As we prepare for Thanksgiving, a holiday synonymous with family, food and football, it important to take the time to reflect on the purpose of the day and consider the things we are thankful for (whether acknowledging our blessings to God or coincidence).

It is interesting to note, as I learned from a friend last week, that despite Thanksgiving finding its roots in the earliest settlers in our yet-to-be-nation, it became a national tradition during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

During that time, the country was immersed in the bloodiest and most divisive experience in our history; where brother fought against brother, a generation of men lost, families destroyed and displaced and human suffering was palpable throughout the nation.

A recent excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's new book, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times, to be released tomorrow, has many in the mainstream media frothing at the mouth with headlines stating that the Pope has softened the Catholic Church's teaching on the use of condoms and artificial birth control.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Look, Daddy," my 9-year-old daughter says proudly as she reaches into a shopping bag and pulls out two little brassieres (with small padded cups!).

Padded bras? “Why in the world, did you buy her padded bras?” I ask my wife (she’s only nine for goodness sake, what is going on here?).

My wife tells me they are actually lined, not padded (and the difference to me being?), and are better because they cover up any unwanted protrusions (protrusions? She’s nine!..
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While the recent Hollywood blockbuster Hereafter, starring Matt Damon, and directed by Clint Eastwood, shed light on the possibility of an afterlife, albeit one without God, as pointed out by Fr. Robert Barron in a recent commentary, a story on Fox News' morning show gives a different perspective.

Yesterday, Fox and Friends interviewed seven-year-old Colton Burpo and his father Todd, who has written a book, Heaven is for Real, about the boy’s afterlife experience when he was four.

This may not be white smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican but for U.S. Catholics, it’s an important selection nonetheless; president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  

Today, the U.S. bishops shocked many religious and secular pundits by electing New York City Archbishop Timothy Dolan as their next leader over Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson.

"Don't you read instructions?" my wife asked exasperated by my questioning her for having poured the entire content of the Drano (or Liquid Plumr) into the shower drain last week (Hey, how was I supposed to know? Some bottles require that you only pour half the bottle and then the other half, as needed).

Without missing a beat, I picked up the bottle from the bathroom counter, flipped it around and pointed to the pictures in the back and sarcastically said, “These are my instructions.

It was another glorious weekend with the boys.

Every six months or so, I go hang out with about 40 plus of my closest friends and 20-25 other guys, who get invited to our biannual getaway.
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“In what format are files usually sent to us; M.O.V., A.V.I…?” He asked me nonchalantly and waited for my answer.

Say, what? My mind started racing; what the heck is he talking about?

“I know what a computer is.” I offered.  He didn't seem too amused.

I’m not the most technically inclined person that you will meet.

Last night, as I waited anxiously for the results of the Florida Governor's Race (way past my bedtime), Fox News cut in with new Speaker of the House John Boehner's speech on the results of the election.

I'll be honest, I didn't know much about Boehner, except that he was the House Minority Leader and that President Obama and the Democrats had aggressively come after him in recent weeks, in an attempt to motivate their voter base.
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Alright, call me a party pooper but I have never been big on Halloween.

No, it's not because of religious reasons, as many people know, Halloween sprouted from the Christian tradition of All Saints and All Souls Days, which the Church continues to celebrate (although it has Celtic influences as well).

The reasons for my indifference to the October 31st celebration are mostly personal.
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Welcome to Living the Faith on a High Wire...
Welcome to Living the Faith on a High Wire...
This blog is basically what the title suggests, my attempts at living the Catholic faith to the best of my abilities.
I write about my struggles as a husband, father, son, brother and Christian man.
From a faith standpoint, I also write about my observations, interests, videos, and things that catch my attention, as well as, celebrities that are trying to live their religious beliefs in the public eye.
I refer to it as life on a high wire because those of us who are trying to live our faith in today's culture are are walking a fine line over a precipice between two worlds; what our faith teaches and we know in our hearts and what the society accepts and expects us to accept.
God, religion and Christianity, especially Catholicism, have been under constant attack and this is my small way of fighting back.
I often use humor and poke fun at myself but am also serious when I have to be.
I'm not an expert or pretend to be. I'm just a lay Catholic who is living and learning, as I go, like many others.
So, feel free to browse, get to know me better and, if you feel compelled, leave a comment...

About Me
About Me
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Born in Oriente, Cuba, raised in Hialeah, Fl and graduated from The U. I’m a husband, father, son and older brother. I was a lapsed Catholic for most of my life until attending a men’s spiritual retreat in April 2006, which totally changed my perspective on life. That weekend, the emptiness I had always tried to fill with the things our culture promises will make us happy (wealth, pleasure, power and honor; St. Thomas Aquinas’ 4 substitutes for God), was filled with the love of God. I have been passionately studying my faith and, hopefully, drawing closer to God ever since. Now, I see my purpose in life is to become a saint and to lead my wife and kids to heaven. It’s not easy! I am no expert by any means. I'm just learning and trying to live my faith to the best of my abilities.
Blog Archive
Blog Archive
Books I Have Recently Read...
Books I Have Recently Read...
  • Long Shot by Mike Piazza with Lonnie Wheeler
  • The Protestant's Dilemma by Devin Rose
  • Jacob's Ladder; 10 Steps to Truth by Peter Kreeft
  • Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to do About it by Chris Stefanick
  • Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love by Bret Baier
  • The Church and New Media by Brandon Vogt
  • The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
  • Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor by Allen Hunt
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Be A Man! Becoming The Man God Created You to Be by Fr. Larry Richards
  • Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life by Charles J. Chaput
  • Raising Good Kids Back to Family Basics by Ray Guarendi
  • The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
  • The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen
  • How Firm a Foundation by Marcus Grodi
  • First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and the Trinity by Scott Hahn
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