buffalo journeys

  I first discovered Father Nix’s website when I was trying to figure out how to use my missal. Since then, his blog and podcast has been a valuable resource to me regarding questions related to the faith.  He had an insightful article regarding the TV series, The Chosen. I shared it with my family when we were wondering whether to watch it or not. We then listened to his podcasts on the Catechism of Pope St Pius X. Now we are following along on his new catechism series based on the Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent. After listening to Father Nix’s podcast for some time now, I can tell you that he is to the point, thoughtful, and is truly concerned with the salvation of souls. I think that’s a good thing because since the pandemic, it’s been hard trying to understand what some people are saying regarding the faith. I have been reminded and have learned a lot regarding the faith from Father Nix. These days, it's easy to wander away from the faith. I feel like we're being ...

tweet from the Catholic Traveler, Mountain Butorac   The little tidbits like what’s mentioned above is what makes the Catholic Traveler, aka Mountain Butorac, such an interesting person to follow. I’ve been reading Mountain’s travel/pilgrimage tips for a while now. All his pilgrimages sound amazing.  From his social media, he provides a close-up look of many Papal functions that he's attended. It doesn't beat attending in person, but it's still pretty cool. He provides tips on navigating through all the crowds and long lines at the different locales around the Vatican and around Rome. I'm definitely taking his tour if I'm ever in Rome (maybe someday).    If you’ve never heard of the Catholic Traveler and are interested in pilgrimages, go check out the Catholic Traveler. He’s on social media, and he has his own website as well. 

  Just in case, you haven’t discovered Father Mike’s Sunday Homiles podcast by way of his Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year podcasts, this one is worth listening to. It is so good, as Father Mike would say.  Every homily is different. He has different homilies based on a theme, and you can tell that he puts a lot of thought and effort into each one. He tells a story to draw you in and helps you to reflect on the Gospel reading for that Sunday. I make an attempt to listen to it every week. Some days, the homilies make me smile and laugh. Other days, they make me think. And still some other days, I just don’t quite agree. For the most part, I am on the same page as Father Mike.  In recent homilies, he talked about the elephant in the room of the Catholic Church. He talked about the scandal. He talked about Christian persecution. He talked about a lot of things that are relevant to our times. It wasn’t pleasant, but it needed to be said because I think it’s been weighi...

  I started listening to the Bible in a Year with Father Mike last year. I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but it turned out to be such an amazing journey that I've continued listening to it from time to time this year as well.  For me, the Bible has been a living book, a book that has provided me new insights during different phases of my life. There have been times when I didn't understand what I was reading, and there have been times when matters have never been clearer. I have read many different versions of the Bible, and it has been a learning experience every step of the way. Even before the dawn of social media, people have been trying to throw scripture verses at others to influence them one way or another. Some are done out of charity, and some are not, so it is best to read the Bible for yourself.  Every time I read the Bible, I am reminded of what I had forgotten or am discovering something that I haven't really considered in the past. If you haven'...

image credit: Amazon I used to listen to music all the time but lately not as much. This particular song popped up recently, and it resonated with me. The melody was beautiful, but it was the lyrics that stuck with me. Part of the lyrics are as follows. "I’m just a singer of simple songs, I’m not a real political man … but I know Jesus and I talk to God and I remember this from when I was young … faith, hope, love ... did you dust off that Bible at home … thank God you had somebody to love …" The world stopped turning for many of us on 9/11 and then again during the lockdown in the pandemic. Except, during the pandemic, we were told that church was non-essential. If our faith in God is non-essential, what else is left. Sacraments were denied. So many people died alone. I still think back on this period of time, and it's traumatic. It's been three years since the lockdown, and nothing is quite back to normal. I've seen different commentaries here and there about it...