimmers on tubes. These folks came crashing with the waves, limbs flailing every which way. It is rather da...

  I have just bid farewell to a year of teaching which I shall never forget.  After the disastrous - one might argue criminal - end to the 2019-2020 school year, this latest academic year was approached with great trepidation amongst parents, students, and teachers alike. It was to be a year of unknowns, built upon invented and ever-changing COVID regulations, with the end game of... I'm not sure. Survival? Control? Student-wellbeing? Two of these three, I imagine. Initially, students were very grateful to return. They worked hard too, which was good because many had forgotten basic addition/subtraction (grade 5) due to the 6-month COVId lay-off. The day-to-day wearing of masks was a nightmare. I had many sore throats, as did the students. Overall, however, it was great to be back. The year progressed, so too the regulations. Masks became required in Phys Ed, on the playground, and while playing sports in town. Then by November we were told to stay away from sports (in town), ...

My little girl asked for me to make a book about Danny stories -  real accounts of young Danny and his many childhood adventures. "Oh boy!" I shouted with far too much enthusiasm. "It's the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Do you know what that means?" My children paused and thought.... "We're going to pray the litany?" "No! I mean, yes... but it means we're going to eat hotdogs! What a time to be alive!" "But... why dad?" asked my little girl.  Thus began yet another Danny story. * * * Danny was a good little boy, and always very... hungry. When Danny was in grade one he went to a nice school called Scotsburn. Now little Danny didn't know if the name was to hon our the Scots, or be racist towards them. Regardless, Scotsburn had an honorable tradition built on organically-developed cultural awareness. That is, every Friday they had a hotdog sale. This meant the teacher would take orders, and kids would shell out their...

I am thinking about a famous scene in the life of St. Jean-Marie Vianney. He is twenty, and attempting to study for the priesthood. “Attempting” is perhaps too kind of a word. It is an utter debacle. As the language of Latin killed the Romans - the saying goes - it is now killing him. In this scene Jean-Marie is being reprimanded by a much younger Mathias Loras, a bright but excitable student of only twelve. Though himself excitable, Jean-Marie does what only a saint would do, and kneels down before the young boy and asks for forgiveness. Mathias bursts into tears at the sight of Jean-Marie’s humility, and throws himself into the arms of our good saint. At that moment a friendship begins.  We know the future of Jean-Marie, later titled the Curé of Ars. But what of young Mathias Loras? According to Abb é Francis Trochu’s biography, The Curé of Ars , Mathias went on to become a missionary in the United States, and was even made the first bishop of Dubuque, Iowa (p.40). It is said tha...

It was 32 degrees Celsius. For Saskatchewan residents more accustomed to 32 below Celsius, 32 above means unbearable heat.  I was heading back to school after my lunch break, and couldn't help but notice young children outside playing. They were all dutifully wearing their masks. Faces were red. Sweat was dripping. A general look of pain was in their eyes. I am not exaggerating when I say that. A fellow teacher came over to chat, "Sure is hot!" "Sure is. Of course, wearing masks doesn't help," I countered, obviously unable to ever keep my mouth shut. "Well, it's all good," the teacher replied, her voice suddenly sounding cold. "It's child abuse. Look at them! How is that good? Child abuse is not all good," I definitively replied. Yes, I obviously cannot keep my mouth shut. The next day at school, hardly a teacher said a word to me. I guess I got shunned.  * * * My wife met a lady at the park. The lady had an 11-day-old baby with ...

It is a fine Sunday morning and my wife, children, and I are at a traditional Latin Mass many miles from our home. A typical occurrence plays out. I have our one-year-old boy of perpetual-motion in a headlock as he tries to wrestle away from me towards the teleological aim for someone his age: the glorious freedom of racing down a church aisle. Somehow, as I try a different martial-arts hold on this feisty kid - he takes after his mother, you know - I still manage to carry an open Latin missal and give the semblance of being at prayer. Fake it till you make it, I always say.  Glancing up at the sanctuary, I see two altar boys with the usual synchronized perfection one is accustomed to find at a reverent Catholic Mass. They look clean and professional. I am a hot mess. It is a surreal moment for me. How the tables have turned from when I was in their spotlessly clean shoes.  Just then I notice one of the altar boys give the look . His serving partner just messed up. I imagi...

No longer shackled by a false religious narrative, the progress of humanity is reaching new heights. The latest affirmation of this progress comes with the COVID vaccine. I do not mean the vaccine itself, but, again, what "comes with" the vaccine. Get your vaccine everyone. Why? Because they are handing out free stickers, that's why! Experts are thrilled with this latest development. They say stickers are an effective way to encourage people to get the COVID shot. I am not making this up. To be honest, Dr. Experts, I would prefer a free soft ice-cream cone. But that's just me. On the other hand, little kids love stickers, and so one could certainly put their COVID sticker on a child to make him/her happy. And further, to be realistic, it will be the non-vaccinated who will be wearing a sticker shortly. Might I suggest an appropriate one? Perhaps a yellow star?

In my most recent blog post I shared a response I sent to the chancery office of my diocese. Reading between the lines, I essentially stated that they were cowards for banning Holy Communion on the tongue, for nearly every person in any occupation is in as much danger, or far more (e.g. dentists) of contracting COVID while at work.  Do I really think the diocese has been acting out of cowardice? Not at all. While their excuses are cowardly, I believe what they say is ideologically driven. Holy Communion on the tongue is a sore spot for modernists. But that's an essay to write for another time. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to read Dr. Peter Kwasniewski's fantastic new book, The Holy Bread of Eternal Life: Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety . Recall that I said I would take my family (and my money) elsewhere for Mass while this diocese bans Communion on the tongue. Money will not be given to a diocese that refuses to do its job, and by "job"...

I made public my letter to the Vicar General of my diocese regarding the temporary suspension of Holy Communion on the Tongue. I am thankful to have received a reply. I will leave off what was said to me, as it was addressed solely to me. However, given that my response is more general in nature, I publish it below: Dear *******, Thank you for your reply.  Two points jump out at me. First regards how much power a bishop actually has in his diocese, and how he is bound to Tradition. Let's just say that we live in a time where Catholics think a reference to "synodality" can change teaching on marriage and the natural order, a footnote in an encyclical can change the gravity of adultery, or that an edit in the Catechism can change what is clearly laid forth in the Bible and Tradition on the morality of the death penalty. This first point I will leave off, because it would take far too much time and effort to delve into. For both of us. But the second point is this: you never...

Today I bring back my wildly popular Points to Ponder postings, That's right. Wildly popular. And necessary, too. Why, I'll bet the world has simply fallen apart since the last time I did this. 1) Masks I'm so tired of these... things. My ears hurt. My mouth feels yucky. They don't work. And, the latest "benefit" from them is: they're messing up our teeth.   2) Earth Day Speaking of masks, happy Earth Day! Yes, I do get a little sarcastic this early in the morning. However, I will point out something. I live a block and a half from work. On average, I see 8 masks on the ground each day on my travels to work. Masks are everywhere. One Facebook friend tells me that a Costco in BC has full time employees hired to sweep up the masks in the parking lot. So, Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Gates, and other private-jet owning globalist elites, if you really loved the earth like you said you did... 3) The Memes of Production! Nationalize them. For the common good! Most of you ...