Just an old man out standing in his field.

    Bishop Daniel E. Thomas celebrates the Ritual Mass for the Ordination of Several Priests on June 27, 2020 at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio. Photography By: © Scott W. Grau

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    faith

    To Worship, to Witness, and to Love

    We’ve all seen The Wizard of Oz, which is pretty much all about Dorothy doing everything possible to get back home to Kansas. But when the fake wizard floats away in the out-of-control balloon and she believes she has lost all hope, what is she told? The Good Witch tells her that she has had the means of getting home all along, in those two ruby red slippers. I know this is probably a dumb analogy–and it’s probably been used in this way myriad of times before–but it reminds me of how most of us think about our baptisms.…

    Marcus Grodi's avatar by Marcus Grodi

    Latest Posts

    • Grampa’s Morning Out

      I’m a grandfather. I didn’t just become one—I’ve been one for fifteen years. And I’ve got six wonderful grandchildren—with a seventh on the way, praise be to God! Actually, I should say Marilyn and I are grandparents. Marilyn is the good grandparent, the cuddly one, the one to whom the grandchildren naturally gravitate. I’m the old grouchy guy over in the corner. We live about three hours from our grandkids, so we don’t see them as much as we wish, but when we’re able, the six run to us with welcome glee! After a quick perfunctory hug around my legs,… Continue reading

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      Grampa’s Morning Out

    • Too Busy

      Tradition has it that about two thousand years ago, along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, there lived a man named Jethro ben Tubizzi. He made a living repairing kitchen appliances such as oil lamps, grinding wheels, and spatulas. One Saturday afternoon, his usual day off, his neighbor, the blind Methuselah ben Hoepin, came feeling his way along the street wall to Jethro’s front door.  “Jethro, you there?” “Where else?” “Did you hear? Remember that preacher man from Nazareth I told you about?” “How could I not hear? Every time I go to a home to fix something, that’s… Continue reading

      Too Busy

    • Groaning to Find the World Saved

      It’s seems everywhere we turn new statistics and polls are heralding a grand revival of spiritual rebirths and conversions, even in the most unexpected places and cultures, and not just here in America but all around the world. I just read yesterday about the dramatic, unexpected increase in the number of baptisms, confirmations, RCIA candidates, conversions, and even confessional lines happening in various Catholic dioceses across America. And this increase is not just in Catholic Churches but in Protestant churches of nearly every stripe, particularly among evangelically-minded denominations. What’s especially surprising to an old, stuck-in-the-mud Boomer like me is that… Continue reading

      Groaning to Find the World Saved

    • Entropy All Over Again

      Have you ever heard of the term “entropy”? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “entropy” as “the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity.” Okay. More simply, though, entropy measures the natural movement in Nature of order to disorder. Without the input of energy to establish and maintain order, everything in Nature moves toward disorder (and this can be scientifically proven by looking into any adult male’s sock drawer).  This is not just a physical law, for it also applies to our spiritual life, i.e, “spiritual entropy.” If we neglect to take time to… Continue reading

      Entropy All Over Again

    • The Necessity of Continuous Conversion

      After 45+ years of ministry, in a variety of different Christian traditions, I’ve come to the deep conviction that every single person needs continuous conversion—especially when it comes to me. The core of this post I first penned twenty years ago, but I believe it now even more, given the rise of spiritual counterfeits, running unchecked on the digital blogosphere, bombarding us, our children, and our grandchildren. My spiritual background, which was an ever-evolving mixture of Lutheran, Congregationalist, Calvinist, Charismatic, and evangelical tenants, pretty much ignored the need for any kind of continuous conversion. From my first attendance at a… Continue reading

      The Necessity of Continuous Conversion

    • Learning Contentment

      Thirteen years ago, after I’d just turned sixty, a friend asked me what I was going to do when I grew up? After a quick thought, I answered, “Well, the first twenty years of my life were pretty much all about me; then after a religious awakening in college, the focus of my second twenty years shifted, by grace, to Jesus Christ; and then, again by grace, the focus of my third twenty years have been about Jesus and His Church.” He then asked, “So, what are you going to do if the Lord gives you another twenty years?” I… Continue reading

      Learning Contentment

    • The Danger of NOT Becoming “Deep in History”

      As I sit retired before my fire. That’s how I ended my last post, and in sitting there, I became gradually convicted that I needed to write an addendum, I suppose a correction, for any misunderstandings that may have arisen from my personal witness to the danger of becoming too “deep in history” (if you haven’t, please read that last post before proceeding). I’m left wondering whether some of you may have been left speechless, transmogrified, through a misunderstanding of my intent. By declaring that I personally found a danger in becoming too deep in history, I did not mean… Continue reading

      The Danger of NOT Becoming “Deep in History”

    • The Danger of Becoming TOO “Deep in History”

      I’ve admitted many times that the final straw that opened my heart to the truth of the Catholic Church was the reading of Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman’s two classic books: his Apologia Pro Vita Sua and particularly his Essay on the Development of Doctrine. His example and then challenge to become “deep in history” led me to a much more deliberate reading of Church history, and particularly the writings of the apostolic fathers. As a result, his “warning” became true in my life: I “ceased to be Protestant”, and my family and I entered the Catholic Church in the… Continue reading

      The Danger of Becoming TOO “Deep in History”

    • The Operative Word

      The photo is the portion of our mature woods where this year we tapped six sugar maples, collecting over 80 gallons of fresh maple sap. Not being prepared yet to complete the process, we gave this away to friends to include in their active syrup production. But I had an interesting experience last night and this morning I felt compelled to share with you, my friends. My wife and I are now empty nesters on forty acres of her century old family farm. As I’ve admitted many times, I’m far from worthy to be called, let alone call myself, a… Continue reading

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      The Operative Word

    • A Single Purpose

      When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2) This has long been a favorite and inspiring verse. Apparently the Christians in Corinth had already been inundated with the “lofty words and wisdom” of self-acclaimed prophets, philosophers, and other first-century “influencers”. By the time Paul arrived, before he even opened his mouth, his audience already had preconceived expectations. Maybe they assumed he’d offer wise solutions to the struggles in their… Continue reading

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      A Single Purpose