Category: The Average Catholic

  • Holiness is like … Nuclear Radiation

    Holiness is like … Nuclear Radiation

    I know I know I know. Nuclear radiation does not have any good connotations and should not be used as a metaphor to holiness. I know. But nuclear radiation is what I think of when I am thinking of proximity to holiness. The etymology of holiness deals with separation. To be holy means to be…

  • Idle apps and why they are Comforting

    Idle apps and why they are Comforting

    Anyone else spend long nights staring at a phone? Have you sat down for a five minute break; only to stand up three ours later with legs that have fallen asleep? I’m guilty of this. I am all too susceptible to “idle games.” This is a genre of game apps on the phone which are…

  • How mercy is like a Bolt of Lightning

    How mercy is like a Bolt of Lightning

    Many nights of strong rains and deep thunder gave me a nostalgia for rainstorms. The heavens are coming down, but my slumber went undisturbed. There is a relaxing quality to the sounds of the fiery tempest. My condolences to those who experience fear while my reaction is peace. I see the streak of lighting, the…

  • I was Born a Heathen … then I was Baptized

    I was Born a Heathen … then I was Baptized

    My apologies for the misleading title. Both my mother and father were Catholics when I was born. But I wanted to comment on the uniqueness of Baptism. The Catholic Religion is not just a belief system to which we give our assent. We believe that there are ontological changes involved with our rituals. Both the…

  • At least one time God was not in control… The Annunciation.

    At least one time God was not in control… The Annunciation.

    “Let it be done according to Thy Will.” That is the Magnificat, the statement of faith made by Momma Mary in Luke 1:38. It is a profound moment that was the lynch pin moment in Salvation History. The feast of the annunciation is also known as the day of the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth was…

  • From your Uncle Screwtape (2/2)

    From your Uncle Screwtape (2/2)

    This is the second part of my attempt at a modern Screwtape letters. If you wish for the first part, then click on this link: https://theaveragecatholic.blog/2025/09/18/from-your-uncle-screwtape-1-2/ Virtual world is our greatest invention. What a day of celebration! I still remember fondly when the social media first arrived. It was actually my suggestion to Tom to…

  • From your Uncle Screwtape (1/2)

    From your Uncle Screwtape (1/2)

    Along with many people, I am a fan of C.S. Lewis “Screwtape Letters.” C.S. Lewis was a Christian author who challenged himself to write as a demon giving advice to a younger demon on how to tempt man into damnation. It offers a scathing self-reflection that can humble any Christian. The book was published many…

  • Catholics vs Protestants on works for salvation

    Catholics vs Protestants on works for salvation

    One of the perennial issues between Catholics and Protestants is works and salvation. Works and salvation is the belief that if you perform x, y, z, then you can enter heaven. It can be proclamations, acts of service, verbal prayers, or whatever else. The point is that salvation is able to be earned from an…

  • 42 Blue … 42 Blue … hup hup … LOVE!

    42 Blue … 42 Blue … hup hup … LOVE!

    Football has millions of people going to games every year. There is training, pre-season, post-season, and the actual season. Billions of dollars are spent in marketing, sponsors, merchandise, and so on. Fans religiously attending games even if it conflicts with other obligations. It is all too easy to believe someone sneaking a peak at a…

  • Are we afraid of our “I” becoming a “we”?

    Are we afraid of our “I” becoming a “we”?

    I love a good paradox. One paradox in the Roman Catholic church is “diversity in unity.” The church is, for better or for worse, famous for its rigid acts of worship. The church goers strictly obey the directives on what to say at mass, when to say it, and how to say it. The sea…