Chet Collins's Blog: Catholic Husband, page 3

Fiat

God’s perfect plan is predicated on the participation of man. This principle, though it confounds human understanding, is most brilliantly illustrated in Mary’s fiat. Her yes set in motion a ripple that continues to move throughout space and time.

In each of our lives, we are asked for the same yes. God places us precisely where His plan needs us, in the family and surrounded by the people He chose. He wants us to help in His mission and plan, but he can only do so with our consent.

God’s love f...

Verso L’alto

St. Irenaeus wrote in the second century that the glory of God is man fully alive. How can we aspire to that kind of living, when humanity is drowning in an ocean of mediocrity?

It’s a terrible waste of the gift of freedom to spend life on idle and self-centered pursuits. It’s not that comfort or taking it easy is wrong in and of itself; even God rested. It’s that idleness is the enemy of virtue. It destroys our potential, steals our time, and deprives our friends, family, and neighbors of the g...

Let the Fire Fall

It’s easy to see fire as purely destructive. There’s nothing quite as jarring as seeing a photojournalist’s images of a neighborhood after a wildfire sweeps through. The homes reduced to slabs, mighty timbers turned into toothpicks, fully loaded cars left behind as empty husks. But fire’s role in our ecosystem is essential to new life.

Fire consumes all that it touches. It takes the dead and the detritus and sweeps it away, reducing it to elemental nutrients that are essential to the creation of...

Common Language

Two months ago, we had a power outage after strong spring storms swept through the area. It was getting near bedtime, but with the daylight growing longer, the children were restless. I pulled out my iPad and opened one of the few apps that isn’t dependent on the internet: Sneaky Sasquatch.

I’ve had access to Apple Arcade for years, and the game itself is nearly five years old, but this was only the second time I opened it. The first time, I quit in frustration. On that powerless March evening, ...

This Way of Life

Memorial Day finds its roots in the post-Civil War era. A nation healing from a brutal conflict sought some small way to remember those fathers, brothers, friends, and neighbors who perished in a fight for the future of America. After World War I, the observance was expanded to all who gave their lives for their country.

It’s noteworthy how we talk about these young men and women who, as the saying goes, shall not grow old. Their lives were not taken, but given. They gave their lives so that the...

Ready, Set

Many times throughout the year, whether it be in January or our birthday, we get an internal urge to change. We recognize in ourselves ways in which we could improve, and acknowledge that we’re not who we want to be. In those moments, we resolve to change.

The next thought is usually expansive planning about how to reach our destination. We need the perfect plan, the perfect setup, the perfect time. False starts abound as we tee up our “Ready, set…” moments. Whiffing leaves us demoralized, or ju...

Domestic Things

The Mass readings in the Easter season feature vignettes into the Risen Christ reintroducing Himself to His followers, and His followers grappling with what they are experiencing. The stories and scenes are familiar to us, but they are also eminently relatable. These are among the easiest stories to place ourselves in.

There is a thread that sticks out to me. We live in a culture of busyness that praises those who do-it-all. An intact executive function and one hundred sixty-eight hours are, in ...

System of Logic

The world is awash in bad ideas, and far too many people are willing to accept them at face value. In the parts of the world where the Church accommodates by moving away from its teachings, the Church is suffocating in an ocean of relativity. In the parts of the world where the Church stands firm on truth as an act of charity, it thrives as a lighthouse.

Many question how the Church’s teachings and doctrine are relevant in the world today. The curious get into the voluminous published materials ...

In the Quiet Hours

I love the romance of the early morning. Now that the children are growing, and oftentimes I still hear them as I wind down for the day. The stillness of the house is deeply peaceful for me, and I find it most consistently in the morning before they start to stir. It’s in that quiet space that I can fully relax, and think deeply.

Spring is changing my neighborhood, and I’m struck in the morning how quickly the stars fade, and the morning light starts to break. I typically listen to podcasts, but...

Mercy

The Church is many things, but one of its best attributes is that it is a place for thinkers. Theology, the study of God, is one of the most complex subjects in the expanse of human understanding. Its object is not the secrets of the animal kingdom, the building blocks of the universe, or the next big thing. It is the quiet contemplation of truth, itself.

We all benefit from these great thinkers who have spooled out nearly every aspect of Scripture, Traditional, and doctrine. To be sure, there a...