"If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire!"

--St. Catherine of Siena, 14th Century Dominican nun, philosopher, theologian and Doctor of the Church, who was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the papacy back to Rome after it's forced displacement to Avignon, France, during a time of upheaval in Italy.

As a result, she was also swept into the internal turmoil within the clergy over politics between France and Italy, which led to schism and more than one claimant to the papacy.  

St. Catherine wrote extensively, worked arduously for reform within the Church and dedicated herself to providing service to the poor, sick and marginalized.  

She died at the age of 33 and was canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461...

For over a week, my oldest daughter has been miserable (although, it has gotten progressively better over the past few days). She just got braces and her mouth has been, or at least, appears to be in excruciating pain.

For me, one of the greatest gifts of the Catholic Church, besides its lineage to Christ and the Apostles, the Sacraments, the Communion of Saints and its God-given authority, is its spirituality. 

For nearly two thousand years, the Apostles, Church Fathers, Doctors and a plethora of saints (not to mention sinners) have reflected, prayed, meditated and written about the mysteries of God and shared that wisdom with the world.  (I love that word; plethora.

One of the biggest problems facing society today is the confusing of love with tolerance.

In fact, even among Christians, in our earnest desire to avoid being seen or labeled as intolerant, bigoted or closed-minded, we have been willing to accept things that may go against our better moral judgments, just because it is, at least outwardly speaking, accepted by society as the more "loving" response to a particular issue or behavior.  In turn, these behaviors become cultural norms.

St. Thomas Aquinas once wrote, “Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” And also, “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”

Now, as a Dominican monk, I'm not sure this is exactly what St.
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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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