Thin Blue Papist

If you’re facing a dilemma today, you’re not alone. If you don’t normally abstain from meat on  Friday because you live somewhere where the local Episcopal Conference has replaced the traditional Friday observance with other penances, then this post doesn’t really matter. However, if you live somewhere or are a member of a community that or have personally taken on the traditional observance of no meat Fridays, then today could be confusing. Canon 1451 states, “Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.” Often 1451 is quoted with that quote ending after the first comma. So, what does this mean? Well, it could mean different things based on which calendar you follow. If you follow the old calendar, Friday in the week of Easter is treated as a 1st Class feast day. The modern calendar tre...

A review of "The Role of a Christian Father" by Keith Chappell, published by Catholic Truth Society. Another great booklet produced by CTS on a topic so important in today's society and climate. I first read this shortly after the birth of my first child, when I was really diving deeper into the faith and how to best live it out. This isn't a book on "how to be a dad," but how to live out your Christian faith as a father and head of the household. As it says right in the Intro, "It is not the purpose of this booklet to tell the reader how to be a father...but perhaps it will lead you to reflect on your role as a father and to become aware of the huge internal resources each father has which are given by the grace of the one Father we all look to." An important section of this booklet touches upon "work-life" balance. As a police officer, we're told in speeches that we'll miss birthday parties, holidays, life events, etc. Whi...

This a reflection on the Gospel reading for February 12, 2024 (Mark 1:40-45). How great is God's mercy? Greater than we could ever fathom. Often we can get caught up in our own downfalls and sinfullness and forget that, through it all, God loves us. A great point that was made in the homily at the Mass I attended was that some people stay away from Confession, Mass and the Eucharist, or the Church altogether because of their sinfullness. When asked "Why?" it can often be that "My sins are so bad, God could never forgive me." Now, we know that when we come before the Lord in true contrition to confession, truly desire to transform our lives away from that sin and do penance, our sins are forgiven. The point that was driven home in the homily, that God loves us unconditionally not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Often we get wrapped up in our side of things as it relates to our relationship with God, but we forget to think about the other ...

So, this all started with making a quick meme about something I felt passionate about and then quickly realized I could not summarize what I meant by it in a sentence or two.        I  remember listening to a sermon by Bishop Barron probably a few years ago now and was struck by the phrase, “No more dumbed-down Catholicism.”     While I don’t think living by this statement is by any means the solution to all of our problems, it should be the tip of the iceberg.       There is a trickle down effect here.    In an August 2023 interview with EWTN, Bishop Barron stated, “My generation got a dumbed-down Catholicism and it’s been a pastoral disaster.”     It’s true, once you start eroding any element of faith and/or Church teaching, the rot can set in.    Following this interview the National Catholic Reporter (a source I generally stay away from) was critical of the standpoint taken by Bp. Barron, ...

 Book Review: Freemasonry and the Christian Faith by Fr. Ashley Beck This booklet does a great job at giving you a history of the Church's position on Freemasonry over the years.  It also shows you how Freemasonry has evolved over the last few centuries.  Overall, as the tagline states it answers the question, "Is Freemasonry compatible with Catholicism?"   As you might have guessed, the answer of course is a resounding "No." This is one of many great booklets/pamphlets published through the Catholic Truth Society and can easily be read within a few short hours.  From the Table of Contents the booklet breaks down the overall topic into some of the following areas (this is not the complete Table): What is Freemasonry I think it is important that if you are going to be against something you should know what it is exactly that you are against.  This section covers how this secret society came to be, what its origin claims are and how it organizes itself today...

 Book Review: The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly The real point of this book is not that it is about the "biggest lie in the history of Christianity" but that it can be overcome.  I'll admit, I thought this book was going to be completely different.  I assumed it would be about some "boogeyman" like lie or some giant glaring technical error that is never corrected.  I was far from the mark.  What this book delves into is a lie that has been propagated by society and even ourselves that ultimately separates us from being as close to God as he wants us to be and becoming the best versions of ourselves that God wants us to be.   Ultimately I read this book in a total of a few hours over two days.  It wasn't gripping in a sensational way but in a way that left me thirsting for more information on how to combat this lie, live a better life and change the world in the process.  I wouldn't say its a playbook on how to ch...